Virus advice blamed for dip in travel

AAA predicting just 84.5 million likely to be away for the holiday

Dominic Pampalone’s Merrillville travel agency is usually busy this time of year, with folks looking to spend their holidays away from home on a cruise or some sunny location.

Not this year.

“We’re not seeing much business at all,” said Pampalone, owner of Pampalone’s Travel Express.

“When people do call, not many of them are booking a trip. They usually choose to wait,” he said. “It’s all COVID.”

He said the pandemic has taken a big hit out of the seasonal getaway, with cruises being canceled and many countries closing their doors to American visitors as well as worries over a new surge in virus cases and deaths.

“For the past 10 years one gentleman treated generations of his family to a trip to Mexico for the holidays. This year he said it wasn’t worth it. He doesn’t know if they’d get sick,” Pampalone said.

Many Americans are expected to heed the advice of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Fauci said people should avoid travel this month, warning the holidays could create another COVID-19 surge.

AAA is predicting only 1 in 4 Americans will travel during the Christmas and New Year’s weeks, 34 million less than last year at 84.5 million versus 118.9 million, due to continued pandemic-related concerns.

AAA said this is the largest decline on record, ending a streak of 11 consecutive years of holiday travel growth.

Auto travel is expected to decline by at least 25%, while air travel will fall by nearly 60%, if not more, AAA predicted.

Travel by other modes, including bus, rail and cruise ship, will take the biggest hit, plummeting by at least 87% to less than half a million travelers, the agency predicted.

Those planning on taking a road trip to visit family or friends will want to make sure the driver doesn’t drink too much spiked eggnog before getting behind the wheel.

Indiana State Police Lowell Post announced it’s increased patrols until Jan. 1 as part of the winter Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over national enforcement mobilization. During this time, officers will be showing zero tolerance for impaired drivers, whether it’s alcohol or drugs, and will be on the lookout for unbuckled motorists as well.

“Holiday celebrations may look different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but precautions still need to be taken on the road,” said Lt. Terry Gose, commander of the Lowell Post. “Officers will be out in greater numbers, but it’s going to take every

one working together to keep our roads safe.”

The holiday season is one of the deadliest times of the year for impaired-driving fatalities. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 285 drunk-driving-related fatalities during the Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday period in 2018 alone, the most of any holiday period that year in the U.S.

Last December in Indiana, there were 415 alcoholrelated crashes, resulting in 105 injuries and 11 fatalities.

Drivers shouldn’t encounter any backups due to road closures in the Region, however, according to Cassy Bajek, spokeswoman for Indiana Department of Transportation’s Northwest District. She said there are only a few minor lane closures that shouldn’t inhibit travel.

She advised, however, that travelers check the weather forecast to know what to expect and be prepared in the event of bad weather.

According to the Weather Channel, those driving on Wednesday could run into rain showers and windy conditions. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be cold, with temperatures hovering in the low 20s.