by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:30 AM ET, Mon August 21, 2023
A new survey found that Americans are hitting the road for
Labor Day, with domestic bookings for the extended holiday weekend being up four
percent and international bookings up 44 percent.
According to AAA Travel, the top domestic destinations are
Seattle, Orlando, Anchorage, New York and Las Vegas, with Seattle being popular
due to strong demand for Alaska cruises and Florida dominating for its beaches,
theme parks and cruise ports.
Domestic cruise bookings over Labor Day weekend are up 19 percent
compared to 2022.
Americans driving to their destinations during the holiday
break will likely see higher gas prices as hurricane season heats up. Data
shows that Thursday, August 31, between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. is the busiest time
on the roads, with Friday, September 1, also being busy.
“Most travelers will leave on Thursday or Friday before Labor
Day to take advantage of the long holiday weekend,” AAA Senior Vice President Paula
Twidale said.
As for international travel during Labor Day, AAA booking
data shows that Vancouver, Rome, London, Dublin and Paris are the top five destinations.
International hotel bookings for the holiday are up 82 percent compared to 2022
and international cruise bookings are up 44 percent over last year.
“Domestically, the Pacific Northwest, big cities like New
York and Denver, and tourist hotspots like Orlando and Las Vegas are the most
popular,” Twidale continued. “Internationally, it’s all about Europe and
Canada.”
Other data from the survey found that 64 percent of AAA
travel advisors said travelers who booked extended vacations (at least 14
nights) said having additional time to explore destinations was their main
reason for a more extended trip.
In addition, AAA agents are seeing high interest among
travelers for ocean and river cruises, plus all-inclusive and guided tour
vacations.
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