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Expedia Winter Travel Outlook: Snow and Sun Escapes Surge as Airfare Prices Chill

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Expedia Winter Travel Outlook: Snow and Sun Escapes Surge as Airfare Prices Chill

Expedia’s Winter Travel Outlook shows flight interest is up 10% for wintertime travel this year. Post-holidays winter is the low season for travel and historically, average hotel prices in January and February are 10% cheaper compared to summer, and flight prices drop up to 15% compared to Christmastime (Graphic: Expedia)
Domestic flights are about 10% cheaper in January, while international flights reach their lowest in February, offering 15% savings compared to the peak holiday rush in December. (Graphic: Expedia)
Domestic flights are about 10% cheaper in January, while international flights reach their lowest in February, offering 15% savings compared to the peak holiday rush in December. (Graphic: Expedia)
Winter means big flight savings, including for these popular destinations. (Graphic: Expedia)
Winter means big flight savings, including for these popular destinations. (Graphic: Expedia)
Two destinations seeing the biggest year-over-year spikes in flight interest are Vancouver (+115%) and Maui (+80%). Vancouver’s rise as a winter hotspot is partly due to the Tour Tourism effect of the final Eras Tour stop which came to the city in early December. (Graphic: Expedia)
Two destinations seeing the biggest year-over-year spikes in flight interest are Vancouver (+115%) and Maui (+80%). Vancouver’s rise as a winter hotspot is partly due to the Tour Tourism effect of the final Eras Tour stop which came to the city in early December. (Graphic: Expedia)

Travelers can start the year with big savings and fewer crowds by traveling in January and February when flight prices drop up to 15%

SEATTLE, December 12, 2024–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Flight data from the Expedia® Winter Travel Outlook released today shows interest is up 10% for wintertime travel this year.1 While many of the season’s top and fastest-growing spots are warm-weather beach locales like Curaçao (+90%) and Maui (+80%), cities and ski and snow getaways are also heavily in the mix.2

Post-holidays winter is the low season for travel, making it a time to take advantage of lower costs and visit popular destinations without big crowds. Historically, average hotel prices in January and February are 10% cheaper compared to summer, and flight prices drop up to 15% compared to Christmastime.3

For tips on where to go and how to save this winter, read the Expedia Winter Travel Outlook here. Findings include:

  • Top winter destinations for U.S. travelers include Los Angeles and Cancún, while the fastest-growing are Vancouver (+115%), Curaçao (+90%), Kyoto (+85%), Maui (+80%) and Zurich (+65%).2

  • Destinations for hotel savings include Seattle, Vancouver, Boston and Chicago, where average wintertime daily rates are around 40% lower than summer.

  • Flight deal destinations for winter include Rome, Barcelona and Montreal, with average ticket prices down 15% or more compared to summer.4

  • Northern Lights tourism continues to drive interest for winter, as the prime aurora season is from January to early March. For U.S. travelers, Canadian destinations seeing year-over-year search increases for Northern Lights hunting include Banff (+60%)5 and Yellowknife (+10%).1

“Winter travel doesn’t have to put a freeze on your post-holiday spending,” says Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands public relations. “With lower airfare and off-season hotel rates, it’s a great time to get some winter sun or pack a parka and enjoy a crowd-free European city. A no-brainer hack to remember is when you book your flight and hotel together on the Expedia app, you can save hundreds of dollars on average on your trip.”

Get the full view on winter travel trends here and download the Expedia app to start planning a low-season getaway.

Data Sources

1Based on Expedia.com flight searches for travel during the weeks of Dec.1, 2024 – March 1, 2025, as of Oct. 25, 2024, compared to the same time period in 2023.

2Most popular and trending destinations based on Expedia.com flight and hotel searches for travel during the weeks of Dec.1, 2024 – March 1, 2025, as of Oct. 25, 2024. Trending destinations are based on comparisons to the same time period last year.

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