Top winter 2024-25 travel destinations include cold, warm weather hotspots

NEEDHAM, Mass. – Winter will be here before we know it, and people across the U.S. are making travel plans to either escape the cold or visit winter weather destinations. 

Tripadvisor recently released its Winter Travel Index and said it believes more than half of Americans will travel this winter, with most of them saying they plan on traveling just as much, if not more, than last year.

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Tripadvisor says that according to seasonal data, most travelers this winter are planning trips for specific reasons, such as celebrations, winter festivals and outdoor activities.

And the company’s Winter Travel Index shows that during winter, many schedules align with both businesses and schools closed for a week or more, and a growing number of people are using that time, rather than summer, as a family‘s main vacation season.

So, where is everyone going?

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What are the top winter travel destinations in 2024-25?

New York City, New York – Top Domestic Destination for US Travelers according to 2024 Tripadvisors Winter Travel Index

(Tripadvisor / FOX Weather)

Tripadvisor says that this year, New York City is the most popular domestic destination for winter travelers. Warm-weather destinations round out the top five, including Las Vegas; Orlando, Florida; Honolulu; and Key West, Florida.

“Our latest Winter Travel Index shows that the vast majority of people (85%) are flexible when selecting their destination this season. This reflects that people are taking the opportunity to turn travel into a vacation this period and not just use the time off to see family,” said Hilary Fischer-Groban, Senior Director of Global Brand & Insights at Tripadvisor in a statement.

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Cancun, Yucatan Peninsula – Top International Destination for US Travelers according to 2024 Tripadvisor’s Winter Travel Index

(Tripadvisor / Getty Images)

Warm-weather locations overwhelmingly take the top five international travel destinations this year, including Cancun, Cabo San Lucas and Playa del Carmen in Mexico, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Paris in France.

“As well as taking time to celebrate with their nearest and dearest, there is certainly an appetite to experience new and exciting places this winter,” Fischer-Groban concluded.

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FILE – View of snowy Trocadero gardens in front of Eiffel tower on February 02, 2009 in Paris. AFP PHOTO STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP) (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP via Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

AAA said it was expecting a potentially record-breaking Thanksgiving holiday travel season, with an estimated 80 million people traveling 50 miles or more away from home. And the Transportation Security Administration has offered tips for passengers hoping to catch flights to make the process run smoothly ahead of the holidays.

If those numbers come to fruition, the winter travel season may be just as busy.

Check out the top 10 domestic and international winter travel destinations on the Tripadvisor website.