AAA: High gas prices, inflation has little impact on July 4 travel

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(ABC 6 News) – Around 47.9 million Americans will still travel this Fourth of July weekend to get away, visit family or go camping, according to AAA. Rochester Marion KOA Campgrounds said come Fourth of July, every single one of their 50 campsites will be full.

"We’ve been pretty busy this year, but Fourth of July we are actually full for the weekend," said Rochester KOA general manager Katie Pevehouse.

Rochester KOA said climbing gas prices have not stopped campers from coming to visit.

"People are still wanting to get out and they’re wanting to travel and spend time with their loved ones," Pevehouse said.

They are getting bookings from travelers far and wide.

"Every area you can think of from Canada, California, New York, Florida and Texas. Since we’ve opened, we’ve had maybe one person from each state just this year," Pevehouse said.

AAA’s expectations for this weekend tell the same story.

They expect 47.9 million Americans to travel this weekend — 42 million using a vehicle.

AAA says rising gas prices and inflation are more likely to affect how people spend money day to day, rather than canceling travel plans altogether.

"What we are finding is that the high gas prices are changing behavior more around home," said Meredith Mitts, the public affairs specialist for AAA in Minnesota and Iowa.

We are not at pre-pandemic travel numbers yet, but AAA said we’re on track to break travel records again in the next few years.

"We haven’t reached our pre-pandemic numbers yet but we are getting very close. We assume that we would continue that upward trajectory. They only time we saw the downward trajectory was in the height of the pandemic," Mitts said.