With the end of summer right around the corner, many travelers have turned their attention to holiday travel, booking their trips before it’s too late. With thousands of reservations already made,
Delta Vacations is releasing the 5 most interesting trends for the 2024 holiday travel season based on the data with insights from Delta Vacations’ President
Kama Winters:
Delta Vacations President, Kama Winters
Viva Las Vegas: Record Surge in Winter Travel Bookings
- Key Stat: Bookings for winter travel to Las Vegas have surged by 46% year-over-year, making Las Vegas a top domestic destination for the holiday season.
- Insight: “Whether people are flying in to see The Eagles at The Sphere or Garth Brooks at Caesar’s Palace, it’s clear that great concerts are one big reason we’re seeing a rise in travel to Las Vegas this winter. The city’s big hotels and concert venues are doing a fantastic job securing the headliners fans want to see.”
Panama City Emerges as International Favorite
- Key Stat: Panama City, Panama has experienced an impressive growth in bookings of nearly 200% compared to 2023, highlighting a strong preference for international holiday travel.
- Insight: “Panama City has excellent restaurants and vibrant nightlife. For years, our customers have raved about their trips to Panama City, but we’ve really seen word of mouth about it spread in the last few years. We expect more and more people will catch on to this international hotspot.”
Popular Destinations Without the Crowds
- Key Stat: Two very popular vacation spots – Paris and Maui – are seeing fewer bookings compared to previous years.
- Insight: “France is seeing big crowds this summer for the Olympics and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, but there is availability on flights and hotels for this winter. Maui is still bouncing back from the wildfires last year, which means the island won’t be as crowded as you might expect.”
Mexico and the Caribbean Lead Holiday Travel
- Key Stat: More than 50% of all bookings this winter come from just 5 destinations: Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and San Jose del Cabo in Mexico, and Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) Montego Bay (Jamaica) in the Caribbean.
- Insight: “Our customers just love spending the holiday season in Mexico and the Caribbean enjoying the all-inclusive resorts and the stunning beaches. The popularity of these top destinations continues to grow.”
Rising Popularity of Post-Holiday Getaways
- Key Stat: Bookings for late December are up 9% compared to last year, reflecting a growing trend for post-Christmas travel. Mid-January 2025 bookings also show an increase, potentially indicating extended holiday vacations into the new year.
- Insight: “More travelers are choosing to postpone their holiday vacations beyond Christmas, taking advantage of the quieter post-holiday period for a more relaxed experience. This trend reflects a shift in how people are looking to unwind and make the most of the holiday season.”
With more than 50 years in business, Delta Vacations – a branded product of Delta Air Lines – is one of the largest vacation providers in the U.S. offering elevated, all-in-one, customized and flexible vacation experiences designed for SkyMiles Members. With Delta Vacations, SkyMiles Members can choose memorable getaways that feature Delta’s notable flight service to more than 300 destinations in 60 countries worldwide, combined with expertly curated hotels, rides and activities, to truly Go Beyond the Flight. And, SkyMiles Members will earn miles, earn toward Medallion Status on the total cost of the package, and can use miles to pay for some or all of their trip.
The article Delta Vacations releases 2024 holiday travel data first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.
