Gas may be cheaper, but many staying home anyway

As Americans prune their expenses because of the relentless recession, the family vacation is taking a hit. A third of those surveyed in an AP-Gfk Poll released Monday said they had already canceled at least one trip this year because of money.

IHS Global Insight, which studies travel habits for AAA, expects Americans to take 20 million fewer trips from April to September and spend $30.3 billion less than last year. And those trips are likely to be shorter.

Fewer and shorter vacations will hurt the economy. Summer travelers are the lifeblood of countless hotels, restaurants, amusement parks, campgrounds and every touristy spot in between.

The pullback is expected even though travel will be cheaper. The average price of a gallon of gas in the United States was $2.25 a gallon on Tuesday, well below the $3.71 mark at this time last year.

Associated Press