HYANNIS – With Christmas and New Year’s Eve fast approaching, AAA Northeast expects Americans to take to the roads in droves to make up for lost time after canceled getaways ang get-togethers last year.
Over 109 million people are expected to travel this season, an almost 34 percent increase from 2020.
The 27.7 million people increase will bring this year’s travel numbers up to 92 percent of 2019’s pre-pandemic levels, according to AAA.
In Massachusetts, AAA estimates that 2.3 million will travel over the holiday, up from 1.7 in 2020.
The traditional road trip still dominates as the preferred mode of travel, with 2 million electing to use their cars, up from 1.6 million last year.
Air travel is on the rise though still has yet to fully rebound, with 12.6 percent fewer travelers going by plane this holiday season compared to 2019, though still 84 percent more when compared to 2020.
AAA Northeast Public and Government Affairs Director Mary Maguire said that much of the increase is due to travelers’ confidence in vaccines.
“Americans who canceled their vacations in 2020 want to gather with family and friends for the holidays this year, although they will still be mindful of the pandemic and the new omicron variant. With vaccines widely available, conditions are much different and many people feel a greater level of comfort with travel,” said Maguire.
AAA Northeast urged travelers to check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for guidance on how to be best protected from the virus.
They also urged travelers to check the requirements and recommendations for where they are departing from, their destinations and vaccination status.
AAA has also provided travelers with a COVD-19 Travel Restrictions Map to help get an understanding of closures, recommendations and requirements when traveling in the U.S.
The CDC recommends that everyone wear a mask indoors in public places in an area of substantial or high transmission.
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