Slight Drop in Holiday Travel Projected

This year’s holiday season is expected to be a good one for traveling by RV, with 53.7
million Americans planning to travel 50 miles or more from home, a 6 percent decline over
last year’s 57.1 million people, according to the AAA. Approximately 42.2 million travelers
are expected to go by motor vehicle this holiday, down 1 percent from last year. Thanks in
part to gas prices that have fallen to their lowest level in years, 79 percent of those
traveling during this holiday are expected to go by motor vehicle, compared to 75 percent
one year ago. The Southeast is expected to have the greatest number of auto travelers, with
11.4 million. Other regions and their expected number of motorists include the West, 10.3
million; Midwest, 9 million; Great Lakes, 6.7 million; and Northeast, 4.8 million.
According to AAA’s survey, 40 percent of travelers plan to visit a town or rural area while
another 34 percent expected to go to a city. While 62 percent of travelers plan to stay
with a friend or relative, other lodging plans include camper/trailer/RV/tent, 3 percent.