Travel numbers at 98% of pre-pandemic levels for Thanksgiving holiday season

(Fargo, ND) -- A nationwide auto club group says more people are looking to travel again for the upcoming holiday season.

AAA is predicting 51.6 million Americans across the United States will travel 50 miles or more for Thanksgiving. The numbers are about 98% of the pre-pandemic volumes, which counted 56 million travelers for turkey season.

“Travel is still roaring back from the pandemic,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA.

The West North Central region, including Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, is expected to see one-in-five people traveling 50 miles or more for Thanksgiving. That is the highest number of expected travelers of any of the nine regions across the country. 

"Travel remains a top priority for Americans, particularly during the holidays," said Haas, who also spoke about increasing prices at hotels and airports across the country... Travel spending is at the highest level since the pandemic began, which is a driving force behind our projections this year...AAA expects busy roads and long lines at the airport, so leave early and be flexible with your travel plans.”

Prices across the U.S for traveling are increasing in multiple key areas as well. This includes Airfares rising by approximately 22% since 2021, and hotel costs increasing by 17% in the same timeframe. You can learn more about Thanksgiving travel by clicking here.