Published on
November 17, 2025
The American Automobile Association (AAA) projects that approximately 81.8 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles (approximately 80 km) from home during the upcoming Thanksgiving period of Tuesday 25 November to Monday 1 December 2025. This represents a new high and continues a trend of increasing holiday‑mobility in the United States.
Modes of travel and infrastructure pressures
According to AAA’s forecast, the majority of travellers will be on the road by car, with a much smaller but still growing number taking flights or other modes of transport.
The anticipated volume places considerable pressure on highways, airports, rental‑car services and supporting logistics. For international markets, increased U.S. travel broadly may influence tour‑operator capacity, air‑route availability and cross‑border tourism flows.
What this means for international tourism
While the forecast centres on domestic U.S. displacement, the implications for global travel are significant:
- A portion of U.S. holiday‑makers will travel to destinations abroad rather than stay domestic, creating opportunities for inbound tourism.
- At the same time, if more Americans opt for local travel with friends/family rather than overseas, destinations which rely on U.S. outbound traffic may see slower growth.
- Airlines and international hotels should monitor the overflow effect from the U.S. market: high domestic demand can push up prices or reduce availability for round‑the‑world itineraries.
Key international destinations favoured by American travellers
Analysis of recent lists of popular international holiday destinations for U.S. travellers over Thanksgiving reveal strong interest in both beach resorts and European city breaks.
Below are some of the top international destinations to watch (in no particular order):
- Cancún, Mexico – the leading destination on the international list for Americans over this period.
- San José del Cabo, Mexico – often ranked No 2 among U.S. travellers for Thanksgiving overseas.
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – ranked third in recent listings of international Thanksgiving getaways.
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – among the Caribbean picks making the top‑10 list.
- London, United Kingdom – a longer‑haul European city break choice gaining popularity over the holiday period.
- Paris, France – also featured among the top European destinations for Thanksgiving travellers.
- Montego Bay, Jamaica – included in the top‑10 list for U.S. outbound Thanksgiving travel.
- Oranjestad, Aruba – brought into view as a preferred holiday escape for Americans over this period.
- Providenciales Island (Turks and Caicos) – also named among the top destinations overseas.
- Canada – increasingly cited as an affordable alternative escape for Americans during the Thanksgiving week.
Impacted stakeholder groups in tourism
- Destination marketing organisations (DMOs) in the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe should ensure holiday‑season messaging is aligned with the U.S. travel schedule and availability.
- Airlines servicing U.S.‑destination routes may experience higher yield or congestion; route capacity planning ahead of the “Thanksgiving wave” will help manage load.
- Hotel and resort operators abroad may see a spike in bookings from U.S. travellers—dynamic pricing and staffing should reflect this seasonal bump.
- Travel agents and tour‑operators should be alert to demand from the U.S. for “short‑holiday” overseas escapes during the Thanksgiving week and adapt product offers accordingly.
- Local economies in destinations listed above may benefit from increased U.S. visitor spend, but they should also manage tourist‑flow spikes to keep visitor‑experience quality high.
Outlook and considerations
With nearly 82 million Americans expecting to travel in the Thanksgiving period, global tourism stakeholders have an opportunity to engage with these flows—but success will depend on timely offerings, competitive routing and high‑quality service. For many travellers, this window provides a chance to combine family‑holiday traditions with either domestic get‑aways or shorter‑haul international breaks.
Destinations that understand this dual‑nature of the American traveller—balancing convenience, value and novelty—will be best placed to capture the inbound boost.
For many American families, Thanksgiving marks more than a turkey‑and‑parade day—it represents a full holiday window, often involving journeys, gatherings and memory‑making. Equally, hundreds of thousands of overseas resorts, city hotels and tourism services will see this as one of the few months when U.S. visitors are available and responsive. The ripple of this travel surge crosses borders and time‑zones.
The AAA projection of approximately 81.8 million U.S. travellers during Thanksgiving 2025 is confirmed by official sources. From a global tourism perspective, this movement offers both opportunities and challenges: destinations, airlines and tourism services must prepare for the flow, tailor their offerings and ensure that the American holiday boom translates into mutually beneficial inbound travel. In doing so they will help shape a successful international travel season that extends well beyond U.S. borders.
