Over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend, more people will travel by automobile this year due to budget constraints, with a 2.1 percent rise in auto travelers expected this year

. According to research by AAA, there is expected to be 33.2 million travelers on the roads, compared to 32.5 million last year.

Meanwhile, the number of travelers by air should be 2.3 million this year, a 6.7 percent drop from last year's 2.5 million. Of all Thanksgiving vacationers, 86 percent are expected to travel by car, while only 6 percent will go by air.

Those traveling by other means, including trains, watercraft, buses and multiple-modes of transportation should increase to 2.9 million from 2.8 million last year, a 1.2 percent rise.

According to AAA, last year's Thanksgiving travel dropped 25.2 percent in the wake of the financial crisis, while this year's forecast reflects improved consumer confidence and better financial markets.

"Although far too many Americans remain unemployed or under other financial stress, AAA's projected increase in Thanksgiving travel from one year ago is another hopeful sign that economic conditions are stabilizing and improving in some areas," said Glen MacDonell, AAA's director of travel services. "We can also be thankful the gradual recovery we have been seeing in the U.S. travel industry since the start of the summer is continuing."