Summer to See First Gain in Leisure Travel Since 2007: U.S. Travel Assoc.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, the summer vacation is back. The group is forecasting that leisure travel this summer will be up for the first time in three years.

“Americans are expected to take 330.6 million domestic leisure person-trips during June, July and August 2010,”  says the U.S. Travel Association, an industry trade group. The U.S. Travel Association says leisure air travel alone is expected to rise eight percent this year, which means blankets, pillows, and empty seats will be harder to find than a free coach meal.

“The 2.3 percent increase is the first gain in summer travel since 2007 and nearly equals 2007’s high of 331.4 million summer leisure travelers. Americans are expected to take an average of 2.1 trips this quarter, up from an average of 1.9 trips in 2009. However, the number of nights away from home on the longest leisure trip is expected to drop slightly from 7.0 nights in 2009 to 6.7 nights during summer 2010.”