Spring break travel continues to make a comeback locally, with more than half of local residents planning to take at least one spring vacation this year, according to the fifth annual AAA Hawaii Spring Break Travel Poll.
Fifty-four percent of those polled said they are planning at least one leisure trip this spring – a 19 percent increase from last year’s 34 percent who planned to travel, 14 percent higher than the 39 percent planning spring break trips in 2012 and 8 percent higher than the 46 percent who planned to travel in 2011.
Not only are more Aloha State residents traveling this spring, more of them are planning multiple spring break trips, according to the poll. Forty percent of those planning trips will take two or more spring getaways, compared to 28 percent in 2013 and 19 percent in 2012. Among those polled who plan to travel this spring, 13 percent will take three or more trips, compared to 9 percent in 2013.
“Spring break travel has greatly increased this year as our members are feeling more confident about their personal economic situations, and gas prices are lower than this time last year,” said Liane Sumida, AAA Hawaii general manager.
A spring break trip was defined in the poll as a trip at least 50 miles away from home and requiring an overnight stay during March, April or May.
The top five destinations for Hawaii spring break travelers, according to the poll, are:
- Las Vegas (21 percent of travelers)
- The Big Island (18 percent)
- Los Angeles (17 percent)
- San Francisco (16 percent)
- Oahu (14 percent)
Japan is the top foreign destination for Hawaii travelers, with 11 percent planning to travel there this spring. As for travel to the other Hawaiian islands, 10 percent of local travelers plan a trip to Maui, 10 percent to Kauai, 2 percent to Molokai and 2 percent to Lanai.
Sumida advised those who will be traveling over spring break to budget for gasoline by using AAA’s Fuel Cost Calculator at FuelCostCalculator.AAA.com. The calculator will estimate fuel costs based on the traveler’s make and model of vehicle and the route they are traveling. Travelers can also shop online for the lowest gas prices in any area of the U.S. using the free AAA Mobile app for Android and iPhone, as well as the online version at AAA.com/TripTik.
The 2014 AAA Hawaii Spring Break poll was conducted from March 4 to March 10, 2014 and surveyed 644 AAA Hawaii members. It has a margin of error of +/-3.8 percent.