AAA today projected that Thanksgiving travel in the state will increase 10.9 percent this year compared to a year ago, with more than 2.2 million Floridians traveling 50 miles or more between November 24 and 28. Of those traveling, more than 2.1 million Floridians will travel by car, up 11.5 percent from last year.
Nationally, about 42.2 million travelers will travel this year over the Thanksgiving holiday, up 11.4 percent from the 37.9 million Americans who traveled in 2009.
The anticipated jump in Americans’ travel over the Thanksgiving has to do with the slowly improving economy compared to one year ago and a desire to spend time with friends and family, said AAA jefe Robert Darbelnet.
The projected double-digit increase in Thanksgiving holiday travel would signify an important upturn in travel volume for the holiday after a year of negligible growth in 2009 (0.2 percent) and two years after a historic 25.2 percent decline in travel in 2008.
