Community Corner

AAA: Fewer Locals to Travel Labor Day

Not as many Southern Californians will travel this Labor Day weekend as in 2010, experts predict. But for those leaving town, San Diego and Las Vegas still top list of destinations.

Fewer Southern Californians are planning Labor Day weekend getaways this year, experts say. 

The Auto Club of Southern California has reported that the number of expected holiday weekend travelers in the region dropped to 2.32 million from , a 2.6 percent decrease. 

But the predicted decline is among all forms of transportation except car trips, which is predicted to be slightly up this year—about 1.89 million Southern Californians are expected to travel by car this weekend, compared to last year’s 1.88 million.

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"We are seeing some travelers choosing to take a shorter vacation or opting to drive," said Filomena Andre, the Auto Club’s vice president for travel products and services, in a statement Monday.

Nationwide, more than 31.5 million Americans are projected to travel at least 50 miles away from home between Thursday and Monday. That’s a 2.4 percent decrease from last year’s 32.3 million travelers.

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For those in Southern California who do plan to get away this Labor Day weekend, the top destinations, according to a survey of AAA travel agents, are: 

  1. San Diego
  2. Las Vegas
  3. Central Coast (Santa Barbara to Monterey)
  4. San Francisco
  5. Grand Canyon

Last year, Las Vegas topped the regional list for Labor Day weekend getaways, followed by San Diego.


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