TAMPA, Fla. — More than 4.5 million Floridians are expected to travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, according to AAA.
The organization forecasts residents in the Sunshine State to travel 50 miles or more, breaking an all-time record high.
Of the 4.5 million travelers, 4.1 will travel by vehicle, more than 289,000 will travel by air and more than 82,000 will travel through other transportation, AAA predicts.
Nationally, travel is also expected to break records with around 79.9 million people leaving town for Thanksgiving, a 2% increase from 2023. This includes 71.7 million traveling by vehicle, 5.8 million traveling by air and 2.3 million through other transportation.
AAA credits economic growth, declining inflation and strong income gains for this year's holiday travel numbers, with an expected 4.6% increase in consumer spending.
“We expect to see record travel numbers across the board,” Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA, said in a statement. “With more people taking to the roads, skies, rails, and sea; travelers should expect congested roads and longer lines at transportation terminals. AAA encourages travelers to develop their plan now and consider travel insurance, which provides compensation for flight cancellations, delays, and lost luggage.”
To better understand the flow of holiday travelers, AAA has decided to expand the days within the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, which was previously Wednesday through Sunday.
This year, AAA is considering Tuesday, Nov. 26 to Monday, Dec. 2 the holiday travel period.