PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Editor's note: The above video is from June 27.
As mask mandates are lifted and more and more Americans get vaccinated against COVID-19, travel is expected to pick-up and reach near pre-pandemic levels this Independence Day.
According to AAA, more than 47.7 million Americans are set to travel in some way to celebrate Independence Day this year. This is the second-highest July 4th travel volume on record, falling just behind travel numbers in 2019. That year, just 2.5% more Americans traveled to celebrate the holiday. This year's travel volume represents a nearly 40% increase from last year's, when the pandemic had no end in sight.
And despite gas prices being the highest they've been in years, the large majority of Americans are opting for road trips to celebrate this holiday: 91% of expected holiday travel will be by car, also according to AAA. That's 43.6 million of the total 47.7 million Independence Day travelers.
An expected 3.5 million Americans are planning to fly this holiday; that's 90% of pre-pandemic levels, or, an increase of 164% from 2020.
About 620,000 Americans are expected to use other modes of transportation to reach their Independence Day destinations—an increase of over 72% from last year, AAA's report went on.
“Travel is in full swing this summer as Americans eagerly pursue travel opportunities they’ve deferred for the last year-and-a-half,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel said in a press release. “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.”
In terms of where Americans are traveling, the top destination for July 4, 2021 is Orlando, Florida, followed by Anaheim, California, Denver, Las Vegas, Seattle, Chicago, and New York City. Americans are also planning to travel to Atlanta, Boston, and Kahului, Maui, Hawaii.