More than 47 million Americans are expected to travel for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, according to a forecast from AAA, the latest indication summer travel has come roaring back (Travel & Leisure).
Of the 47.7 million Americans who will likely travel from July 1 to July 5, the overwhelming majority – 43.6 million of them – will be traveling by car, according to the forecast. An additional 3.5 million people are expected to fly, bringing airlines back to 90% of pre-pandemic traffic.
Americans are so eager to get away, AAA predicts this Fourth of July holiday weekend will see the second-highest number of travelers on record, only surpassed by 2019 when 48.9 million people traveled. The forecast far outpaces 2020 when only 34.2 million Americans traveled for a Fourth of July vacation.
And the numbers are even higher than this year’s Memorial Day weekend when 37 million Americans were predicted to travel.
“Travel is in full swing this summer, as Americans eagerly pursue travel opportunities they’ve deferred for the last year-and-a-half,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “We saw strong demand for travel around Memorial Day and the kick-off of summer, and all indications now point to a busy Independence Day to follow.”
The holiday weekend predictions come as more and more people have been traveling, taking advantage of vaccine rollouts and relaxed international border restrictions. In fact, more than 4 million people passed through U.S. airports this weekend, according to the Transportation Security Administration, which has seen multiple days of more than 2 million passengers throughout June.
Americans aren’t just ready to travel, they also appear likely to spend big bucks when they do. U.S. travelers are forecast to spend $153.7 billion on summer vacations this year, about 50% more than they spent in 2019, according to a recent study from Allianz Partners USA.
How to Market When Travel is Growing
The uptick in vehicle travel is expected to increase now through Labor Day weekend. Dealers looking to capture market share from auto travelers should focus on promoting summer service packages.
Offerings like tune-ups, tire, and oil changes are useful to travelers looking to make a summertime road trip. By making customers aware of the discounts and specials you offer on these services, you can drive traffic into your dealership and add more consumers to your customer base.
A tried-and-true method for reaching service customers is direct mail. STRONG offers a number of direct mail campaigns with tuned-in targeting capabilities. Target specific customers with the parameters that work best for your business, and see your service lane traffic grow.
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John Paul Strong
John Paul Strong combines his two decades of automotive marketing experience with a team of more than 150 professionals as owner and CEO of Strong Automotive.
