AAA is projecting that 92.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more during the year-end holiday travel period, an increase of 3.1 percent from the 89.5 million who traveled a year ago.
The year-end holiday travel period is defined as Dec. 23, 2010 to Jan. 2.
“It’s great to see so many Americans 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,” Glen MacDonell, director of AAA Travel Services, said in a news release. “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.”
AAA’s projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Global Insight. The Boston-based economic research and consulting firm teamed with AAA in 2009 to jointly analyze travel trends during the major holidays.