Increases in both air and auto travel will push Thanksgiving travel
volumes above pre-9/11 levels for the first time, according to AAA.
North America’s largest motoring organization estimates that 37.2
million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday, a
3.1 percent increase from last year’s 36.1 million travelers.
Approximately 30.6 million people (82 percent of all holiday
travelers) expect to go by motor vehicle, a 2.9 percent increase from
the 29.8 million who drove a year ago.
Survey results indicated that 63 percent of Thanksgiving
travelers will stay at a friend or relative’s home. Hotels and motels
are a distant second at 23 percent, followed by cabin/condo, 3 percent;
camper/trailer/RV/tent, 2 percent; bed and breakfast, 1 percent; other, 1
percent; no overnight stay, 3 percent; and didn’t know, 4 percent.
Small towns and rural areas are the expected destination for 40
percent of Thanksgiving travelers, followed closely by cities, 36
percent. Oceans and beaches should see 9 percent of travelers, followed
by mountain areas, 5 percent; and 2 percent each for lake areas,
theme/amusement parks, and state/national parks. Another 3 percent
responded with other, and 1 percent said they didn’t know.
Research for Thanksgiving holiday travel is based on a national
telephone survey of 1,300 adults by the Travel Industry Association of
America, which conducts special research for AAA.
