by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:49 PM ET, Tue December 5, 2017
A new survey revealed an estimated 99.8 million people will travel at some point during the 2017 holiday season.
The results also revealed 48 percent of millennials plan to travel during the holidays, the most of any age demographic. Fifty-four percent of people with children will hit the road, according to the consumer holiday travel survey from Generali Global Assistance's Travel Insurance division.
The survey broke tourists into two categories: Those traveling to see family and those taking a trip for vacation. The difference between the two subsections is huge, even fiscally, where 73 percent of those traveling to see family will spend less than $1,000.
On the other hand, over half of the people hitting the road for vacation will spend more than $1,000 and 18 percent will spend between $2,500-$5,000. Travelers heading to a vacation for the holidays cited several different reasons, including relaxing, enjoying a change of scenery, becoming closer as a family and more.
"For many, the holidays are an important time of year to connect with loved ones and going to see family is by far the primary reason to travel during the holiday season, with 87 percent of Christmas travel and 64 percent of New Year's travel being dedicated to going to see relatives," Generali Global Assistance CEO Chris Carnicelli said in a statement.
"For those traveling to see family, becoming closer as a family was the primary importance at 68 percent, followed by relaxation (66 percent), reading or learning new things (18 percent) and sports activities (13 percent)."
For travelers going to see family, 85 percent will stay within the continental United States, as opposed to just 58 percent of vacation goers. For tourists heading outside the U.S., the Caribbean was the most popular choice.
In terms of how people are traveling for the holidays, 68 percent of family-seeking travelers will drive and 29 percent will fly, as opposed to 43 percent of vacationers transporting by car and another 40 percent by plane.
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