Forget cozy cabins, flaming forests of fiery fall colors, and leisurely walks in the countryside—Americans are heading to New York City’s towering skyline this Thanksgiving.
The Big Apple, home of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, has been named the ultimate Turkey Day destination in the annual Holiday Travel Trends Study for the fifth year in a row.
The research, conducted by insurer Allianz Partners, ranked the top 10 Thanksgiving destinations based on an analysis of more than 700,000 itineraries for roundtrip flights from Nov. 22-27 and returns from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2, 2025.
New York City tops the US vacation travel list, followed by Seattle (No. 2) and Phoenix (No. 3), where travelers trade fall leaves for views of the desert horizon and sunset.
Atlanta (No. 4) and Dallas (No. 5) round out the top five, and the rest of the list includes Los Angeles (No. 6), Orlando (No. 7), Boston (No. 8), Miami (No. 9) and Chicago (No. 10).
However, many Americans are redefining the tradition—leaving the turkey and trimmings for beachside parties and more distant urban destinations.
For the world of Thanksgiving, it is Cancun in Mexico that is the most popular.
The Caribbean resort town, known for its luxury beach hotels and powder-soft sands, is in the top 10 international list, with two other Mexican locations in second and third place – San Jose del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta.
Americans also follow longer flights, going across the pond to London (No. 4) and Paris (No. 6).
The rest of the international top 10 includes Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (No. 5). Montego Bay, Jamaica (No. 7), Mexico City (No. 8), Oranjestad, Aruba (No. 9), and Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (No. 10).
Separately, Allianz Partners surveyed 1,200 customers for more information on Turkey day travel, and the results showed that 82 percent of itineraries were booked for domestic destinations and 18 percent for international travel.
Flying remains the dominant mode of transportation this Thanksgiving, with 74 percent of survey respondents taking to the skies, while eight percent plan to rent a car, two percent drive their own vehicles, and six percent plan to travel by train. The remaining 10 percent of respondents indicated that they would travel by “other” modes of transportation.
Proximity to family and friends (59 percent) is the top factor in choosing a Thanksgiving destination, followed by cost (17 percent) and weather (10 percent).
Since 2019, Thanksgiving trips have increased. That year, about 55 million Americans packed their bags for vacation, but 80 million will do so in 2024.
However, this year’s figures may be affected by reduced flights due to the government shutdown. Airports in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are among 40 major travel hubs affected.
