AAA reports record-high travel in Indiana over holiday season – Inside INdiana Business

The 2024 holiday season saw historic travel across both Indiana and the U.S., with AAA estimates revealing approximately 40% of Indiana’s population traveled more than 50 miles to celebrate.

The automobile association estimates about 2.8 million Hoosiers traveled at least 50 miles between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1, which is slightly more than the 2.7 million who hit the road in 2023. AAA also estimates national travel hit a peak in 2024 with 119.3 million people going more than 50 miles for the holidays—slightly more than the 119.27 who traveled in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

That marks an important milestone in national travel trends, according to AAA Hoosier Motor Club spokesperson Christina Griffiths.

“The travel numbers…they were increasing every single year up until 2019. Then COVID happened in 2020 and everybody stayed at home and we’ve been slowly building back up,” Griffiths said. “This is the first year we’ve actually surpassed 2019 numbers too so we’re back on the trend of slow increases over time.”

Griffiths said Christmas falling on a Wednesday allowed for extra flexibility which boosted travel numbers, as did relatively cheap gas prices.

“Having Christmas in the middle of the week like that, I think we saw hybrid work schedules play into that and that probably played into an increase in travel,” she said.

Gas prices for the holiday stretch of travel have hovered around an average of $3 a gallon in Indiana, which is a key indictor both in Indiana and around the country since the vast majority—close to 90%— of those traveling chose to drive.

“I think having those gas prices that a little bit down still made it easier for people wanting to drive. I think that could have been another reason to have that flexibility,” said Griffiths.

What the uptick in travel means for Hoosiers is hard to discern. Travel increases to tourist destinations in the southern U.S. are easier to calculate, but more Hoosiers spending Christmas with family doesn’t necessary equate to a boom in business according to Griffiths.

She said AAA uses a combination of third-party surveys and booking data through AAA’s website to compile its estimates. A full breakdown won’t be available until some point in the spring and Griffiths said gas prices will be the most important factor to watch moving into the spring travel season.

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