Wisconsin AAA predicts holiday travel could actually be down this year.
Rising gas prices didn't stop people from traveling during past holidays, but Larry Kamholz with Wisconsin AAA says many are thinking twice about planning Thanksgiving trips this year. The auto club's holiday travel survey predicts a 0.9% decrease in travel next week, which amounts to about 600,000 fewer people taking trips.
Gas prices have been dropping due to lower demand. However, Kamholz says it's the shaky economy that actually has people thinking twice about hitting the road. He says consumers are tightening their belts as they wait to see how bad the economy will become.
Despite the expected drop in number of travelers, Kamholz says the roads and airports will still be busy next week. In the Great Lakes region, which includes Wisconsin, about 7.3 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home. Nationwide, about 41 million Americans are expected to travel.