American holiday travel is up 24 percent this year over latest year, according to a new survey by Allianz Global Assistance, which analyzed 3.3 million flight itineraries for the holiday travel period. Holiday travel was up over 2017 as well, by 42 percent.
After reviewing plans for travel from December 19 to December 27, 2019, the survey found that holiday favorites New York City and Cancun continue to reign as the top domestic and international destinations. Almost half of the top 10 international destinations are in Mexico, proving once again that American travelers prefer beaches and breezes over ice and snow for their holiday getaways.
The Top 10 Holiday Destinations list featured two newcomers this year: Las Vegas, Nevada appears at #8 in the domestic rankings and Toronto, Canada debuts at #10 for international. Aruba, which has appeared the last two years at #10 for international destinations, jumps three places to #7 while Nassau, Bahama rose to #2 from fourth place last year, the first year it appeared in the Top 10 International Holiday Destinations list.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (#9) reappears on Allianz’s Top 10 International Holiday Destinations list for the first time since 2016, with a 28 percent increase in American travelers from last year. Consistent with Allianz Global Assistance’s 2019 Top 10 Thanksgiving Destination Index, which showed the Dominican Republic as the top international destination among American travelers, the findings come at a critical time for the Dominican Republic’s tourism industry which saw a significant decline earlier this year.
The official Top 10 international destinations in order of popularity are Cancun, Nassau, San Jose Del Cabo, London, Montego Bay, Mexico City, Aruba, Puerto Vallarta, Santo Domingo, and Toronto.
For the fourth consecutive year, New York City is the number one domestic destination, followed by Orlando, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Minneapolis. Las Vegas appeared on the top 10 domestic list for the first time this year, with travel to the destination increasing 44 percent, knocking San Francisco out of the ranking.
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