Nearly three-quarters of state residents responding to an AAA Hawaii survey say high gas prices are affecting their overall budgets, but 60 percent of those who will travel this summer say they are shifting around their finances to pay for their trips.

Consumers surveyed for the third annual summer travel poll say they are reducing discretionary expenses so they can afford at least one summer vacation. The survey released Thursday found that 35 percent cut restaurant dining; 27 percent, gasoline use; and 25 percent, buying new clothes; while 17 percent reduced the length or cost of their vacations.

"The good news for travelers is that gas prices are now on the decline," said Diane Peterson, AAA Hawaii regional manager. "We expect that will bring more travelers into the last-minute market if they decided against making summer plans in April or May due to gas price uncertainty. Also, many travel providers are offering promotions to encourage last-minute summer travel since space is still available at several popular vacation destinations."

The average for regular unleaded gas on Thursday in Hawaii was $4.08 while nationally it was $3.78.

In AAA Hawaii’s spring travel poll, 59 percent of those surveyed said that the high price of gas affected their overall budgets. That number swelled to 74 percent in the summer poll as gas prices increased.

Some consumers’ tolerance for higher gas prices could be rising, however. In the spring, 34 percent of drivers said they would make major changes in the amount they used once prices reached $4 a gallon. In the latest poll, just 20 percent said a $4 price had caused them to reduce usage.

Most summer vacationers (75 percent) plan to take at least one summer trip to another state, while 27 percent will take at least one trip within Hawaii. The most popular destination states are California and Nevada, while the most popular cities are Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle.

The AAA Hawaii summer travel poll received responses from 383 AAA Hawaii members between May 2 and May 16 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent.