Alison Guillot
The 2022 US holiday season kicks off with travel to warm destinations in high demand
Amadeus, a global leader in travel technology, with its unique ability to track forward-looking hotel occupancy in major markets around the world, is seeing a positive trend in US hotel bookings for the Thanksgiving holiday. Amadeus’ Demand360® business intelligence data shows that as of November 3, 2022, US occupancy for Thanksgiving week is at 29%, pacing 1% higher than 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels.
Palm trees will be a common sight at the top destinations, as Hawaii, Florida, and California hold several spots on the top 10 list, with new entrants like Manhattan, Kansas and New York City driven by event-based visitor traffic. Based on hotel booking data in the weeks leading up to the holidays, this year is on track to exceed 2019 performance.
Additionally, the number of US markets with occupancy over 50% matches 2019 levels for Thanksgiving week. While the top markets have changed year-over-year, there are currently 9 US markets at over 50% occupancy – the same amount in 2019 for the same stay week.
Where are travelers going this year?
The top 10 U.S. markets for 2022 based on hotel occupancy are:
Booking lead times continue to be an important metric to monitor. Currently, nearly 55% of transient hotel bookings are made within seven days of travel, meaning there’s still plenty of opportunity for holiday occupancies to rise as we approach peak travel dates during the week of November 20, 2022.
Where are travelers flying?
As seen in the chart above, the highest hotel occupancy markets are predominantly in warmer destinations, perhaps indicating that travelers are still seeking to participate in outdoor gatherings among family and friends or planning for a long overdue vacation.
For hoteliers looking to capture last minute business closer to the holiday, Amadeus Air Traffic Forecast data shows the highest volume of booked domestic flights for Thanksgiving (Nov 21-27) going to the following US markets:
1. New York City
2. Los Angeles
3. Orlando
4. Chicago
5. Las Vegas
6. Dallas/Fort Worth
7. Denver
8. Atlanta
9. San Francisco
10. Phoenix
Source: Amadeus Air Traffic Forecast Data as of November 5, 2022.
What are the top markets for car rentals?
Based on booking lead time and volumes, top US car rental markets align with many of the top markets for air travel.
Top 10 rental car markets for the Thanksgiving holiday (Nov 21-27):
1. Orlando
2. Los Angeles
3. Las Vegas
4. Miami
5. Atlanta
6. Denver
7. Phoenix
8. Fort Lauderdale
9. Tampa
10. Boston
Source: Amadeus Cars Eyesight Data as of November 5, 2022
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About Amadeus’ Demand360®
Amadeus’ Demand360® provides hoteliers the deepest level of market occupancy insight, including two years of historical and one year of forward-looking on-the-books data from over 35,000 data providers, enabling users to compare performance against their competitive set, identify new trends, and make the most informed revenue strategy decisions possible.
About Amadeus’ Air Traffic Forecast
Amadeus’ Air Traffic Forecast provides a 6-month forward-looking view of worldwide travel movement. Powered by Amadeus’ proprietary algorithms using a combination of global forward-looking air bookings and global air schedules, this enhanced insight allows users to identify travel demand, forecast market changes, and adapt their strategies.
About Amadeus’ Car Rental Data
Car Rental Data is sourced from Amadeus Cars Eyesight which provides a single view of all Amadeus Cars future bookings, and Amadeus AllStats.
