WASHINGTON – AAA Mid-Atlantic expects a drop in the number of travelers on Memorial Day weekend and it points the finger at sequestration.

The number of Washington-area travelers will fall about 2 percent compared with last year, according to the association. Regional airports are expecting a 10 percent drop in travel.

Spokesman John Townsend says people are also planning shorter trips.

“Holiday travel and vacationing is all from the discretionary budget of the household,” he says. “Sequestration strikes right at the heart and that’s why were seeing a drop, more pronounced here than other parts of the country.”

WTOP’s Andrew Mollenbeck contributed to this report. Follow @MollenbeckWTOP and @WTOP on Twitter.