In a year when the travel industry has rebounded after a sharp downturn, it comes as no surprise that automobile club AAA is forecasting a 3.1 percent increase in the number of Americans traveling during the end of the year holidays.
According to a report release on Wednesday, AAA predicts that 92.3 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from December 23 to January 2.
Americans will also be traveling farther this year than they did in 2009. The auto club estimates that the average distance Americans travel will increase by 33 percent, hinting that some people may be taking the cross-country family trips abroad they might have put off in years prior.
According to AAA, 75 percent of all people surveyed reported that their main purpose for holiday traveling was to visit friends and family.
The largest portion of travelers, around 93 percent of them, will be hitting the road to their holiday destination. Around 85.7 million people will be traveling to via automobile. That is 3.2 percent more people than last year when 83 million Americas drove last year, AAA said.
Air travel is also up slightly with 2.8 percent more passengers than last year. However, those who do chose to fly will find themselves paying 3 percent less on airfare than they did over the holidays in 2009.
More On Holiday Travel:
The average lowest round-trip ticket will cost around $174 for the top 40 domestic routes, AAA reports.
Americans will also be more generous this season with their holiday travel budgets. AAA estimates that median spending is expected rise to $694 this year compared to $670 last year.
Some of that money may go to pay hotel rates, which have gone up 5 percent from a year ago when travelers spent an average of $119 for AAA Three Diamond hotel accommodations. This year, the comparable hotel room costs around $125 dollars a night. Travelers staying in AAA Two Diamond hotels can see a 2 percent increase with hotel rooms costing around $88 per night. Car rental prices remained the same with the average rental costing $50 a day.
AAA reports that this is the fifth consecutive holiday period this year in which the number of travelers has increased over last year.
In 2010, Thanksgiving travel went up 11 percent, Labor Day travel went up 9.9 percent, Independence Day travel went up 17.1 percent, and Memorial Day travel went up 5.4 percent.
By Adriana Padilla for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related Links: CNN, Reuters, PR Newswire
Related Links on PeterGreenberg.com:
- Thanksgiving Travel Up 11%, AAA Says Prepare For Crowds
- Memorial Day Weekend Trips Projected To Rise, Travel Industry Relieved
- Independence Day Travel Expected To Soar
- Labor Day Travel Up, But So Are Prices
- Holiday Airfare Savings On The Early Show
- CBS Early Show: Making Holiday Travel More Affordable
- Holiday Travel: Airfares Remain High, No Relief In Sight
- Holiday Season Airport Security Preview: Full Body Scan Or Invasive Pat Down
