Flight data from the “Expedia Winter Travel Outlook” released Thursday shows that interest for wintertime travel is up 10 percent this year. While many of the season’s top and fastest-growing spots are warm-weather beach locales like Curaçao (+90 percent) and Maui (+80 percent), cities and ski and snow getaways are also heavily in the mix, Expedia reports.
Good to know: Post-holidays winter is the low season for travel, making it a good time to take advantage of lower costs and visit popular destinations without big crowds. Historically, Expedia says, average hotel prices in January and February are 10 percent cheaper compared to summer and flight prices drop up to 15 percent compared to Christmastime.
Here are a few key findings from the Outlook:
Most Popular Escapes: Expedia’s search data highlights Los Angeles and Cancún as the most popular destinations overall for Americans this winter, while the fastest-growing destinations are Vancouver (+115 percent), Curaçao, Kyoto (+85 percent), Maui and Zurich (+65 percent).
Christmas Markets and Festivals: Travelers are increasingly drawn to European destinations for their seasonal charm, with Zurich and Zermatt (+60 percent) offering festive experiences like the Christkindlimarkt and Bahnhofstrasse Market. Paris (+40 percent) and London (+30 percent) captivate with the Tuileries and Notre-Dame Christmas Markets, as well as Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland. Domestically, Aspen’s (+25 percent) 12 Days of Aspen festival adds a holiday touch to a winter ski getaway.
Winter Sun: Caribbean and Hawaiian beaches are hot this winter, with travelers showing interest in Cancún, Santo Domingo, Montego Bay and Punta Cana. Curacao, Maui, Barbados (+55 percent) and Honolulu (+30 percent) are also trending.
Chasing the Northern Lights: Aurora borealis-related tourism continues to drive interest for winter, as the prime aurora season is from January to early March. For U.S. travelers, Canadian destinations seeing year-over-year search increases for Northern Lights hunting include Banff (+60 percent) and Yellowknife (+10 percent).
Tips: Destinations for hotel savings include Seattle, Vancouver, Boston and Chicago, where average wintertime daily rates are around 40 percent lower than summer. Flight deal destinations for winter include Rome, Barcelona and Montreal, with average ticket prices down 15 percent or more compared to summer.
Source: Expedia
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