Thanksgiving 2013
This chart lists predicted overall travelers, auto travelers and air travelers (in that order) in the AAA’s West North Central Region which includes Kansas:
• 3.72 million, 3.38 million, 160,000
• Change from Last Year , -0.3 percent, -0.3 percent, -3.9 percent
• Percent of U.S. population traveling, 13.6 percent, 12.2 percent, 1 percent
• Percent of regional population traveling, 17.8 percent, 16.2 percent, 0.8 percent
Nationwide:
• Total U.S., 43.4 million, 38.9 million, 3.1 million
• Change from Last Year, -1.5 percent, -1.6 percent, -3.7 percent
More stats, national (listed first) versus regional:
• Number of travelers, 43.4 million, 3.7 million
• Percent of population, 13.6 percent, 17.8 percent
• Percent of all travel via auto, 90 percent, 91 percent
• Percent of all travel via air, 7.2 percent, 4.5 percent
• Round trip distance (miles), 601, 515
• Average trip spending, $465, $383
Primary activities:
Visit family and friends - 67 percent, 79 percent*
Dining - 56 percent, 70 percent*
Watching sports - 20 percent, 26 percent*
* The West North Central Region tops the country in these categories.
TOPEKA – There won’t be an increase in Thanksgiving travel this year, but the roads and skies will still be plenty stuffed, according to AAA’s annual travel forecast.
More than 3.7 million people from Kansas and the other six states that comprise the West North Central Region will travel over the Thanksgiving holiday, a less than .3 percent dip. Besides Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowan the Dakotas and Minnesota comprise the West North Central Region, for forecast purposes.
However, nationwide, 43.4 million Americans will travel, a drop of 1.5 percent from the 44 million people who traveled last year, according to the full-service travel agency. This region also includes Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, the Dakotas and Minnesota.
Why will the Midwest not see as severe of a decline? “The people out here can just get in their car and go,” said James Hanni, AAA Kansas spokesman.
The average national distance traveled is 601 miles, and more of those trips are by air. Regionally, the average is 515, making a drives easier and travel more convenient.
Nationally, 90 percent of treks are by vehicle, and regionally, the number is 91 percent. But, Hanni said, when it comes to air travel, the national figure is 7.2 percent and the regional figure is 4.5 percent.
“While we are not anticipating growth in Thanksgiving travel in our part of the country this year, we do believe that travel will be consistent with 2012 levels,” Hanni, said. “As a travel source, we are forecasting the second-highest travel volume we’ve seen since the Great Recession both regional and nationwide, which is good news for the travel industry, even though the economy remains sluggish.”
However, the regional economy fared better, he said. This may have led to the nearly steady travel numbers.
The top three trends from AAA’s 2013 Thanksgiving forecast include:
• Road-trippers ‘give thanks’ for lower pump prices. Over nine out of 10 West North Central region travelers will drive to their destination. With a current Kansas average of $2.97, drivers will pay the lowest gas prices for the Thanksgiving holiday since 2010. Drivers can “gobble up” gas for less than $3 per gallon in most parts of Kansas.
• Travelers flock to the roads, skies on Wednesday, Sunday. Thanksgiving always falls on a Thursday, and many people are off work the Friday after. The majority of travelers will leave on Wednesday, Nov. 27 (37 percent) and return Sunday, Dec. 1 (33 percent).
• The region a stronghold for dining, visiting family and friends, and watching sporting events. While under 14 percent of the U.S. population will travel, nearly 18 percent of our West North Central region will travel.
“Our region is among the nation’s strongest performers in terms of economic recovery, but it has not escaped a slowdown in growth, Hanni said. “Nevertheless, proportionally more of our population visits family and friends, travels more by auto, and allocates more dollars in travel budgets for fuel transportation, dining, and watching sporting events than any other region.”
As a travel resource, AAA offers a variety of mobile travel tools. This includes AAA Mobile, a free app for Smartphone users. The app uses GPS navigation to help travelers map a route, locate nearby discounts, summon roadside assistance, find current gas prices and more. Travelers can learn more about this resource at AAA.com/mobile.
Research for Thanksgiving travel projections are derived from IHS Global Insight. The Thanksgiving travel period is defined as trips that include travel of 50 miles or more from Wednesday, Nov. 27, to Sunday, Dec. 1. AAA has been interviewing travelers and reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades, and is the largest leisure travel agency in North America.
