COLUMBUS, Ohio – An improving economy and falling gas prices are being credited with the busiest Thanksgiving holiday travel period in seven years.
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The AAA predicts 46.3 million Americans — including nearly 1.9 million Ohioans — will travel at least 50 miles from home between Wednesday, Nov. 26 and Sunday, Nov. 30.
This is an increase of 4.2 percent nationwide and 4.5 percent for Ohio from last year, and marks the highest Thanksgiving travel volume since 2007.
Most travelers will be taking advantage of the lower gas prices, as automobile travel remains the dominant form of transportation. Ohio’s average gas price fell below $3 a gallon Oct. 24, for the first time since Dec. 2010.
The auto club says the trend should continue for the Thanksgiving weekend. Last Thanksgiving, gas prices averaged $3.28 per gallon nationally and $3.20 per gallon in Ohio.
“Lower prices are increasing disposable income and enabling families to carve out more money from household budgets to travel this Thanksgiving,” said Marshall L. Doney, AAA president and chief operating officer.
The auto club says 1.7 million Ohioans will be among the 41.3 million Americans will drive to their destination, representing 89 percent of the traveling public this holiday. This is an increase of 4.7 percent in Ohio, AAA Ohio spokeswoman Kimberly Schwind said.
Despite slightly higher air fares, air travel in Ohio is also expected to increase to the highest levels since 2005 in Ohio with nearly 142,000 residents planning to fly this holiday, 3.6 percent more than last year, Schwind said. Port Columbus officials say 219,000 passengers traveling through Port Columbus.