AAA projects 92.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holidays, an increase of 3.1 percent from the 89.5 million who traveled a year ago. The Christmas/New Year's holiday travel period is defined as covering eleven days, from Thursday, December 23, 2010 to Sunday, January 2, 2011.
Three percent more Oklahomans are expected to travel over the holidays this year as well. "It's great to see so many taking to the roads, rails and skies this holiday season, especially since this is the fifth consecutive holiday period this year in which AAA has predicted a year-to-year increase in the number of travelers," said Chuck Mai, spokesman for AAA Oklahoma. "After a challenging year in 2009, a modestly improved economic environment and pent-up demand resulted in more Americans traveling in 2010, and the year-end holidays are no exception."
Nine out of ten travelers will drive to their holiday destinations. Nationwide, approximately 85.7 million people (93 percent of all holiday travelers) will drive to their Christmas/New Year's holiday destinations. That represents a 3.2 percent increase from the 83 million who drove last year. About 779,000 Oklahoma will be driving 50 miles or more from home over the holidays, a three percent boost over year ago figures.
Motor vehicle travel is predicted to make up about 90 percent of all holiday travel done by Oklahomans.
Number of air travelers expected to increase by nearly three percent. Nearly 2.75 million leisure air travelers
across the country (three percent of all holiday travelers) will take to the skies during the year-end holidays, marking a 2.8 percent increase from last year's 2.67 million air travelers. Approximately 4.6 percent of Oklahomans who will be traveling will be getting there by air this year. The 41,200 Oklahoma air travelers represent a three percent increase from one year ago.
Happy holidays and traveling mercies, Oklahoma!
Photo Credit: Tomfs on Flickr/Subject to Creative Commons License; January 29, 2010; Snowstorm in Bricktown, home to 911 ACOG.
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