More travel expected in the Upstate for Memorial Day weekend

The recent drop in fuel prices is expected to cause a bump in travel this Memorial Day holiday weekend.

An estimated 423,000 South Carolinians are expected to start traveling today, a 3 percent increase compared to 2010, according to AAA Carolinas, a not-for-profit agency that provides 1.8 million residents in North and South Carolina with travel services.

AAA Carolinas said the average price per gallon of regular fuel in South Carolina was $3.59 on Wednesday, a 16-cent decrease since prices peaked on May 12. That decline combined with the state's 1.5 percent drop in unemployment last month should boost travel.

"We have seen an increase year over year in our hotel bookings, car rental reservations and personal trip routing requests," said Dave Parsons, president and CEO of AAA Carolinas, in a statement. "The declining gas price will not only encourage more South Carolinians to fill up before traveling out-of-state, but also make the state more attractive to visitors."

Air travel is predicted to jump 3 percent, as 35,500 state residents are expected to fly this weekend, AAA Carolinas said. The increase is partly due to the introduction of low-cost carriers, such as Southwest Airlines in Greenville-Spartanburg and Charleston, which is keeping fares low.

The agency said it expects 30,000 South Carolinians to travel by other means, including bus, train and ship.