Fargo\u00a0 (AAA) \u00a0 \u2013\u202fThanksgiving\u00a0will be on the lighter side\u00a0when it comes to the typical number of travelers.<\/p>\n
According to AAA Travel, effects of\u00a0the\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0pandemic, including\u00a0health concerns and\u00a0high unemployment,\u00a0are impacting Americans\u2019 decisions to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday.\u00a0With health and government officials stressing that staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting sick, AAA anticipates at least a 10-percent\u00a0drop in travel\u00a0\u2013\u00a0the largest one-year decrease since the Great Recession in 2008.<\/p>\n
Based on mid-October forecast models,\u00a0AAA\u00a0would have expected\u00a0up to 50 million Americans\u00a0to\u00a0travel for Thanksgiving\u00a0\u2013 a drop from 55 million in 2019.\u00a0However, as the holiday approaches and Americans monitor the public health landscape,\u00a0including rising COVID-19 positive case numbers,\u00a0renewed\u00a0quarantine restrictions and the Centers\u00a0for Disease Control and Prevention\u2019s\u00a0(CDC)\u00a0travel\u00a0health notices, AAA expects the actual number of\u00a0holiday\u00a0travelers\u00a0will\u00a0be\u00a0even\u00a0lower.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wait-and-see travel trend continues\u00a0to impact\u00a0final travel\u00a0decisions, especially\u00a0for the Thanksgiving holiday,\u201d said Paula\u00a0Twidale, senior vice president, AAA Travel.\u00a0\u201cThe decision to travel is a personal one. For those\u00a0who\u00a0are considering making a trip, the majority will go\u00a0by car, which provides the flexibility to modify holiday travel plans up until the day\u00a0of departure.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Americans who make the personal decision to travel for the holiday,\u00a0it\u2019s important to\u00a0know the risks involved\u00a0and ways to keep yourself and others safe.\u00a0In addition to CDC guidance, travelers should also be aware of local and state travel restrictions, including testing requirements and quarantine orders.<\/p>\n
Road Trips\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Those who decide to travel are likely to\u00a0drive shorter\u00a0distances\u00a0and reduce the number of days they are away, making\u00a0road trips the dominant form of travel this Thanksgiving.\u00a0Travel by automobile is projected to\u00a0fall\u00a04.3\u00a0percent, to 47.8 million\u00a0travelers and account for 95\u00a0percent\u00a0of all\u00a0holiday\u00a0travel.<\/p>\n Before you head out, be\u00a0sure your vehicle is ready for the trip\u00a0to avoid a breakdown along the way.\u00a0AAA expects to rescue\u00a0more than 413,000\u00a0Americans at the roadside this Thanksgiving.\u00a0AAA makes it easy to request assistance \u2013 by phone,\u00a0app<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0online<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 and members can track\u00a0the\u00a0service technician\u2019s progress as they make their way to your vehicle.<\/p>\n Other Modes\u00a0Down\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n AAA anticipates\u00a0Thanksgiving\u00a0air travel volume\u00a0will\u00a0be down by nearly half of prior\u00a0years \u2013 to\u00a02.4 million travelers. This\u00a0would be\u00a0the largest one-year decrease on record.\u00a0For these travelers, AAA notes holiday airfares are the\u00a0lowest in three years.\u00a0If flying, AAA reminds air\u00a0travelers\u00a0that in-flight\u00a0amenities, including food and beverage\u00a0services, may not be available.<\/p>\n Travel by other modes, including buses, trains\u00a0and cruises, is expected to decline\u00a076\u00a0percent, to\u00a0353,000 travelers, as\u00a0cruise ships remain docked\u00a0and more travelers opt for car trips instead\u00a0of taking buses or trains.<\/p>\n Low\u00a0Gas Prices\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Those who decide to hit the road for Thanksgiving will\u00a0find\u00a0cheaper gas prices. On average, gas prices nationally are nearly 50 cents cheaper than this time last year,\u00a0with October averages the lowest in more than 15 years.<\/p>\n Methodology:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n AAA\u2019s projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS\u00a0Markit, a London-based business information provider. For the purposes of this forecast, the Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as the five-day period from Wednesday, Nov. 25\u00a0to Sunday,\u00a0Nov. 29.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n In cooperation with AAA, IHS\u00a0Markit\u00a0developed a unique methodology to forecast actual domestic travel volumes, using macroeconomic drivers such as employment; output; household net worth; asset prices including stock indices; interest rates; housing market indicators and variables related to travel and tourism, including prices of gasoline, airline travel and hotel stays.\u00a0For the\u00a02020\u00a0Thanksgiving holiday travel forecast, IHS\u00a0Markit\u00a0also examined changes in the IHS\u00a0Markit\u00a0containment index regarding local COVID-19-related restrictions as well as the national case count and trend.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n About AAA:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n AAA provides more than 61 million members with automotive, travel, insurance and financial services through its federation of 32\u00a0motor clubs and more than 1,000 branch offices across North America. Since 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for safe mobility. Drivers can request roadside assistance, identify nearby gas prices, locate discounts, book a hotel or map a route\u00a0via the\u00a0AAA Mobile app. To join, visit\u00a0AAA.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n About IHS\u00a0Markit:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n IHS\u00a0Markit\u00a0(NYSE: INFO) is a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide. The company delivers next-generation information, analytics and solutions to customers in business, finance and government, improving their operational efficiency and providing deep insights that lead to well-informed, confident decisions. IHS\u00a0Markit\u00a0has more than 50,000 business and government customers, including 80 percent of the Fortune Global 500 and the world\u2019s leading financial institutions. Headquartered in London, IHS\u00a0Markit\u00a0is committed to sustainable, profitable growth.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fargo\u00a0 (AAA) \u00a0 \u2013\u202fThanksgiving\u00a0will be on the lighter side\u00a0when it comes to the typical number of travelers. According to AAA Travel, effects of\u00a0the\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0pandemic, including\u00a0health concerns and\u00a0high unemployment,\u00a0are impacting Americans\u2019 decisions to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday.\u00a0With health and government officials stressing that staying home is the best way to protect […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":201912,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-212650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-state"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=212650"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":212651,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212650\/revisions\/212651"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/201912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=212650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=212650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=212650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}