Europe, not Grandma’s, is the big destination for Americans traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Reuters reports that “vacation starved” U.S. citizens are using this holiday as an opportunity to visit Europe and other destinations. Although Thanksgiving break is usually only a four-day weekend, workers can tack on a few extra leave days and get a full 10-day vacation, plenty of time for a transatlantic flight and to adjust to jet lag. Yes, the dollar is weak, but many bookings were made several months ago when the dollar was doing much better. Plus, the high number of overseas travelers “reflects the resiliency of U.S. consumers to shrug off a housing crisis, signs of a slowing economy, and the weak dollar.” I’ll say.
While Western-Europe bookings are up over 9 percent, Eastern European destinations saw the largest increase —
nearly 25 percent! This surge is likely due to the better exchange rate for dollars in Eastern Europe.
As for me, it’ll be turkey and cocktails in Alaska, as usual.