What’s different about travel this holiday season versus the last? We dug into our data, and discovered four trends shaping holiday travel in 2022.
For starters, Christmas Day falling on a Sunday is influencing travelers’ behaviors—including when they fly, when they check in, and how long they intend to stay.
And with looser restrictions on travel, more Americans are headed to international destinations this holiday season. We’re seeing trips planned to cities such as Tokyo, Japan, which had been off the radar since the start of the pandemic.
As for domestic travel, Americans—especially those booking vacation rentals—want to close out 2022 either in the sun or on the slopes. And many will make the most of the short week doing just that.
Let’s take a closer look.
1. Everyone’s headed home for the holidays… on December 23rd
According to our data, Friday, December 23rd will be the busiest travel day for the holidays. Whether flying, picking up a rental car, or checking into a hotel or vacation rental, U.S. travelers can expect crowds—and long lines—on the Friday before Christmas weekend.
For those flying for the holidays, the busiest departure airports (according to our data) will be:
-
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
-
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
-
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
-
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
-
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
-
Denver International Airport (DEN)
-
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
-
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
-
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
-
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
And where will most U.S. travelers be headed? According to our data, 18% of all U.S. flights are to Florida; 13% are bound for California; and 7% are headed to Nevada.
As for the quietest day to travel? Our data shows it won’t be until 2023: The first day of the new year, Sunday, January 1, will be the lightest day for travel.
Related reading: Take the Stress out of Holiday Travel With These 5 Tips
2. More Americans plan to have a merry little Christmas abroad
Compared to 2021, international flights for the holidays are up an impressive 59%. All flight types, car rentals, and accommodation bookings are up year over year, as well.
Increase in Flight Reservations Compared to Prior Year
|
|
|
2022 ranking |
Rank change |
2021 ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Las Vegas |
NV |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Orlando |
FL |
2 |
-1 |
1 |
|
Denver |
CO |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Los Angeles |
CA |
4 |
3 |
7 |
|
Phoenix |
AZ |
5 |
-1 |
4 |
|
Cancun |
MX |
6 |
0 |
6 |
|
New York |
NY |
7 |
-2 |
5 |
|
Fort Lauderdale |
FL |
8 |
1 |
9 |
|
Miami |
FL |
9 |
-1 |
8 |
|
San Francisco |
CA |
10 |
3 |
13 |
|
London |
EN |
11 |
8 |
19 |
|
Chicago |
IL |
12 |
-1 |
11 |
|
Salt Lake City |
UT |
13 |
-1 |
12 |
|
San Diego |
CA |
14 |
0 |
14 |
|
Honolulu |
HI |
15 |
-5 |
10 |
|
Seattle |
WA |
16 |
1 |
17 |
|
Tampa |
FL |
17 |
-1 |
16 |
|
Dallas |
TX |
18 |
3 |
21 |
|
Boston |
MA |
19 |
1 |
20 |
|
Kahului |
HI |
20 |
-2 |
18 |
|
Newark |
NJ |
21 |
1 |
22 |
|
Atlanta |
GA |
22 |
6 |
28 |
|
Houston |
TX |
23 |
3 |
26 |
|
Fort Myers |
FL |
24 |
-9 |
15 |
| San Jose del Cabo | MX | 25 | -2 | 23 |
3. December 26th means a long weekend for some; a ho-ho-whole week off for others
Like flights and rental car pickups, accommodation check-ins will soar on Friday, December 23rd. But Monday, December 26th—i.e., Christmas Day (Observed), a day many Americans have off from work this year—will also be a popular day for check-ins. Indeed, our data shows that the lion’s share of overall lodging bookings and vacation rental bookings start on those two December dates.
Our data also shows that nearly two-thirds (60%) of U.S. travelers will stay for three to four days. That’s up from 2021, when just 35% planned to stay for that length of time. More than a quarter (26%) plan to stay five to seven days this year.
For those checking in on the 23rd, a three-day weekend is just enough time to make merry—and then make their way back home. For some, the return to the office can mean less flexibility to work from anywhere—and using paid time off (PTO) elsewhere in the calendar.
But for those checking in on the 26th? It appears those travelers are planning to maximize their PTO—starting vacation with Christmas Day (Observed) on the 26th and staying through the weekend.
Length of Stay for Overall Lodging Bookings
|
|
0-2 days |
3-4 days |
5-7 days |
8-13 days |
14+ days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2022 |
9% |
60% |
26% |
4% |
1% |
|
2021 |
7% |
35% |
57% |
2% |
1% |
And while there aren’t any movers and shakers in the top five, destinations six through 25 saw some cities climb the ranks, including New Orleans (up four spots), Nashville (up five spots), Fort Lauderdale (up eight spots), Boston (up nine spots), Washington, D.C (up five spots), and Dallas (up five spots).
Lodging Destination Rankings and Rank Changes Compared to 2021
|
|
|
2022 ranking |
Rank change |
2021 ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Las Vegas |
NV |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
New York |
NY |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Orlando |
FL |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Honolulu |
HI |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
San Diego |
CA |
5 |
0 |
5 |
|
Miami |
FL |
6 |
1 |
7 |
|
New Orleans |
LA |
7 |
4 |
11 |
|
Los Angeles |
CA |
8 |
-2 |
6 |
|
San Francisco |
CA |
9 |
-1 |
8 |
|
Chicago |
IL |
10 |
-1 |
9 |
|
Nashville |
TN |
11 |
5 |
16 |
|
Fort Lauderdale |
FL |
12 |
8 |
20 |
|
Boston |
MA |
13 |
9 |
22 |
|
Washington |
DC |
14 |
5 |
19 |
|
Anaheim |
CA |
15 |
-3 |
12 |
|
Miami Beach |
FL |
16 |
-2 |
14 |
|
Kissimmee |
FL |
17 |
0 |
17 |
|
Lake Buena Vista |
FL |
18 |
3 |
21 |
|
Denver |
CO |
19 |
-6 |
13 |
|
Scottsdale |
AZ |
20 |
-10 |
10 |
|
Seattle |
WA |
21 |
2 |
23 |
|
Lahaina |
HI |
22 |
-7 |
15 |
|
Phoenix |
AZ |
23 |
-5 |
18 |
|
Dallas |
TX |
24 |
5 |
29 |
|
Atlanta |
GA |
25 |
-1 |
26 |
4. Sun, sea, and ski destinations claim top spots for vacation rentals
Our data shows many Americans plan to wrap up 2022 in warm-weather destinations. Indeed, six sunshine-filled cities—San Diego, Honolulu, Miami, Kissimmee, Los Angeles, and Palm Springs—rank within the top 10.
And those who plan to hit the slopes? They’ll head to America’s Mountain West: Park City, Utah and Breckenridge, Colorado rank #2 and #9, respectively.
Vacation Rental Destination Rankings and Rank Changes Compared to 2021
|
|
|
2022 ranking |
Rank change |
2021 ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
San Diego |
CA |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Park City |
UT |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Honolulu |
HI |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
Miami |
FL |
4 |
6 |
10 |
|
New Orleans |
LA |
5 |
4 |
9 |
|
Kissimmee |
FL |
6 |
-5 |
1 |
|
Los Angeles |
CA |
7 |
4 |
11 |
|
New York |
NY |
8 |
5 |
13 |
|
Breckenridge |
CO |
9 |
-4 |
5 |
|
Palm Springs |
CA |
10 |
-2 |
8 |
|
Kihei |
HI |
11 |
-5 |
6 |
|
Las Vegas |
NV |
12 |
7 |
19 |
|
Brooklyn |
NY |
13 |
16 |
29 |
|
Truckee |
CA |
14 |
12 |
26 |
|
Phoenix |
AZ |
15 |
18 |
33 |
|
Sedona |
AZ |
16 |
-9 |
7 |
|
Kailua-Kona |
HI |
17 |
30 |
47 |
|
Lahaina |
HI |
18 |
-4 |
14 |
|
Scottsdale |
AZ |
19 |
-3 |
16 |
|
Nashville |
TN |
20 |
-5 |
15 |
|
Steamboat Springs |
CO |
21 |
15 |
36 |
|
Mammoth Lakes |
CA |
22 |
-5 |
17 |
|
Seattle |
WA |
23 |
-3 |
20 |
|
Tucson |
AZ |
24 |
18 |
42 |
|
Miami Beach |
FL |
25 |
5 |
30 |
But unlike overall lodging bookings, those booked for a vacation rental plan to stay a little bit longer: The majority (57%) plan to stay five to seven days this year. That’s up 20% from 2021.
Length of Stay for Vacation Rental Bookings
|
|
0-2 days |
3-4 days |
5-7 days |
8-13 days |
14+ days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2022 |
5% |
29% |
57% |
8% |
2% |
|
2021 |
4% |
23% |
37% |
34% |
2% |
Methodology: TripIt looked at U.S. origin round-trip flight, lodging, and rental car reservations made between November 28, 2021, and November 28, 2022, for travel during the Christmas - New Year’s holiday (Thursday, December 22, 2022 - Wednesday, January 4, 2023) with a U.S. origin, and equivalent booking periods in 2021. Reservation data in TripIt is provided by users and is booking provider agnostic.
