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July 4th Travel Expected To Drop Amid Pandemic

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - It looks like a lot of people will be staying put this July 4th holiday weekend.

The number of people traveling during the Independence Day weekend is expected to drop significantly this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the AAA auto club.

"The roadways, we expect them to be much less congested than they would on a typical 4th of July or a typical holiday weekend," AAA spokesman W.D. Williams said.

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  • AAA expects that 15 percent fewer trips will be taken this summer, and 97 percent of travelers will drive to their destinations. Air travel is expected to be down by 74 percent.

    Nationally, last year's most popular July 4 holiday destination was Orlando. But Williams said the pandemic has caused Central Florida to drop to number eight in 2020.

    "All of the attractions are not yet open in the Orlando area, and people are a little wary of going into places with large, massive crowds," he said.

    This year's top summer travel destination is Denver.

    (©2020 CBS Local Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.)

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