Tropical getaways top the travel wish list this year, but tradition still reigns supreme.
SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS – Memories of the 2013 “Polar Vortex,” which brought record low temperatures and snowfall to North America last winter, are driving more Americans in search of warmer climes this upcoming holiday season. According to Travelocity data, the share of Travelocity’s total bookings for tropical destinations is up significantly for the 2014 holidays versus the same timeframe in 2013. Some of these include:
|
Destination |
Share of bookings |
|
Cayman Islands |
Up 96% |
|
Dominican Republic |
Up 76.8% |
|
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico |
Up 83.6% |
|
Aruba |
Up 59.5% |
|
Bahamas |
Up 50.2% |
Other popular warm weather destinations for the 2014 holiday season include Cancun (share up 21.3 percent) and Jamaica (share up 26.9 percent).
“The frigid, snowy weather that covered much of the U.S. during the end of 2013 seems to be influencing people’s holiday travel destinations for 2014,” said Courtney Scott, senior editor, Travelocity. “While most Americans continue to enjoy a traditional holiday season with family, we are seeing definite growth in travelers looking to escape the cold and enjoy the holidays in a warm destination.”
Holiday Traditions
However, even with the growth in travel to international beach destinations, overall Americans remain firmly traditional in their holiday travel plans. In fact, between 2013 and 2014, the top five holiday travel destinations have remained constant:
- South Florida
- New York City
- Los Angeles
- Orlando
- Denver
Scott continues, “New York City, Denver and even 8th-ranked Chicago still rank highly in American’s travel destinations indicating that a large percentage of people stick with tradition, spending the holidays with friends and family – even if that means braving the winter chill.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
