More in Southland getting away for the Fourth, but frugally
More than 2 million Southern California residents are expected to pack up the kids and gas up the car for the Fourth of July weekend, but they haven’t returned to their pre-recession spending habits for the holiday.
Although more people are leaving home for the holiday, the average vacationer will be driving instead of flying, traveling a shorter distance and spending less than last year, according to surveys and an economic analysis by the Automobile Club of Southern California.
For the upcoming Independence Day weekend, an estimated 2.57 million Southern California residents plan to leave home, a 19% increase over last year, according to the Auto Club.
Despite the substantial jump, the number still falls short of returning to the pre-recession levels of 2007 when 3.05 million Southern Californians traveled for the holiday. “We’ve still got a ways to go,” Auto Club spokeswoman Marie Montgomery said.
