"Increasingly, Americans are spending more of their disposable income on dining outside the home. This is one reason AAA has made a concerted effort over the past year to inspect and rate and include more restaurants," observed Michael Petrone, director, AAA Tourism Information Development.
With the addition, AAA TourBook Guides now includes more than 19,000 eating facilities. Spending by travelers accounts for about 50% of revenues of restaurants with an average check of $25 or more. According to AAA, a vacationing family of four should budget $112 per day for food, not including tips and beverages, which is 12% more than in 1998.
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