The end of the year is the busiest time for the travel industry. Hotels are booked by travelers who are visiting family during the holiday season. This is good news for local businesses that can capitalize on the needs of out-of-towners. Families will be looking for a place to have a bite to eat or an activity to pass the time. This means travelers are actively looking for ways to spend money. Here are some facts about the upcoming holidays to know what to expect this holiday season.
ThanksgivingThanksgiving is one of the busiest travel weeks of the whole year. In AAA’s Thanksgiving Travel Forecast, they project that around 51 million Americans will journey at least 50 miles to visit family this year. This will be the highest volume of travelers since 2005, with an increase of 1.6 million compared to last year.
Thanksgiving weekend offers a great opportunity for local business owners. The 25th of November is nationally recognized as Small Business Day. The holiday is dedicated to encouraging customers to seek out locally owned stores, instead of the big box stores that are frequented on Black Friday. “Small business owners generated an estimated $15.5 billion dollars on Small Business Saturday in 2016,” according to American Express. “112 million people came out to shop.”
December Holidays
An estimated 103 million Americans will be traveling during the last week of December. (AAA) The top destinations they will be going to are Las Vegas, Orlando, and New York City. Restaurants that advertise to travelers often enjoy seeing a rush of out-of-towners during this time as people look for good bites to eat in a new town. Museums also see a boost in traffic. The week of Christmas is one of the busiest weeks of the year for The Smithsonian. Perhaps the most active businesses during the end of December, though, are tow-truck drivers. AAA estimates they will need to rescue more than 980,000 motorists this holiday – the primary reasons being flat tires, dead batteries, and lockouts.The holiday season encourages travel to all parts of the United States, from big cities to small towns. Businesses can benefit from this influx if they strategize a way to reach out to these travelers. They must advertise about goods, services, and promotions the business offers. If you are a small business owner – contact guestcompass now! Link to contact page