CEO DATELINE — Associations: Expect lots of turkeys and traffic this Thanksgiving
CEO DATELINE — Associations: Expect lots of turkeys and traffic this Thanksgiving
- November 21, 2018 |
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Walt Williams
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Turkeys can't fly, but people can, and they will be taking to the skies in record numbers for Thanksgiving this year, according to Airlines for America.
The airline industry association projects that a record 30.6 million passengers will travel on U.S. airlines during the 12-day Thanksgiving period, running from Nov. 16 to Nov. 27. That figure is an all-time high and up from 29 million passengers last year.
"The busy holiday travel season kicks off this week, and it is thanks to incredibly accessible and affordable flight options that more travelers than ever before are visiting loved ones, wrapping up year-end business or enjoying a vacation this Thanksgiving," A4A Vice President and Chief Economist John Heimlich said in a statement. "U.S. airlines are investing heavily in their employees, products and facilities to make air travel this holiday season enjoyable for all passengers."
A4A was just one of several associations that recently unveiled annual industry forecasts for Thanksgiving and the start of the Christmas shopping season. Some highlights:
AAA (formerly the American Automobile Association) projects 54.3 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving, a 4.8 percent increase over last year and the largest number of travelers for the holiday since 2005. Roughly 48.5 million Americans are planning a Thanksgiving road trip. A healthy economy and higher wages are the major reasons for the increase in travel.
The National Turkey Federation has noted in the past that roughly 44 million turkeys are eaten for Thanksgiving. However, this year the group is sharing proper turkey preparation tips after reports some people have been sickened with salmonella from eating turkey. Also, in an annual tradition, NTF presented two turkeys to President Donald Trump Tuesday; he pardoned the birds, named Peas and Carrots.
The National Retail Federation is forecasting that 164 million people will go shopping during the Thanksgiving weekend and Cyber Monday. The NRF-commissioned survey by Prosper Insights & Analytics concluded that most of those shoppers—roughly 71 percent—plan to look for deals on Black Friday.
CEO Dateline will resume on Nov. 26.
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