Travel is projected to be up by 700,000 people this Memorial Day weekend compared to last year with the highest travel volume for this holiday since 2005 and the second highest on record.

“It is for many people the kick-off of summer travel plans,” said Bill Seratt, executive director of the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Really the two weeks that bracket Memorial Day will be busier than usual.”

AAA expects more than 38 million people will leave their homes between Thursday and Monday. The high travel volume is being attributed to gas prices, which should be the lowest they have been on this holiday weekend in the past 11 years.

Gas is $0.45 cents cheaper this year than last Memorial Day with the national average being $2.26 a gallon. Plus, car rental prices are down 3 percent.

“I think overall the lower gas prices have really helped us this year,” Seratt said.

Rick Martin, visitor services manager, said the Visitor Center located across the street from the Vicksburg National Military Park entrance is on track to see more people this May than last year.

“We’ve been busy really, I’d have to say the month of May I’ve seen a difference in the Visitor Center here getting busy,” Martin said.

Of the projected increased travel the majority, 89 percent or 34 million, will drive, which is a 2.1 percent increase from last year.

“For many people this is the destination and for a lot of people it is part of a bigger trip,” Seratt said. “They generally come from within a 5 hour drive time. The biggest percentage of people come from the contiguous states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama.”

Even though the bulk of visitors come from the south, it is not uncommon to see people from all over the country in Vicksburg because of its location between Atlanta and Dallas. This week Martin said he met a couple from Massachusetts who chose to spend the entire day in Vicksburg on their way to visit their daughter in Houston.

Also because of Vicksburg’s historical roots, the city sees a lot of international visitors as well. This month Martin has met people from France, Brazil, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

“It’s unbelievable, they’re from all over the world,” Martin said. “We’ve had people in here today from Germany and from Switzerland.”

According to AAA, air travel will also increase with 2.6 million people flying, which will create a 1.6 percent jump from last year. Average airfare is projected to be 26 percent cheaper this year.

Other modes of transportation including trains, busses and boats will have 1.6 million travelers, falling 2.3 percent.

Hotel prices have stayed on par compared to last year.

“Americans are eagerly awaiting the start of summer and are ready to travel in numbers not seen in more than a decade,” said Marshall Doney, AAA president and CEO. “The great American road trip is officially back thanks to low gas prices, and millions of people from coast to coast are ready to kick off summer with a Memorial Day getaway.”

The top holiday weekend travel destinations are in hot climates and historical locations like Orlando, Myrtle Beach, Washington, D.C., New York, Miami, San Francisco, Boston, Honolulu, Los Angeles and South Padre Island.

AAA believes it will rescue around 350,000 motorists for flat tires, dead batteries and locking themselves out of their vehicle.