Almost 51 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles away from home this Thanksgiving, a 3.3% increase over last year, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
AAA predicts the highest Thanksgiving travel volume since 2005 over the upcoming holiday weekend, with 1.6 million more people taking to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways compared to last year.
“Thanksgiving kicks off the start of a busy holiday season, and more thankful Americans will travel to spend time with friends and family this year,” said Bill Sutherland, AAA Senior Vice President, Travel and Publishing. “A strong economy and labor market are generating rising incomes and higher consumer confidence, fueling a strong year for the travel industry, which will continue into the holiday season.”
The AAA predicts that 89% of all travelers – 45.5 million – are planning a Thanksgiving road trip, an increase of 3.2% over last year.
The Thanksgiving holiday travel period begins Wednesday, Nov. 22 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 26. Congestion is predicted as early as Tuesday of Thanksgiving week.
