In its newly revealed 'Top 10 Thanksgiving Destination Index', Allianz Travel Insurance found that travel-ready Americans have primarily set their sights on two rather disparate types of destinations: the urban sprawl of New York City, famous for its twinkling lights, festive decorations and holiday-season department store window displays, and Cancún, Mexico, where sunshine, warm weather and white-sand beaches beckon to visitors seeking to escape the cold.
Allianz Partners analyzed 2.3 million travel itineraries with roundtrip flights departing U.S. airports around the Thanksgiving holiday-departing between Saturday, November 20 and Thursday, November 25 and returning between Friday, November 26 and Tuesday, November 30-to uncover the 2021's most popular domestic and international Turkey-Day destinations.
Now that Broadway shows are again up and running, and such seasonal happenings as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will once again take place in-person, New York City's end-of-year allure sent it to the top of the rankings for domestic travel. Seattle slipped to the second spot, followed by Boston in third, Atlanta in fourth and Dallas-Fort Worth in fifth.
A desire for sunshine, surf and sand seem to largely inform Americans' choice of international Thanksgiving travel destinations, as all but two of the top 10 international Thanksgiving travel spots are beach destinations. As was the case last year, the tourism hotspot of Cancún took first place, followed by two more Mexican destinations: San Jose Del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta, both located on Mexico's Pacific coast. London, capital of the United Kingdom, came in fourth place, followed by Montego Bay, Jamaica in fifth.
"Americans are craving a return to the good old days and nothing beats a traditional Thanksgiving surrounded by the sights and sounds of New York," said Daniel Durazo, director of marketing and communications for Allianz Partners USA.
"Whether you'll be enjoying your Thanksgiving in the Big Apple or on the beaches of Mexico, it's smart to protect your trip with travel insurance. In an increasingly uncertain world, travel insurance offers peace of mind by protecting pre-paid travel expenses from unforeseen covered events that may cause trip cancellations or interruptions, significant travel delays, baggage issues and medical emergencies," he added.
Top Domestic Thanksgiving Holiday Destinations | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| 1 | New York City | Seattle | New York City |
| 2 | Seattle | New York City | Atlanta |
| 3 | Boston | Los Angeles | Orlando |
| 4 | Atlanta | Dallas | Los Angeles |
| 5 | Dallas | Boston | Boston |
| 6 | Los Angeles | Orlando | Dallas |
| 7 | Phoenix | Phoenix | Seattle |
| 8 | Orlando | Fort Lauderdale | Detroit |
| 9 | Chicago | Atlanta | Chicago |
| 10 | Detroit | Las Vegas | Phoenix |
Top International Thanksgiving Holiday Destinations | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| 1 | Cancun, Mexico | Cancun, Mexico | Punta Cana, Dominican Republic |
| 2 | San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico | San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico | Cancun, Mexico |
| 3 | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico | London, United Kingdom |
| 4 | London, United Kingdom | Oranjestad, Aruba | Paris, France |
| 5 | Montego Bay, Jamaica | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| 6 | Oranjestad, Aruba | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico |
| 7 | Nassau, Bahamas | Montego Bay, Jamaica | Nassau, Bahamas |
| 8 | Paris, France | Providenciales, Turks and Caicos | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico |
| 9 | Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | Montego Bay, Jamaica |
| 10 | Providenciales, Turks and Caicos | Havana, Cuba | Mexico City, Mexico |
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