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AAA: Christmas-New Year Holiday Will Be Third Busiest Ever For Pacific States

Hawaii Has Two Of The Ten Most Popular Destinations

Travel
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Americans who had to cancel getaways and get-togethers last year because of the pandemic are making up for lost time this holiday season. AAA projects that more than 109 million people — an almost 34% increase from 2020 — will travel 50 miles or more as they hit the road, board airplanes or take other transportation out of town between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2.

This will be the third busiest end-of-year holiday period ever for Hawaii and the Pacific States region, behind the levels of 20.4 million reached in 2019 and 19.2 million in 2018.

By the numbers: 2020 Year-End Holiday Travel Forecast

HI Xmas travel

 

*Pacific States include HI, AK, CA, OR, & WA

“Last year at this time, many people cancelled or postponed holiday trip plans as a new wave of the pandemic hit without widespread vaccination availability,” said Liane Sumida, AAA Hawaii General Manager. “This year after most people have gotten vaccinated, travelers are mindful of the continued need for caution and the new Omicron variant, but have greater confidence in taking long-awaited family vacations.”

Top Destinations

Maui and Honolulu are the fourth and fifth most popular destinations for Americans this holiday, with Orlando, Anaheim and Las Vegas topping the most popular destination list.

Gas Prices

Hawaii residents and visitors are paying the highest gas prices on record for the Christmas-New Year travel period, and have not paid this much for gasoline since April 2014. With a statewide gas price average of $4.33, Hawaii drivers can save money by properly maintaining their vehicles and using the AAA Mobile app.

Travel Tips

For those who travel for the year-end holidays, AAA Hawaii urges them to know the risks and minimize them by taking the following steps:

  • Follow all CDC guidelines regarding travel.
  • Bring along enough personal protective gear and hand sanitizer for all those traveling for each day of travel, as well as a thermometer to monitor your health.
  • Minimize your travel stops by bringing along your own snacks, food, and drinks. Use drive-throughs or curbside pickup at restaurants if you do stop.
  • Know the COVID-19 restrictions along the route you will be traveling and at your destination. You can quickly access them by mapping out your route at AAA.com/TripTik and using the COVID-19 restrictions feature.
  • Before you head out, be sure your vehicle is ready for the trip to avoid a breakdown along the way. AAA Hawaii expects to rescue nearly 2,700 local residents and visitors at the roadside during the 11-day holiday period. AAA makes it easy to request assistance – by phone, app or online – and members can track the service technician’s progress as they make their way to your vehicle.

Forecast Methodology

In cooperation with AAA, IHS Markit—a world leader in critical information, analytics and expertise—developed a unique methodology to forecast actual domestic travel volumes. The economic variables used to forecast travel for the current holiday are leveraged from IHS Markit’s proprietary databases. These data include macroeconomic drivers such as employment, output, household net worth, asset prices including stock indices, interest rates, housing market indicators, and variables related to travel and tourism, including prices of gasoline, airline travel and hotel stays.

 

Media Contacts

Doug Shupe
Spokesperson , AAA Hawaii
(512) 659-1632
shupe.doug@ace.aaa.com

Marie Montgomery
Public Affairs
714-420-0477
montgomery.marie@ace.aaa.com

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AAA Hawai'i is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in the state of Hawai'i.