With the school year over for the summer in Montgomery, Alabama, Michael Carlson and his wife brought their three children to Chattanooga this week for a family vacation with stops at the Children’s Discovery Museum and Ruby Falls and a day tubing on Chickamauga Lake.
“We love Chattanooga, and it’s a great place to visit with tons of things to do for the kids to start their summer,” Carlson said after visiting Ruby Falls atop Lookout Mountain on Monday.
The Carlsons are getting an early start this week to what AAA predicts will be the busiest Memorial Day weekend for travel since 2005. AAA projects 43.8 million Americans, including more than 900,000 in Tennessee, will head 50 miles or more from home over the three-day holiday weekend that traditionally kicks off the summer season.
“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in AAA holiday forecast report. “We’re projecting an additional 1 million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we’re exceeding prepandemic levels but also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead.”
(READ MORE: Gas and electricity prices drop this spring in Chattanooga)
Road trips are expected to set a record with 38.4 million people traveling by car over Memorial Day weekend, the highest number for that holiday since AAA began tracking in 2000. Such travel is being buoyed by continued growth in the U.S. economy and a recent downturn in prices at the pump.
Chattanoogans hitting the road this weekend are enjoying the lowest prices at the pump in three years with the average price of regular gas down by 17.1 cents per gallon in the past month and 6.7 cents per gallon below last year, according to a survey of 170 area gas stations by GasBuddy.
Average gas prices in Chattanooga, which began this week at $2.94 a gallon, remain 61 cents a gallon below the U.S. average. The Circle K gas station on Ashland Terrace in Red Bank had the cheapest price for gas anywhere in Tennessee with regular gas priced at $2.73 a gallon, or 34 cents a gallon below the statewide average in Tennessee, GasBuddy said.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said he expects “mostly good news for the rest of the summer” for gas prices, with fuel prices trending lower leading up to the July Fourth holiday.
“The news continues to be good for motorists ahead of Memorial Day, with gasoline prices again falling, making it four straight weeks of declines for the national average as we get closer to the start of the summer driving season,” he said.
In another report issued Tuesday by GasBuddy, 76% of those polled by the online gas pricing service said they plan to take a road trip between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends this summer, up 18% from 2023. The average traveler has two road trips planned, with many venturing far — 49% expect to drive five or more hours to reach their destination.
“It looks like it’ll be a busy start to the summer driving season, and while Americans gripe about the cost of gasoline, it doesn’t seem that too many are going to be deterred from hitting the road,” De Haan said in a report issued Tuesday.
SUMMER OUTLOOK
Barry White, president of the Chattanooga Tourism Co., said cheaper gas should aid drive-to destinations like Chattanooga. Hamilton County hosts more than 15 million visitors a year who collectively generate more than $1.5 billion into the local economy, according to the Chattanooga Tourism Co., which promotes Chattanooga’s convention and visitors market. On average, more than 15,000 visitors spend the night in one of the more than 11,000 hotel rooms in the Chattanooga area.
“We’re excited about AAA’s weekend forecast as we kick off Chattanooga’s summer tourism season this weekend,” White said in an email. “Visitors spend more than $4.4 million dollars every day in Hamilton County. And in addition to the economic benefits, tourism amenities enrich the quality of life for our residents, with more dining, shopping and recreational options.”
(READ MORE: Chattanooga Tourism Co. seeks bigger share of hotel taxes)
Thom Benson, head of marketing at the Tennessee Aquarium, said this year “has gotten off to a solid start for the aquarium, and we look forward to strong attendance during the summer months.” The Tennessee Aquarium, which first opened in 1992, was recently named by Newsweek magazine as the best aquarium in the country and is one of Chattanooga’s biggest tourist attractions.
Benson said the summer is traditionally the busiest time of the year for Chattanooga’s tourism industry, but he said spring and fall breaks have created more opportunities for travel over the past decade.
“The traditional summer peak is somewhat flatter and more spread out as a result of changes in school calendar,” Benson said by email.
Hugh Morrow, president of Ruby Falls on Lookout Mountain and former chair of both the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association and the Chattanooga Tourism Co., said Ruby Falls and other tourist attractions “have seen considerably less pre-bookings for Memorial Day weekend because of it being earlier in May.”
“However, the following three weeks are on par of exceeding 2023,” Morrow said in an email. “I do believe by next Monday we will meet or exceed 2023.”
INFLATION PRESSURE
Morrow said inflation continues to put pressure on disposable income.
“So, I do think that is what has affected the planning cycle and has created more last-minute purchases of tickets and reservations,” he said.
White said Chattanooga’s access to nearby markets like Atlanta, Nashville, Birmingham and Knoxville and its below-average hotel and gas prices make a more affordable destination “that offers a wide range of attractions and activities in close proximity.”
“Our goal is to extend stays in Chattanooga creating more guests for our restaurants, hotels and attractions. In today’s competitive environment it will take more investment from all people involved to make that happen and retain market share,” White said.
Jill Kilgore, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, said the central location of the Volunteer State helps draws visitors from most of the U.S. population within a day’s drive.
“Tennessee is well-positioned as an affordable travel destination for families who may consider shorter lengths of summer travel or shorter distances,” she said by email. “Tennessee is within a day’s drive of most of the U.S. population.”
ROADWORK PAUSE
To help the extra flow of traffic over the weekend, the Tennessee Department of Transportation will suspend all construction-related lane closures on interstates and state routes beginning at noon Friday through 6 a.m. Tuesday.
“We want to do our part to help everyone have an enjoyable and safe holiday weekend and keep traffic flowing as smoothly and efficiently as possible,” TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley said in an announcement this week. “We also want to remind drivers it is the law to move over and slow down for first responders and emergency vehicles, including TDOT help trucks that will be on patrol during the holiday weekend.”
Motorists may still encounter some lane closures or restrictions while traveling through long-term construction projects such as the Interstate 24 and Interstate 75 work going on in the Chattanooga area.
(READ MORE: Bridge work stops at I-75 and I-24 split)
Even with roadwork suspended, Inrix, a provider of transportation data and insights, predicts drivers leaving Thursday or Friday should hit the road early to avoid mixing with commuters. Travelers going back home on Sunday or Monday should avoid the afternoon hours when return trips will peak.
“Travel times are expected to be up to 90% longer than normal,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at Inrix, said in a news release. “Travelers should stay up to date on traffic apps, 511 services and local news stations to avoid sitting in traffic longer than necessary.”
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6340.
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