• Los Cabos, Mexico to Be Top Hotel Destination for Christmas and New Year's Travel Says Amadeus   


Forward-looking market insights show the top global destinations for holiday travel, with Mexico and APAC leading the way

As we head towards the festive season, hoteliers are preparing for demand as people look to travel over Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Global technology provider Amadeus, with its unique forward-looking business intelligence data, is seeing a peak in demand over the Christmas and New Year period across major markets around the world.

Amadeus’ Demand360®+ data as of November 27, 2023, shows that global hotel occupancy for the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s is already at 23%. This is up 10% from the same time last year. Globally, occupancy levels this festive season are trending ahead of 2022, reflecting a return of confidence in travel and a desire for warmer climates in some of the leading destinations.

According to hotel occupancy, the top destinations globally are:  

  1. Los Cabos, Mexico 77%
  2. Cape Town, South Africa 71%
  3. Phuket, Thailand 69%
  4. Cancun, Mexico 69%
  5. Honolulu, Hawaii 64%
  6. Tokyo, Japan 61%
  7. Maldives 59%
  8. Sydney, Australia 58%
  9. Taipei, Taiwan 58%
  10. Kahului, Hawaii 57% 

This festive season it seems that travelers are prioritizing sun, nature, gastronomy, and culture, contributing to high occupancy levels across APAC and LATAM. Compared to last year, APAC is trending 8% higher, EMEA 7%, LATAM 4% and NORAM is on par with 2022. Los Cabos, the top market, has seen a 16% increase in bookings since 2022.

The data also reveals travelers are still booking accommodation close to their intended travel dates. Booking lead times remain short as 56% of travelers worldwide are making hotel reservations within a week of their trip, up 4% on 2022. This presents hoteliers with an opportunity to make the most of last-minute demand. 

“Christmas and New Year’s is undoubtedly a busy time for hoteliers. We are clearly seeing increased popularity in the APAC and LATAM regions as travelers look to book getaways. Having access to comprehensive forward-looking business intelligence data is important, because it allows hoteliers to identify booking patterns and revenue opportunities so they can still drive last minute demand, while ensuring their property is staffed and ready to provide a great guest experience,” says Katie Moro, Vice President, Data Partnerships, Hospitality, Amadeus.

The data is based on insight from Amadeus’ Demand360+ business intelligence as of the 27th of November for the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s, 24th December 2023 -6th January 2024.