Travel plans have been upended this entire year due to COVID-19, but when it comes to being “home for the holidays,” GasBuddy’s just-released Holiday Travel Survey found that more than a third (34 percent) of Americans are planning to make that happen and will be taking to the road for Christmas, despite warnings not to travel.
Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed said that COVID-19 has impacted their holiday travel plans.
While a majority plans to stay put, 10 percent said they have switched up their mode of transportation to driving by car instead of by plane or train. When asked if gas prices were affecting holiday travel plans, 14 percent of survey respondents said that they are taking a road trip because gas prices are low this year, a significant increase compared to previous years.
“It’s been a nightmarish year for many due to the spread of COVID-19 and economic challenges that came with it, but many Americans have deeply rooted traditions for the holiday and are unwilling to let them slip away like the rest of the year. Ironically, due to the challenges 2020 has presented, gas prices have fallen and we project the national average to be $2.19 per gallon (It will be lower around Texas) Christmas Day, the second lowest in the last decade,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.
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