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What are the most in demand Christmas destinations by US state?
Christmas is a time for families to come together, in their but for millions of Americans it is also a chance for a final vacation of the year.
Nearly half of all Americans travel over the holidays and 2023 is no exception. According to a forecast from the American Automobile Association, more than 115 million people plan to travel (though their parameters for what this means is very broad) this Christmas.
Noted in the forecast is record levels of air travel with an estimated 7.51 million flights over the holiday period. This would represent a 2.4% increase on the previous record of 7.33 million flights in 2019.
Where are these passengers flying?
Software and security website Cloudwards.net conducted a study of Google search data to try and answer that question. This data was then categorised into three sections: international cities, those favoured by Americans globally, and dream US cities for Americans.
Vienna, Austria draws the attention of people from a whopping 25 states. In a distant second is Quebec City, Canada, with seven states closely followed by Paris, France, with five. Barcelona, perhaps surprisingly, has captured the winter attention of three states. More commonly renowned for its cultural aspects, beachside location, and soccer team, the Catalan city seems to beckon towards the States with a frosty finger.
For Americans wanting to stay inside the US, the spread of cities is much wider. Taking top spot is the city of Branson, Missouri. While largely irrelevant throughout the rest of the year, it is transformed into a winter wonderland during the holiday season, featuring dazzling light displays, festive decorations, and a variety of Christmas-themed events.
Joint with Branson is Chicago, Illinois with seven states’ top choice. Other top Christmas destinations are Leavenworth, Washington, and Helen, Georgia; these places are known for their Bavarian-style Christmasses. Coupled with the demand with Vienna, the southern German-style is the most in demand in the world.
What are the most in demand cities worldwide?
Cloudwards found that London, UK and Vienna, Austria, are by far the most in demand Christmas destinations worldwide. Following was New York City, Paris, France and Budapest, Hungary. Though European cities take the lead, New York City has its own special festive vibe that attracts people from around the world.
Europeans tend to prefer a more Euro-centric Christmas with nearly all of the most searched places from the continent being within itself. Spanish-speaking countries such as Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru show a keen interest in Christmas trips to New York City.