High Gas Prices Had Little Effect on Summer Travel

31 August 2000
High Gas Prices Had Little Effect on Summer Travel, According to Travel Industry Association of America
    WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 More than half of U.S. adults (53% or
107.9 million adults) took at least one pleasure or personal trip of 50 miles
or more away from home during May, June or July 2000, according to a special
Travel Poll by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA).  As expected,
motor vehicles were the most popular way to reach a destination, with 81
percent of summer travelers doing so (87.6 million adults).  In spite of the
rapid rise in the cost of gasoline this summer, only one in five auto
travelers (22% or 19.3 million adults) modified their summer trip in some way
due to high gasoline prices.  Seventy-eight percent of auto travelers (68.3
million adults) said high gasoline prices had no impact at all on their summer
trips.
    "The results of this survey underscore just how important travel is to the
American way of life," remarked William S. Norman, president and CEO of the
Travel Industry Association of America.  "Although travelers had to pay
significantly more money for gas this summer, they weren't going to let that
stand in the way of their hard-earned vacations."
    Young travelers (under age 35) were more likely to say that higher
gasoline prices caused them to change their trip in some way (28%), compared
to 20 percent of older travelers (age 35 or older).  The most common changes
to trip plans included staying less time at a destination (23%) or traveling
to destinations closer to home (22%).
    More than half of those who traveled by car this summer (87.6 million
adults) estimated they traveled between 500 and 999 miles (24%) or 1,000 or
more miles (29%) round-trip.  A third (33%) traveled between 200 and 499 miles
round-trip, while a tenth (11%) say they traveled less than 200 miles in all.
Middle-age adults (age 35 to 54) (58%) were more likely than young (under age
35) (49%) and mature (55+) (46%) adults to travel 500 or more miles round-trip
in a motor vehicle this summer.  Likewise, travelers with $75,000 or more in
annual household income were more likely than those with less income to travel
500 miles or more round-trip (66% vs. 49%).
    Among those adults who did not travel during May, June or July, only one
percent claimed they did not travel during this time frame because of higher
gas prices.  Actually, the most common reason for not traveling was not having
enough time or being too busy-mentioned by half (50%).  Some did not travel
for health reasons (12%) or because they could not afford it (11%).  Adults
under age 55 are much more likely than mature adults (age 55 and older) to say
they did not have enough time or were too busy to travel (60% vs. 26%).
Likewise, married adults are more likely to say this than those not married
(58% vs. 40%).