Amadeus is seeing a positive trend in U.S. hotel bookings for the Thanksgiving holiday. Amadeus’ Demand360 business intelligence data shows that as of Nov. 3, U.S. occupancy for Thanksgiving week is at 29%, pacing 1% higher than 2019 levels.
Palm trees will be a common sight at the top destinations, as Hawaii, Florida and California hold several spots on the top 10 list, with new entrants like Manhattan, KS; and New York City driven by event-based visitor traffic. Based on hotel booking data in the weeks leading up to the holidays, this year is on track to exceed 2019 performance.
Additionally, the number of U.S. markets with occupancy at more than 50% matches 2019 levels for Thanksgiving week. While the top markets have changed year-over-year, there are currently nine markets at more than 50% occupancy—the same amount in 2019 for the same stay week.
The top 10 U.S. markets for 2022 based on hotel occupancy are:
Booking lead times continue to be an important metric to monitor. Currently, nearly 55% of transient hotel bookings are made within seven days of travel, meaning there’s still plenty of opportunity for holiday occupancies to rise as we approach peak travel dates during the week of Nov, 20.
Where are travelers flying?
As seen in the chart above, the highest hotel occupancy markets are predominantly in warmer destinations, perhaps indicating that travelers are still seeking to participate in outdoor gatherings among family and friends or planning for a long overdue vacation.
For hoteliers looking to capture last-minute business closer to the holiday, Amadeus Air Traffic Forecast data as of Nov. 5 shows the highest volume of booked domestic flights for Thanksgiving (Nov. 21-27) going to the following U.S. markets:
- New York City
- Los Angeles
- Orlando
- Chicago
- Las Vegas
- Dallas/Fort Worth
- Denver
- Atlanta
- San Francisco
- Phoenix
