AAA: 2016 Marks The Most Thanksgiving Travelers In Nearly A Decade
DEARBORN (WWJ/AP) - AAA says it expects that more than 1.5 million people in Michigan will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving holiday.
The auto club says it's the most travelers since 2007 and a two percent increase from last year. Reasons cited include improvements in the economy during the second half of the year, including rising wages, increased consumer spending and overall strength in consumer confidence.
The vast majority, more than 90 percent, of Michigan holiday travelers will drive this Thanksgiving. The 1.4 million Michiganders planning a Thanksgiving road trip represents a nearly 2.5 percent increase over last year. Air travel is expected to decrease about twopercent, with over 111,000 Michiganians flying to their holiday destinations. Travel by other modes of transportation will increase about 1.5 percent this Thanksgiving in the Great Lake State, with close to 12,000 travelers choosing cruises, trains and buses as their mode of travel.
Michigan's current average price for a gallon of gasoline is about $2.03, 14 cents less than this same time last year ($2.17) and 18 cents more than the average price on Thanksgiving Day 2015 ($1.85).
The Thanksgiving holiday travel period this year is Nov. 23-27. The most popular travel dates are the Wednesday before the holiday and the Sunday after the holiday.
This year's top destinations for Thanksgiving include many popular west coast cities, as well as perennial family-friendly favorites. The top ten destinations this Thanksgiving, based on AAA.com bookings, are:
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- San Francisco, California
- San Diego, California
- Orlando, Florida
- New York City, New York
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Anaheim, California
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Seattle, Washington
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