Arrivalist: More Americans Expected to Travel on Thanksgiving

Location data company Arrivalist predicts 48.8 million Americans will travel by automobile during the Thanksgiving holiday (Wednesday through Sunday). While volume is predicted to increase 9.6% over last year, it will be 2.3% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Thanksgiving vehicle volume is predicted to increase 9.6% over last year, but will be 2.3% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to Arrivalist

Thanksgiving vehicle volume is predicted to increase 9.6% over last year, but will be 2.3% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to Arrivalist "Travel has been inching back up to 2019 levels," says Arrivalist Founder and CEO Cree Lawson. 

"This Thanksgiving will be a litmus test on the resilience of family travel. Are we going to finally return to pre-pandemic levels for good? Or will the growing specter of a winter resurgence keep us grounded through another holiday season."

The Daily Travel Index is a daily measure of road trip activity taken by residents of all 50 U.S. states, with volume indexed against the average daily volume of 2019 travelers. It was designed as a free online resource available on Arrivalist's website to provide the travel industry with insights to help plot its path to recovery during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Site visitors can compare visitation in 2021 to activity from the same period in 2019, not just the timeframe when travel slowed to a virtual standstill in 2020. Additionally, a customized Daily Travel Index is available to clients, which allows them to compare activity in their market to a nationwide index.