Here’s a post that we haven’t seen since 2019; The American Automobile Association (aka AAA) says that nearly 110 million people will be traveling this holiday season – up 34% from last year. AAA says the dramatic bounce-back (27.7 million more) will bring this year’s numbers to 92% of 2019 levels. Interestingly, they estimate that 100 million people are planning to drive to their destinations despite gas costing $1.25 per gallon more than a year ago. Indeed…
“Americans who canceled their vacations in 2020 want to gather with family and friends for the holidays this year, although they will still be mindful of the pandemic and the new omicron variant,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “With vaccines widely available, conditions are much different and many people feel a greater level of comfort with travel.”
| 2021 Year-end holiday travelers compared to previous years | ||||
| Total | Automobile | Air | Other (bus, train, cruise) | |
| 2021 Forecast | 109.5 M | 100.1 M | 6.4 M | 2.9 M |
| 2020 Actual | 81.7 M | 78.5 M | 2.3 M | 0.98 M |
| 2019 Actual | 119.3 M | 108 M | 7.33 M | 3.89 M |
| Change (2019 to 2021) | −8.2% | −7.3% | −12.6% | −24.8% |
| Change (2020 to 2021) | 33.9% | 27.6% | 184% | 198.7% |
Click here to read the full report at AAA.com.
