PORTLAND — Americans will head for the hills, lakes and beaches in slightly greater numbers this Memorial Day weekend than they did in 2013. And most will do so by car, according to AAA Oregon/Idaho, which said more than 36.1 million people will travel 50 or more miles away from home over the holiday weekend.
That’s a 1.5 percent increase over the 35.5 million travelers one year ago. The prediction could translate to revenue increases for the travel industry, as hotel and car rental rates see modest increases.
AAA foresees the trend continuing throughout the summer, with an increase in air travel, too. The agency does not expect an additional increase in fuel prices, which have already spiked and are now slightly lower than at this time last year. In Clark County, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded reached $3.92 this week, down one penny from the same week last year.
