Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend has signaled the start of the summer vacation season. But in recent years, the economic downturn has made the holiday nothing more than a tease.

Over the past three summers, the travel and leisure sectors have been hurt by the surge in ’staycations,’ the stay-at-home alternatives for people who couldn’t afford destination vacations.”

This year, according to NPR, the tease is over!

Now that people are feeling more secure in their jobs, the travel and lodging industries are both predicting a healthy (or at least a healthier) vacation season ahead.

Not to bring you down: While job security might be becoming less of a thought, ever-increasing gas prices are still on the mind of many Americans.