30% of Americans Will Travel This Holiday Season
AURORA, Ill. -- Some 94.5 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holiday season, an increase of 0.6% from last year, says the AAA Chicago. This upward trend marks the fifth consecutive year of increases and the highest travel volume recorded for the season.
The year-end holiday period is defined as Dec. 21 to Jan. 1.
Year-end holiday travel is expected to increase for the fifth consecutive year, reaching a new high since the AAA began collecting such data. According to the survey of intended travelers, the average distance they expect to travel is 805 miles, an increase of 45 miles from last year when travelers logged 760.
Visiting with friends and family (74%), dining (70%) and shopping (51%) will be the most popular activities.
Here are highlights from the 2013 AAA Year-End Holiday Travel Forecast:
- 91% of travelers, or 85.8 million, will travel by automobile, an increase of 0.9%.
- 29.7% of all Americans will take a trip this holiday, with 27% taking a road trip.
- Holiday air travel is expected to decline slightly to 5.53 million travelers from 5.61 million last year.
- Median spending is projected to increase slightly to $765, compared to $759 last year.
During the holiday period, AAA expects to come to the rescue of 3.76 million motorists, h the primary reasons for breakdowns being dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts. AAA recommends that motorists check their battery and tire pressure and prepare their vehicles for winter driving before heading out.
Those traveling by air will find airfares slightly lower than last year, according to AAA's Leisure Travel Index. During Christmas week, the average lowest round-trip rate is $199 for the top 40 U.S. air routes compared to $204 last year. Approximately 3.13 million travelers will choose other modes of transportation, including rail, bus and cruise ship.
Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to average $138 per night compared to $142 last year. Travelers planning to stay at AAA Two Diamond hotels can expect to pay an average of $102 per night, compared to $101 in 2012. Weekend daily car rental rates will average $63, compared to $55 last year.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
CLICK HERE to subscribe to our twice-monthly print edition and to our free daily email headlines.