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TripAdvisor Releases Survey Data On Turkey Day Travelers

BALTIMORE (WJZ) – TripAdvisor reports that 40 percent of Americans plan to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday this week, which is up 5 percent from 2014.

With more than 2800 respondents, below are a few highlights from the national survey:

Traveling Days and Times

  • 25 percent will leave before Monday, November 23
  • 28 percent will travel on Wednesday, November 25
  • 21 percent are planning to travel on Thanksgiving Day
  • The majority will be returning on Sunday, with 27 percent traveling that day
  • 67 percent plan to travel on off-peak hours to avoid holiday traffic

Drivers and Flyers

  • 62 percent of people plan to drive to their destinations this year (down 2 percent from 2014)
  • 35 percent will fly (up 2 percent from 2014)
  • 65 percent will travel out of state
  • 56 percent of those driving will travel more than 200 miles to their Thanksgiving destination

Most Popular Turkey Day Destinations

  1. New York City, NY
  2. Orlando, FL
  3. Los Angeles, CA
  4. Chicago, IL
  5. Atlanta, GA

Thanksgiving Traditions

  • 81 percent will join family and friends for Thanksgiving dinner
  • 44 percent will share what they are thankful for
  • 42 percent will plan to watch football games or sporting events on TV
  • 35 percent will watch festive parades or holiday movies on TV
  • 22 percent plan to decorate for the December holidays

What's Cooking in the Kitchen

Data showed that with 40 percent of Americans traveling for Thanksgiving, the favorite foods "worth traveling for" are in this order

  1. Turkey
  2. Stuffing
  3. Pumpkin Pie
  4. Pecan Pie
  5. Sweet Potatoes

Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Travelers are planning to take advantage of Thanksgiving shopping deals, and in fact, more are planning to shop on Cyber Monday than Black Friday.

  • 31 percent plan to shop on Cyber Monday
  • 20 percent plan to shop on Black Friday
  • 21 percent plan to shop during the weekend after Thanksgiving
  • 5 percent plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day

December Holiday Travel

As the winter holidays approach, many are already booking flights and planing road trips to see loved ones.

  • 33 percent are traveling for Christmas
  • 14 percent are planing to take a New Year's Eve trip
  • 2 percent are traveling for Hanukkah
  • (of those traveling) 49 percent have already booked their December holiday trips

Take what you wish from these fun statistics, and remember to save room for an extra helping of Sweet Potato Pie!

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