Over 4.3 Million New Englanders Expected to Travel for Holidays

Over 4.3 Million New Englanders Expected to Travel for Holidays

Over 4.3 million New Englanders are will travel this holiday season, a 2.2 percent increase over last year, according to the latest projections from AAA. 

That includes over 3.8 million New Englanders that are expected to drive to their destinations, a 2.4 percent increase from 2014. 

Nationally 

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AAA is projecting that over 100 million travelers will be on the road this holiday season, the highest number for any holiday season. 

AAA projects that nearly one in three Americans will take a trip this holiday season, with 100.5 million expected to travel 50 miles or further from home. Those numbers represent a 1.4 increase over last year and the seventh consecutive year of year end holiday travel growth. 

“The holidays are a time for joining with friends and family, and the record number of people traveling this holiday should make for a joyous travel season. Rising incomes and low gas prices are helping to fill stockings this year, and more people than ever will choose to spend those savings on travel," said Lloyd Albert, AAA Northeast Senior vice President of Public and Government Affairs. 

Means of Travel 

Over 90 percent of travelers (91.3 million people) will drive to their holiday destinations, an increase of 1.4 percent over last year. Meanwhile, air travel is expected to increase by 0.7 percent, with 5.8 million Americans flying to their holiday destinations. 

Travel by other means including cruises, trains and buses will increase 2.4 percent to 3.4 million travelers. 

The year end holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, December 23, 2015 to Sunday, January 3, 2016.