94.5 Million Expected to Travel for Year-End Holidays

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Almost 30 percent of Americans are expected to travel this holiday season, the highest travel volume recorded for the season. 

A projected 94.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holiday season, increasing 0.6 percent from the 94 million travelers last year, according to the U.S. auto group AAA. 

The upward trend represents the fifth consecutive year of increases. The year-end holiday period is defined as Saturday, December 21 to Wednesday, January 1. 

In November, the group projected a slight drop in travelers for the Thanksgiving holiday, mostly due to dwindling consumer confidence and threatening weather storms. 

However, Americans are expected to travel at year-end despite the stagnant economic growth and falling consumer confidence, AAA said. 

"AAA is projecting more Americans to travel than ever before to gather with friends and family, exchange presents and ring in the New Year," AAA chief operating officer Marshall L. Doney said in the report.  

In the past decade the only time there was a change in travel volume greater than five percent was a decline in 2007 at the beginning of the recession. 

"Of all the travel holidays, the year-end holiday season remains the least volatile as Americans will not let economic conditions dictate their travel plans to celebrate the holidays," Mr. Doney said.

Approximately 91 percent of travelers, 85.8 million people, will travel by automobile, the dominant form of transportation. This is a 0.9 percent increase from the 85.1 million auto travelers last year. 

Holiday air travel is expected to decrease slightly to 5.53 million travelers from 5.61 million last year. Approximately 3.13 million travelers will use other forms of transportation, including rail, bus and cruise ship.

The report shows a slight drop in average holiday hotel rates. According to the company's leisure travel index, the average holiday hotel rate for AAA Three Diamond locations -- hotels throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean rated by the AAA -- is expected to be approximately $138 per night compared to $142 last year.