Share this article
Back to Press releases
As the Bustling Holiday Travel Season Nears, U.S. Travelers Seek ‘Sunscapes’ to Relax and Unwind While Taking a Mental Break
Reading Time:
As the Bustling Holiday Travel Season Nears, U.S. Travelers Seek ‘Sunscapes’ to Relax and Unwind While Taking a Mental Break
Majority prioritize value and flexibility when booking, with fewer saving in advance for their next trip
DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY – December 12, 2024 – Global hotel search platform trivago released new insights from its bi-annual consumer travel survey, showing that value and cost savings remain top priorities for travelers, despite inflationary price increases leveling off. As we head into the busy holiday season, travelers are looking to get away and relax, but are seeking destinations closer to home and with the flexibility to change their plans. Proprietary search data from trivago also reveals the top destinations and cost savings for Thanksgiving and the upcoming winter travel season.
Travel is considered important by many to relax and promote mental health – data shows that approximately 62% of people cite relaxation and enjoyment as their primary reasons for taking domestic vacations, while 36% indicate these reasons for international travel.
Value Seekers Reign Supreme
Even as recent inflation numbers level off, travelers aren’t giving up the search for great value. More than half (53%) of travelers prioritized value when selecting their next trip, while competitive pricing remained important for nearly 49%. Consumers are doing their homework too with 40% comparing deals and prices between different booking sites.
Despite the hunt for value, 23% of travelers are not saving up in advance for their trips. Instead, they are seeing what they can afford at the time of booking – that’s up more than 20% from a year ago.
Freedom to be Flexible
The colder temperatures bring unpredictable weather and cold and flu season, making flexibility a priority for travelers. 58% prefer free cancellations and around 50% want easy rebooking options. With the hectic holiday travel season often riddled with canceled flights and long delays, 39% of travelers say customer service is becoming increasingly important – that’s up from 35% from the year prior.
Drawing Inspiration
Where do travelers find inspiration for their next trip? Recommendations from friends or family influence nearly 47%, while around 19% are swayed by social media posts and vacation photo dumps from friends and family. Notably, nearly 23% of travelers utilize maps to assist in selecting their next travel destination.
Thanksgiving & Winter Travel Trends
Many travelers are staying close to home this Thanksgiving, having already taken major trips earlier in the year, with Las Vegas and New York being the top destinations. Consumers can also expect to keep more money in their pockets with travelers saving up to 75% rolling the dice on Vegas and 45% on the Big Apple. Las Vegas is 30% cheaper than last Thanksgiving, which may explain the increased interest. As the colder temperatures creep in, others are looking to soak up warmer weather in destinations like Cancun, Orlando and Miami.
For those searching for non-traditional, yet affordable Thanksgiving destinations, travelers can save up to 35% on Niagara Falls boasting stunning natural landscapes and historic waterfalls. Consumers can save up to 30% on Santa Fe, New Mexico with loads of outdoor activities and unique architecture and sites. If you can’t make it to the Swiss Alps –Leavenworth, Washington may be a good alternative where travelers can save up to 25% on this quaint village with Alpine-style buildings and a Bavarian-style Christmas market.
The top five winter destinations include Las Vegas, New York, London, Orlando and Cancun. For those still considering a holiday getaway – it’s not too late. Sometimes booking closer to your travel date can result in uncovering a good deal, especially if you have flexibility.
Methodology: Search conducted on trivago.com in the 90 days ending Oct 15, by US based travelers for the travel period Nov. 27 – Dec 1.
Methodology: Search conducted on trivago.com, in the 90 days ended October 28, 2024, by US based travelers for the travel period Dec. 1 – Jan. 12, 2025.
About trivago N.V.
trivago N.V. (NASDAQ: TRVG) is a global hotel and accommodation search platform. We are focused on reshaping the way travelers search for and compare different types of accommodations, such as hotels, vacation rentals and apartments, while enabling our advertisers to grow their businesses by providing them with access to a broad audience of travelers via our websites and apps. Our platform allows travelers to make informed decisions by personalizing their search for accommodations and providing them with access to a deep supply of relevant information and prices.
Disclaimer
Our price savings are based on actual historical data. It considers impressed hotel items for destination searches on our US platform (http://trivago.com ) for the timeframe Apr-Sep 2023. And includes all hotel star categories and all types of rooms.
About the survey
The survey was deployed online by GWI Travel Data in Q3 2024, polling a sample of 3,500 US adults aged 18+ going on vacation in the following twelve months.
