Europe is topping the list for holidaymakers, with France taking the lead as the most popular destination.
This festive season, millions of Americans are trading turkey for tapas as they prepare to spend part of the holidays abroad.
A recent study revealed that over one in five Americans (21%) plan to travel internationally between Thanksgiving and New Year, with more than a third (37%) of these travellers embarking on their first-ever overseas trip during this period.
The research, carried out by luxury travel operator Scott Dunn, combined a survey of 2,000 US adults with internal booking data to examine this growing trend.
Among those travelling abroad, nearly half (45%) are heading to Europe, with France (10%) emerging as the top destination, closely followed by Italy (8%).
Scott Dunn reports a remarkable 300% year-on-year increase in US client bookings for trips to France during the festive season.
Other popular destinations, as reflected in Scott Dunn’s bookings, include St Barts (+100% YoY), St Lucia (+100% YoY), South Africa (+86% YoY), Morocco (+75% YoY), and Thailand (+30% YoY).
The busiest travel period is Christmas week (23rd–27th December), when 23% of holiday travellers plan to head abroad. New Year (22%) and Thanksgiving (21%) are the next most popular times for overseas trips.
Visiting friends and family topped the list of reasons for travelling abroad during the festive period (33%), with a desire to relax and unwind following closely behind (31%).
Trying new cuisines and foodie experiences was identified as the most popular holiday activity, with 70% of respondents planning to explore local flavours during their trips. Other favourite activities include relaxing on a beach (32%), visiting cultural or historic sites (28%), and indulging in spa or wellness retreats (24%).
Stephanie McClendon, Sales and Service Manager at Scott Dunn, offered her perspective on the growing trend:
“We’ve seen a steady increase in the popularity of vacations being taken between Thanksgiving and New Year over the last few years, suggesting this is a growing trend.
“While reasons for travel will vary, our US client bookings data for holiday season vacations this year indicates that those who are going abroad are taking a longer break in locations offering either winter snow (for skiing and so on) or sun.
“An extended trip that allows you to see family and friends, as well as explore a dream destination, and soak up sun on the slopes or at the beach, is naturally appealing to many of us.
“And while Christmas at home can be very special, it’s also understandable that many may welcome a change of scenery or pace to reset before the New Year, with a trip abroad putting the focus back on relaxing and enjoying the time off work, and less on keeping to a hectic holiday schedule.”
For more information, please visit: https://www.scottdunn.com/us/inspiration/travel-trends/reports/2025/winter
