Jesse Scheckner
Despite higher hotel rates, costlier airfare and a potential uptick in pump prices, Floridians are likely to travel in record numbers this Independence Day weekend, according to a forecast from AAA — The Auto Club Group.
More than 2.8 million Floridians will take at least one trip of 50 miles or more between Friday, June 30, and Tuesday, July 4, the group projected. That’s 87,000 more holiday travelers than the previous record high from 2022.
It’s also 400,000 more Sunshine State travelers than AAA expected last month ahead of the long Memorial Day weekend, which kicked off what Debbie Haas, Vice President of travel for AAA, promised would be a “very busy summer travel season.”
The Independence Day weekend will mark the next big surge in a monthslong tourism boom for Florida, Haas said in a statement.
“Although airfares and hotel rates are more expensive than last year, Americans are still eager to travel,” she said. “So, expect to see congested roads, busy hotels, and long lines at airports and attractions.”
Close to 2.4 million travelers in Florida this July 4 weekend — 85% of the total — will drive to their destinations, a year-over-year increase of about 37,000 road trips. Nationally, 43.2 million people will take to America’s highways and byways.
The good news, AAA said, is that while it’s still too early to know exactly what motorists will pay for fuel, it’ll be far lower than what Florida drivers paid in 2022.
As of Sunday, June 25, Floridians spent an average of $3.35 per gallon on gas, a price point 12 cents cheaper than the week prior. The price was $4.67 per gallon around the same time last year.
Friday will be the busiest day on the road during the Independence Day holiday weekend, particularly during the afternoon and early evening, according to INRIX, a mobility analytics company based in Kirkland, Washington. The company said travel times will run 30% longer than normal, with heavier traffic congestion in major metropolitan areas, near beaches and close to attractions.
While car rental shortages have improved since last year, with newer models and electric vehicles added to fleets, AAA said demand for international rental cars is up more than 80% compared to 2022.
Air passengers are paying up to 50% more compared to last year as demand for flights has spiked, prompting airlines to hire more staff and replace smaller regional planes with larger, more capacious ones.
Adding to that cost is a slight hike in hotel prices, which coincides with an 80% rise in international hotel bookings from last year. The U.S. State Department said it is processing about 500,000 passport applications weekly.
The number of domestic hotel bookings is about the same, AAA said.
Maritime travel has also rebounded and is back to pre-pandemic numbers, with sold-out ships and advance bookings.
Cruise costs have remained level with last year’s prices, with certain companies charging slightly more this year due to demand.
Earlier this month, the Cruise Lines International Association confirmed Brevard County-based Port Canaveral has wrested the label of “world’s busiest cruise port” from the longtime titleholder, PortMiami, with roughly 400,000 more passenger movements in 2022.
Chris Chiames, chief communications officer for Carnival, which is headquartered in Miami, told Travel Weekly that Central Florida is attractive because it’s a “vacation destination known for theming” that meshes well with the cruise line’s “immersive concepts and experiences.”
Port Canaveral processed 4.07 million passenger movements last year compared to 4.03 million at PortMiami.
Port Everglades in Broward County also made the list of the 10 busiest cruise harbors with 1.7 million travelers last year — a far cry from its 3.89 million pre-pandemic high.
