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unbranded – Lifestyle
Christmas in Cancun or festive fun in Florida?
According to new booking data, U.S. travelers are searching for warm weather and holiday escapes this December – as more take trips than last year.
Approximately 122.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over a 13-day year-end holiday period starting Dec. 20 and ending New Year’s Day, according to AAA data.
The company’s data suggests the number is a 2.2% increase from 2024’s number of 119.7 million travelers.
“Year-end travel is a mix of family road trips, friend getaways, and tropical vacations,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel in a news release. “Holiday celebrations look different for everyone, but a common thread is the desire to travel, whether it’s returning to your hometown or exploring new destinations.”
About 109 million people will travel by car, 8 million will travel by air and 4.90 million people will travel by another mode of transportation. Driving is the most popular form of transportation, the company said, due to its convenience and low cost.
The company analyzed transportation data to determine the most popular travel destinations for the year-end travel period. Here’s a look at where people are going.
Cancun tops international destinations
According to the booking data, American travelers are spending the holidays in the following international destinations, ranked in descending order:
- Cancun, Mexico
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Cozumel, Mexico
- San José, Costa Rica
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Nassau, Bahamas
- Rome, Italy
- Oranjestad, Aruba
- Sydney, Australia
Orlando tops U.S. destinations
Meanwhile, those planning to spend the holidays stateside are going to:
- Orlando, Florida
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Miami, Florida
- Anaheim/Los Angeles, California
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Tampa, Florida
- New York City, New York
- Maui, Hawaii
- Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
- Las Vegas, Nevada
AAA, in cooperation with S&P Global Market Intelligence, used economic variables to determine forecasted travel volume. Data included macroeconomic drivers like employment, output, household net worth, asset prices including stock indices, interest rates, housing market indicators and variables related to travel and tourism, including gasoline prices, airline travel and hotel stays.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com
