Labor Day weekend travel bookings up over last year: AAA

Travelers are commemorating the unofficial end of summer by booking a slew of international trips and cruises for Labor Day weekend, according to AAA.

Traveling over the holiday weekend is up this year compared to last, according to AAA booking data; Domestic travel is up 4 percent, while international travel is up 44 percent.

“Most travelers will leave on Thursday or Friday before Labor Day to take advantage of the long holiday weekend,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement. “Domestically, the Pacific Northwest, big cities like New York and Denver, and tourist hotspots like Orlando and Las Vegas are the most popular. Internationally, it’s all about Europe and Canada.”

Vancouver, Rome, London, Dublin and Paris are the top five international tourist destinations for Labor Day weekend, according to AAA. International hotel bookings are up more than 80 percent compared with last year, and international cruise booking are up 44 percent.

Seattle, Orlando, Anchorage, New York and Las Vegas are the top five domestic destinations for the long weekend, with AAA noting that Seattle tourism has been increasing due to higher demand for Alaskan cruises. AAA noted that Florida destinations are also popular due to cruises starting out of Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Miami, as well as the state’s beaches and theme parks.

Gas prices over Labor Day weekend will be about the same as last year at about a $3.78 a gallon average. INRIX, which tracks transportation data, said that roads will be the busiest on Aug. 31 between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

“The best times to travel by car over Labor Day weekend are early in the morning or in the evening,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, said. “If you must travel during heavy traffic, navigation apps and local departments of transportation can help steer drivers around long delays.”