How Unemployment is Affecting Travel -- Bringing Families Closer

(MoneyWatch)  During any major holiday the American Automobile Association (AAA) breaks out regional figures and projects travel trends. This holiday season the AAA has been using a word it hasn't really used before 2009 -- unemployment -- and its effect on travel.

They projected that many people may chose between traveling during Thanksgiving or Christmas/late December travel to cut down on costs. A quick look around the regions show that AAA projected huge changes in both the South, mid-Atlantic states (like Pennsylvania) and the Rocky Mountain region because of job losses.

Despite unemployment and the recession, Californians were more likely to travel this year than last year, but with some caveats -- they tended to stay with friends and family rather than hotels and focus on cutting costs.

But perhaps the most telling comment came from the Associated Press writer who tempered a pro-travel comment from a TripAdvisor spokesman with, "In the end, the only people who could decide if the travel industry was going to make a comeback this holiday season were individual travelers."

The story explains how one cash-strapped couple managed to travel from Chicago to San Jose, Calif. because one's cell phone company gave a free airline ticket if he signed a contract. Others saved and scrimped to fly to see family they haven't seen in years, but still others decided to stay home and play host to family -- traveling thousands of miles to see them.

While the story was supposed to tell readers that real-life people defied trends, I think it actually showed one. During difficult economic times, including unemployment, family becomes more important. People who might normally venture out to Hawaii or Vail (true, they might not be able to afford it anymore) are now looking at what's important in their lives. Supporting their family or relying on support when one is having a tough time, is essential when facing foreclosure, unemployment or uncertainty.

In many ways, this whole story is about love and family. When money or a job is no longer there, perhaps that's when we all realize what's truly important -- the people around us.