Fuel hitting summer vacation plans
A new survey has found that more than half of travelers are considering saving on their vacations this year because of the price of fuel.
The research, conducted in the United States by the US Travel Association, found that 54 percent of vacationers planning to travel by car this summer said that an increase in gas prices would affect their plans.
Almost half (44 percent) said that an increase in prices would cause them to take fewer trips, while 43 percent of leisure travelers planning to fly said that if fare prices rise because of oil prices -- as industry experts have predicted -- it would affect their vacation.
Interestingly, leisure travelers heading away by car didn't just say that high gas prices would make them take fewer trips or travel shorter distances, but also admitted that it would mean that they spent less money shopping, in restaurants or on entertainment.
When asked how a higher airfare would affect their plans, most flyers said they would look for something cheaper, but then admitted that they'd rather spend less on entertainment at their destinations than fly less altogether.
Ten percent of those planning to travel by air said that they'd switch modes of transportation due to the higher fares caused by gas prices.
