Summer Trips Expected To Be Down 14% This Year, AAA Reports

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- After canceling its annual Memorial Day travel forecast because of COVID-19, AAA has instead come out with a 2020 summer travel forecast, covering July 1 through September 30.

AAA expects Americans will take more than 700 million trips in the next three months. If that sounds like a lot, it's still 120 million fewer than in 2019.

A new survey from Explore Minnesota asked about travel plans during the pandemic. The survey went out to subscribers of its monthly travel email, and found about 42% of respondents said they were planning leisure trips around Minnesota in August. About 40% planned to travel in July.

The more than 14% decline in travel is primarily because of reduced air travel. Car trip travel is only down about 3%.

The AAA summer travel forecast also reported the top destination for trips this summer will be Denver, followed by Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

The governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut announced travel advisories requiring visitors from nine states where cases of COVID-19 are spiking to self-quarantine for fourteen days. In New York, those who don't comply risk a fine of up to $10,000.