Businesses on the Waterfront likely will be welcoming an influx of tourists over the holiday weekend.
SEATTLE — Estimates say more than 39 million people are planning to travel away from home this Memorial Day Weekend.
A solid number of those looking to travel will be heading to the Seattle area, as a report from AAA shows Seattle is ranked as the number two U.S. destination for Memorial Day Weekend travelers.
The predicted influx is a welcome sight for businesses on the Waterfront. Boat tours are filled up and people crowd the sidewalks.
“It was kind of a ghost town for awhile but now it’s usually shoulder to shoulder tourists everywhere,” said Darren Patton, who is an employee at The Frankfurter on Pier 55.
The line grows as people wait to get a bite to eat at shops like The Frankfurter.
On days like Sunday, Patton makes hundreds of hotdogs.
“Yeah it’s nice to see people around again, if not just for business to see people happy and walking around,” said Patton.
It’s bringing the Waterfront to life for shops who depend on tourist traffic.
“Our Christmas is definitely in the summertime,” said Neal James, who is the Manager at Ye Olde Curiosity Shop.
Christmas could be coming early this year, as AAA forecasts 39.2 million people will travel this Memorial Day Weekend.
It’s no surprise to Carl Jackson, visiting Seattle from Nevada.
“Technically should be number one because I’m already ready to come back just being honest. I love it out here, it’s fantastic.”
Sunday’s foot traffic might be foreshadowing the summer to come.
“We’re ready for things to get back to normal and obviously it’s going to be a little bit until it gets back to normal normal but with the people coming back, it’s going to be good,” said James.
According to AAA, the top Memorial Day travel destination is Orlando, followed by Seattle, then Miami. The top international destination is Vancouver, Canada.
