AAA Says Holiday Travel Will Be Very Busy
Gary Rivers held a conversation Tuesday morning with AAA’s Senior Manager of Public Affairs, Kimberly Schwind. The topic was the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend travel numbers.
For the fourth year in a row, AAA predicts the highest Thanksgiving travel numbers since 2005, with 55.3 million Americans, including nearly 2.3 million Ohioans, planning to travel at least 50 miles from home between Wednesday, Nov. 26 and Sunday, Dec. 1. This is a 2.9% increase over last year nationally and a 3% increase in Ohio.
According to Schwind, travel volumes fell quickly during the recession, with national Thanksgiving travel numbers bottoming out at 37.8 million travelers in 2008 and Ohio travel numbers hitting a low of just under 1.5 million travelers in 2009. As the economy has recovered, so has holiday travel. This year’s Thanksgiving travel predictions are 46% above the recession low nationally, and 53% above the recession low in Ohio.
During the interview, Schwind offered tips to auto and air travelers:
Listen to the Interview
About AAA
AAA provides more than 60 million members with travel-, insurance-, financial- and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited online at AAA.com.
