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The Most Popular Destinations for US Travelers This Thanksgiving

News Holidays
by Eben Diskin Nov 8, 2018

While Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to be spent with friends and family during the fall, that doesn’t mean you have to spend it in the cold. Maybe the reason family Thanksgiving dinners are so argument-prone is because you’re crammed into someone’s stuffy dining room instead of lounging on the beach.

A study conducted by CheapOair, a flight-focused travel agency, found that those who are choosing to remain in the country this Thanksgiving (74 percent of the total people traveling during the holiday) seem to be looking for a break from the winter weather. The top 10 destinations (and the average round-trip airfare) this Thanksgiving are:

  • New York, NY ($352)
  • Orlando, FL ($306)
  • Los Angeles, CA ($348)
  • Las Vegas, NV ($305)
  • Miami, FL ($351)
  • Ft. Lauderdale, FL ($317)
  • Denver, CO ($312)
  • San Francisco, CA ($370)
  • Dallas, TX ($346)
  • Atlanta, GA ($287)

This Thanksgiving, 26 percent of the 30 million people traveling during the holiday are heading abroad, an increase of six percent compared to previous years. The most popular destinations (and the average round-trip airfare) for those leaving the country rank as follows:

  • London, England ($717)
  • Cancun, Mexico ($473)
  • Paris, France ($570)
  • Tokyo, Japan ($984)
  • Mexico City, Mexico ($350)
  • Bangkok, Thailand ($773)
  • Dublin, Ireland ($614)
  • Barcelona, Spain ($647)
  • Hong Kong ($852)
  • Amsterdam, The Netherlands ($573)

Tom Spagnola, CheapOair’s senior vice president of supplier relations, said in an email, “While the tendency is still to stay local for Thanksgiving, more consumers are feeling the urge to spend the holidays somewhere unfamiliar and exotic.” He added that top international travel destinations have dropped their prices by an average of 14 percent this year, further incentivizing people to celebrate Thanksgiving abroad.

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