Increase In Travelers Forecast For Memorial Day

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Despite rising gas prices the number of people expected to travel during the Memorial Day holiday weekend is predicted to increase this year.<br/><br/>AAA Oklahoma says an estimated

Thursday, May 18th 2006, 12:52 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Despite rising gas prices the number of people expected to travel during the Memorial Day holiday weekend is predicted to increase this year.

AAA Oklahoma says an estimated 505,700 Oklahomans are expected to travel by car or plane during the weekend. The number is a 1.8 percent increase over last year.

Nationwide there is expected to be 37.6-million people traveling 50 or more miles from their home for the holiday weekend -- an increase of just under one percent from 2005.

The increase is expected despite gas prices averaging $2.92 per gallon nationwide as opposed to about $2.15 per gallon last year.

In Oklahoma the average price for gas is $2.71 per gallon.

Other prices are also rising with airline tickets about 10 percent higher than last year and hotel rates up about 5 percent from a year ago.