Published: July 03, 2009 10:12 am      

Economy may slow travel

AAA projects the number of Americans traveling this Fourth of July holiday weekend will decrease by 1.9 percent from 2008 with approximately 37.1 million travelers taking a trip of 50 or more miles away from home.

Vice-president of public Affairs for AAA Oklahoma Chuck Mai said his office conducted a survey of what Oklahomans plan to do over the upcoming holiday.

The number one response was they plan to visit family and friends. That seems to ring true in McAlester and the surrounding areas.

Margie McElhaney, of Crowder has a full day planned with her family. “My brother was born on the fourth and my mom on the sixth, so every year we invite family over for a cookout. We have cake and homemade ice cream. Then we watch the Crowder fireworks display,” McElhaney said.

Jessica Gilliam, of McAlester, also has a big Independence Day plans. “I will be celebrating my freedom with friends and family who are coming from out of state. And, of course, watching fireworks,” Gilliam said.

Colton Parker, of Indianola, is concerned with food and fun. “I always go over to Crowder to watch the fireworks and eat the big cookout,” Parker said.

Amber Berry and her daughter, Emma Watts, of Siloam Springs, Ark., will be traveling to Oklahoma to visit family.

“We watch the fireworks display together,” Berry said.

While Oklahomans will be out in force, nationally travel numbers will be down.

“The projected slight decline in leisure travel is mainly due to ongoing uncertainty about the strength of the economy, especially rising joblessness and sagging personal incomes,” AAA said. They also believe the decline in holiday travel may be due to the recent jump in gasoline prices.

“Many Americans remain cautious about the outlook for their personal finances and these attitudes are reflected in the slight decline in the level of travel we are forecasting for the upcoming holiday weekend,” Mai said .

“Those who do vacation this summer will find plenty of attractive discounts and special offers resulting in some outstanding vacation values. If you can afford to go, this summer is a very smart time to travel.”

It is believed that air travel numbers are going to increase, while auto travel numbers are expected to drop.

This due to declining air fare prices, according to AAA.

“About 54,500 Oklahomans will be traveling by air this holiday, a nearly 2 percent boost over year-ago figures,” AAA said.

Whether you travel by land, sea or air, celebrating America’s independence with family and friends seems to be the order of the day.

Contact Marketta Johnson at mjohnson@

mcalesternews.com.