More South Dakotans Choosing Not to Travel This Thanksgiving

Looks like there will be fewer people around Thanksgiving dinner tables this year saying, "Hey could you pass the stuffing, please?"

More South Dakotans are on the record as saying they plan to stay put and not do any holiday traveling to see family and loved ones this Thanksgiving holiday.

Dakota News Now is reporting that AAA just released the findings to a new survey on Thursday (November 19) that shows 83% of South Dakota residents plan on staying home this Thanksgiving Day.

Just under half - 44% say their decision not to travel was based on fears surrounding the pandemic. The remaining people surveyed said they were not planning on traveling anyway.

Marilyn Buskohl, a spokesperson for AAA, told Dakota News Now, the number of people planning on traveling for the holiday is down “substantially” throughout the country.

The two biggest factors keeping people home can be attributed to COVID-19, and the economic hit, that so many people have experienced this year.

The findings from AAA come on the same day the CDC is begging Americans to stay home and not travel this Thanksgiving due to continued coronavirus outbreaks across the country.

If you happen to be one of the people that is still planning to venture out for Turkey Day, according to Dakota News Now, the AAA survey says 94% will drive, four percent plan to fly, and two percent will be traveling by bus or train.

Source: Dakota News Now