According to a study by the world’s leading travel search engine,
Kayak, holiday
travel searches have increased 10 percent in comparison to 2024.
Travelers appear eager to book seasonal
getaways as prices across major travel categories are stable or trending
downward. International flights are down seven percent, domestic flights dipped
one percent, rental car prices have dropped six percent and hotel rates have
held steady.
"Interest is strong, but prices are holding steady or
lower compared to last year," said Kate Williams, KAYAK travel trends
expert and CCO. "There are deals to be found if you are able to be
flexible with dates and destinations."
Eastern Europe Takes the Spotlight
Eastern Europe has emerged as a top holiday travel destination
with increased flight searches compared to 2024. Warsaw, Poland, Prague, Czech
Republic, Tallinn, Estonia and Budapest, Hungary lead the trend and new flight
routes are making Romania and Bulgaria more appealing.
Best Holiday Destination Deals
Travelers looking for value will find three domestic
destinations showing the biggest drops in airfare compared to 2024. These
include Myrtle Beach, SC (down 18 percent) Bozeman, MT (down 10 percent) and
Reno, NV (down 15 percent).
The best international travel deals appear to be Tokyo,
Japan (down 29 percent), Venice, Italy (down 18 percent) and Helsinki, Finland
(down 19 percent).
If trends remain constant, in 2024, Cyber Monday showed the
lowest domestic fares of the season while Travel Tuesday offered the lowest
international fares.
The study also revealed that the cheapest day for domestic
flights for Thanksgiving was November 24 and December 24 for Christmas for
quieter airports and lower prices.
KAYAK’s New AI Tool
KAYAK’s new AI Mode, a travel planning tool was created to
simplify the trip planning process by using conventional searches.
"Having a trip to look forward to at the end of the
year is the gift we all need," said Kate Williams, KAYAK travel trends
expert and CCO in a statement. "If you haven't booked yet, let our AI
tools do the hard work for you to surface the best destinations for your
budget."
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