In a week following the announcement of new CDC mask requirements and the European Union’s decision to allow vaccinated travelers this summer, AAA Washington experienced a couple of online booking spikes.
- On May 20, online hotel bookings hit a single-day sales record not seen since prior to COVID-19. An overwhelming majority of these travelers made last-minute plans: 40% a day or two before travel and 50% for the Memorial Day weekend. The remaining 10% looked a bit farther into the future — booking hotel stays in June, July and August.
- The day of the CDC mask announcement — May 13 — a significant bump in rental car bookings occurred with most vehicles reserved for June and July trips to Hawaii, Salt Lake City, Orlando and Los Angeles plus a handful for Hawaii in November.
- Road trippers, be aware: A stop at one of the National Parks located near AAA Washington’s previously released top five Memorial Day destinations needs advance planning. Tickets are now required to ride the shuttle into Utah’s very popular Zion National Park. At Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, travelers without a reserved timed-entry permit won’t make it through the gate.
- Another 85,000 Washingtonians choosing not to spend their Memorial Day weekend on the road will fly to much-warmer climes: Las Vegas, Hawaii and Phoenix.
- AAA’s full Memorial Day travel forecast can be found here.
