Community Corner

AAA: Thanksgiving Travel Projected to Rise 3.5 Percent in Mid-Atlantic

A total 42.5 million are expected to travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving, according to AAA.

Nationwide, travel during the Thanksgiving holiday is forecasted to increase 4 percent this year, but only increase 3.5 percent in the Mid-Atlantic, according to AAA. The annual Thanksgiving Forecast compiled by IHS Global Insight and AAA asserts that lower gas prices and a slightly improved economy are the reasons for the proposed travel swell.

“With the unemployment rate a full percentage point better than the national average, the Middle Atlantic continues to fare relatively better than the rest of the country,” the 2011 Thanksgiving Forecast said.

Gas prices have dipped 23 percent over the past four months within the region, according to the report, which forecasts that 10.4 percent of the Mid-Atlantic population will travel by automobile this Thanksgiving, while only 1.1 percent of the regional population will take to the air.

Another reason cited in the report for the increase in Thanksgiving travel is “pent-up demand”. The past three years have produced below-average Thanksgiving travel volumes, both nationally and regionally. Therefore, the report predicts that people who were unable to travel in the past will decide to travel on Thanksgiving this year.

“As consumers weigh the fear of economic uncertainty and the desire to create lasting family memories this holiday, more Americans are expected to choose family and friends over frugality,” Bill Sutherland, Vice President of AAA Travel Services, said.

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