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Major shift in US holiday travel trends: AmEx says
The most popular time for holiday travel this year is not Thanksgiving weekend but the week between Christmas and New Year’s, according to an American Express Travel poll.
That’s only one change in holiday travel patterns, however.
“Holiday travel has evolved considerably from the local family gathering to new, exciting adventures as travelers seize the opportunity to create lasting holiday memories,” said Audrey Hendley, vice president of marketing, American Express Travel.
That new most popular week was favored by almost a third of travelers. Other results:
- Travel during Thanksgiving second most popular at 18% of travelers.
- Travel after the New Year was favored by 8%.
In addition to the shift in schedules, more than half of the agents in the poll said customers are looking for new destinations instead of the tried and true.
Other trends:
Ø Luxury vacations are at record high levels.
Ø There’s an increase in five-star hotel bookings.
Ø There are more first class and business-class airline bookings.
The survey found luxury travel this holiday season has increased most among couples and families, followed by mature travelers and singles.
American Express agents say that beach/resort, cruise, and ski/mountain vacations top the list as favorite getaways.
Almost half of those surveyed said the top reason for taking a holiday vacation instead of staying home are that kids are off from school. Other major reasons for holiday vacations are that people are able to take time off, a desire to relax and get away from it all, and an interest in experiencing a new culture or country.
The top ten holiday destinations were Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, Kahuhi, New York, Miami, West Palm Beach, Vail/Eagle, Orlando, Denver and Salt Lake City.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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