AAA: Fewer South Dakotans expected to travel this Thanksgiving

By Journal staff

Fewer South Dakotans are expected to travel this Thanksgiving holiday than last year.

According to an AAA South Dakota survey, the number of South Dakotans traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday will fall 2.6 percent compared with 2008. The auto club’s projections show 9,046 South Dakotans will fly, a 11.4 percent dip this year, and 154,812 will drive, a 2.2 percent decrease from last year.

Nationwide, AAA projects 38.39 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, a 1.4 percent increase over last year. The survey says the number of auto travelers is expected to be 33.2 million this year compared with 32.5 million who traveled for Thanksgiving 2008, an increase of 2.1 percent. The number of travelers who will fly is expected to be 2.3 million compared with 2.5 million last year, a decline of 8 percent.