A predicted 9.9 percent more travelers this Labor Day weekend nationwide may be a sign that Americans feel the economy is improving, travel forecasters say.
The 2010 AAA travel forecast for Thursday through Monday estimates that 34.4 million Americans will be taking a trip at least 50 miles away from home, up from 31.3 million last year.
"I guess that could be a good sign," said Joanie Nelson, 49, of Marietta. "It's not necessarily tied to the economy, but I guess if people are choosing to have fun and travel than they're not in complete dire straits."
Nelson will be sticking close to home this year but only because all her family is here.
"We did travel this summer, so I'm definitely not opposed to that," she said. "But we're all here so we're just having a big cookout together. It's a little harder to travel once all the little ones in the family are back in school."
The date of Labor Day typically also has an impact on the number of travelers. School has started in Washington County and much of the country but had the holiday fallen before then, the number of travelers likely would have been even higher, according to AAA.
Bill Dennis, 64, of Reno, is hitting the road today, and he said the economy did play a small part in the decision.
Dennis, his wife, children and grandchildren are going to Deep Creek Lake in Maryland for the weekend.
"I don't think the people I know, myself included, are quite as fearful about losing our jobs as this time last year," he said. "It's still not good and we're being careful with money but I feel comfortable with a little vacation."
While job growth is still slow, gross domestic product, household net worth and consumer confidence have all increased in the last year and consumer debt has decreased, according to the AAA report.
Ninety-one percent of travelers are expected to be driving to their Labor Day destinations, and the average length of the trip is 635 miles.
For those departing from Marietta, gas prices jumped about 20 cents Thursday, to $2.79 a gallon.
"I was so mad about that," said Kelsey Schwendeman, 20, of Belpre, who was filling up Thursday. "Gas prices haven't been bad lately and then they went up right when I needed a full tank."
Schwendeman is going to visit friends in Kentucky for the Labor Day holiday.
"I was originally going to try to go to the beach this weekend," she said. "So I guess I made a good decision since a hurricane is coming."
