Group items tagged

AN ESTIMATED 54.6 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving, according to AAA Travel, 1.5 percent more than last year and 98 percent of pre-pandemic volumes. AAA is projecting this year will be the third busiest for Thanksgiving travel since AAA started tracking in 2000. Continuing a years-long trend, most travelers, nearly 49 million, will drive to their holiday destinations between Nov. 23 to 27, according to AAA. That number is up 0.4 percent from 2021 but still 2.5 percent below 2019 levels. "Families and friends are eager to spend time together this Thanksgiving, one of the busiest for travel in the past two decades," says Paula Twidale, AAA's Senior Vice President of Travel. "Plan ahead and pack your patience, whether you're driving or flying."

AS MANY AS 47.9 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home over the Independence Day weekend from June 30 to July 4, an increase of 3.7 percent over 2021, according to AAA Travel. It added that car travel will set a new record, despite historically high gas prices, with 42 million people hitting the road mainly due to recent issues with air travel and ongoing concerns of cancelations and delays. Independence Day will be the second busiest since 2000, as travel volumes continue to trend upwards, AAA said in a statement. However, the share of air travel will be the lowest since 2011. According to AAA, 46.2 million people traveled during Independence Day last year and the number was 49 million in 2019, before the pandemic.

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND is back and almost as strong as pre-pandemic levels, with 39.2 million people forecast to travel 50 miles or more from home during the holiday period, according to AAA Travel. Despite record high gas prices, a majority of travelers, 34.9 million, are expected to drive, but air travel also is seeing resurgence. The total forecasted number of travelers is 8.3 percent higher than 2021's 36.2 million and comes closer to 2017 levels. Last year, U.S. hotels saw occupancy hit nearly 62 percent over that Memorial Day weekend, according to STR. "Memorial Day is always a good predictor of what's to come for summer travel," said Paula Twidale, senior vice president, AAA Travel. "Based on our projections, summer travel isn't just heating up, it will be on fire. People are overdue for a vacation and they are looking to catch up on some much-needed R&R in the coming months."

TRAVELERS ACROSS THE world are increasingly opting for short-haul destinations and making last-minute bookings over planned trips, according to a report from OYO Rooms. With a steady rise in vaccination coverage, combined with the easing of restrictions across regions, travelers have embraced the spirit of travel wholeheartedly, especially during holidays and festive long weekends. Oyo's Mid Season Global Holiday Trends 2021 report said that Labor Day in U.S., Gandhi Jayanthi in India, Ascension Day in Europe and Summer Holidays in UK were the most popular holidays among travelers this year. According to the report, Labor Day, New Year's, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Memorial Day and Thanksgiving are America's most travelled holidays. Coastal hotspots such as Seattle and Miami have been wildly popular during public holidays, followed by California's Nevada City, Houston and Dallas, the report added. AAA Travel forecast that 53.4 million Americans would travel for Thanksgiving this year, and a survey from Motel 6 found that 82 percent of holiday travelers believe it is important to spend that time with loved ones. However, another survey from the American Hotel & Lodging Association found only 29 percent of Americans are likely to travel for Thanksgiving and 33 percent are likely to travel for Christmas.