If you think it’s crowded on the roads and in the airports this time of year, you’re right. According to a forecast by AAA, almost 30 percent of the U.S. population is expected to travel this holiday season. In fact, you might even be reading this as you’re traveling.
If you’re interested in the actual numbers, AAA predicts that 91.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the 2011-2012 year-end holiday travel season. That marks a 1.4 percent increase over the 90.7 million people who traveled one year ago. What’s more, this year’s expected holiday travel volume is expected to be the second highest in the past decade. Of course, the 11-day year-end holiday period is the longest holiday travel season of the year, giving many Americans time to visit family and/or take vacations. Just so we’re clear, AAA defines the year-end holiday travel season as December 23 to January 2.
While travel is up slightly, AAA also noted that economic improvements are continuing at a very slow pace, and consumer surveys show active concern and pessimism over that pace. The measure of economic activity, real gross domestic product, is expected to increase for the fourth quarter of 2011 by 1.5 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. While 1.5 percent growth is still slow, it is the primary factor expected to drive this year’s modest increase in expected year-end holiday travel.
