AAA expects the number of people traveling for the holidays this year to exceed 2019, the previous high-water mark.
From Saturday, December 21, to Wednesday, January 1, AAA projects that 119.3 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home. This total is 64,000 fewer passengers than in 2019. The number of holidaymakers also increased by 3 million compared to last year.
Nearly 90%, or 107 million people, will travel by car, down slightly from the record 108 million people in 2019 but 2.5 million more than last year.
Air and cruise travel
AAA also predicts a record number of air passengers this holiday season: 7.85 million. Last year saw a record 7.5 million air passengers.
AAA found that airfares are more expensive this year than last year. Domestic fares averaged $830, up 4%, and international fares averaged $1,630, up 13%.
A total of 4.47 million people traveled by bus, train and cruise this year, an increase of 10% over last year. Notably, domestic cruise bookings increased 37% over last year’s holiday season.
Popular destinations
Warm-weather destinations dominate domestic and international top attractions, according to AAA booking data.
Domestically, the most popular destinations are Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Los Angeles, Tampa, Las Vegas, Honolulu, San Juan, New Orleans, New York and Charleston, South Carolina
Internationally, the top rankings are Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Mexicali, Mexico; Bahrain; San Jose, Costa Rica; Nassau; Oranjestad, Aruba; and London.
“This is the time of year when people are making lifelong memories with their loved ones, and travel plays a big role in that,” said Vice President Stacey Barber. AAA travelsaid in a press release. “Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year and we expect record-breaking numbers of people traveling over the pre- and post-holiday weekends.”
