Data from GasBuddy’s midsummer travel survey reveal that though people are buying more gas, they may be staying closer to home.
In results released Wednesday, GasBuddy’s first-ever midsummer travel survey turned up the contradiction that while 10 percent fewer Americans are planning to take a road trip this summer than were in May, demand for gasoline last week hit the highest level of 2021.
“With new COVID cases rising and gasoline prices at their highest level since 2014, some motorists appear to be re-thinking their summer travel plans,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “However, while some may be trimming summer road trips, demand for gasoline remains strong across the country with GasBuddy data showing that last week’s consumption reached a 2021 high, topping the busy July 4 holiday weekend. That will keep prices from falling much even as COVID anxiety rises.”
The spreading COVID-19 Delta variant may not keep people from driving, but it is affecting
Americans’ decision to take road trips. The percentage of people who are taking fewer road trips due to COVID-19 concerns increased from 22 percent to 28 percent from May to July.
While the recent spike in demand shows that Americans are still determined to get out this summer, wavering confidence in road trips says people might be worried about budgeting for high gas prices and seeking adventures closer to home.
In early May, 57 percent of Americans were planning to take a road trip, according to GasBuddy’s 2021 summer travel survey. Since then, gas prices have risen to a seven-year high, a new variant of COVID-19 has spread throughout the country, and a pipeline shutdown brought gasoline shortages to the Southeast. As of this week, only 46 percent of Americans have or are still planning to hit the road.
Gas prices have been steadily climbing since early November to prices that haven’t seen since
2014 with a national average of $3.14 per gallon. Fifty percent of Americans now say high gas prices are deterring them from taking a road trip, up from 46 percent in May.
Summer travel is defined as the period between May 31 and Sept. 6, 2021 (Memorial Day through Labor Day).
GasBuddy is the leading fuel savings platform providing North American drivers with the most ways to save money on gas. As one of the most highly-rated apps in the history of the App Store, GasBuddy has been downloaded nearly 100 million times. Acquired by PDI Software in 2021, GasBuddy’s publishing and software businesses enable the world’s leading fuel, convenience, quick service restaurants and consumer packaged goods companies to shorten the distance between the fueling public and their brands. GasBuddy data are available at www.gasbuddy.com.