Americans are getting ready to hit the road for Thanksgiving and many of them will be headed to the Sunshine State.
AAA released a study on Thursday showing almost 51 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from home for the holiday, an increase of 1.6 million from last year and the busiest Thanksgiving for traveling since 2005. Most of them--45.5 million--will take to the highways while the rest will fly, take a train or use other options like buses and cruises.
Floridians also plan to travel for Thanksgiving with 2.6 million planning to head out of town, a 3.2 percent increase from last year. Most of these Floridians--2.3 million of them--plan to drive while more than 190,700 plan to fly while almost 54,000 will use other options.
Vicky Evans, AAA’s assistant vice president for travel sales development, offered her take on the holiday travel numbers, noting more Americans are traveling during good economic times.
“Thanksgiving kicks off the start of what will likely become the busiest holiday season in more than a decade,” Evans said. “A strong economy and labor market are generating rising incomes and higher consumer confidence. These factors should help fuel consumer spending and generate a strong finish for the travel industry this year.”
Mark Jenkins, a spokesman for AAA and the Auto Club Group, noted that rising crude oil prices will lead to higher prices at the gas pumps than Americans have seen in recent years at Thanksgiving.
“AAA expects drivers will pay the highest Thanksgiving gas prices in three years, thanks to strong demand and higher oil prices,” Jenkins said. “Although it will be more expensive to drive to Grandma’s house compared to recent years, the current price at the pump is not high enough to deter Floridians from taking a trip. Most people have already made their travel plans, and will not cancel them for moderate shifts in gas prices.”
“Oil prices reached 2-year highs last week, causing the sudden jump at the pump,” Jenkins continued. “Fortunately, oil prices are beginning to soften, thanks to growth in crude production and inventories; and wholesale gas prices are slipping due to high gasoline production. This should set the table for small discounts at the pump, before the holiday arrives.”
With more Americans ready to hit the road for Thanksgiving, Florida is posed to benefit. Orlando is the most popular travel destination this Thanksgiving followed by Anaheim and New York City. Fort Lauderdale is ranked the tenth most popular spot to visit this Thanksgiving.
Cities which port cruises will also benefit over Thanksgiving as more islands recover from Hurricane Irma with 87 percent of Caribbean ports operational.
“This is great news for both the cruise passengers who love these destinations, and for the islands themselves which rely on tourism to support their local economies,” Evans said. “Boarding a cruise ship may not seem like a traditional way to spend the holidays, but is actually very popular when you consider that the entire family can travel together, without worrying about all the cooking and cleanup.”
Car rental locations across the Sunshine State should also do well over Thanksgiving. According to Hertz, three of the five busiest airports to pick up a rental car are in Florida with Orlando topping the list, Miami placing third and Fort Lauderdale ranking fifth.
READ MORE FROM SUNSHINE STATE NEWS
With Crude Oil Prices Rising, Florida Drivers Paying More for Gas
Gas Prices Stable in Florida But AAA Expects Them to Increase Soon
