Demand for travel surrounding U.S. holidays has risen steadily throughout 2021. The Koddi team first saw growth in holiday demand during Memorial Day, with the first significant growth in holiday demand during Labor Day. As Indigenous People’s/Columbus Day approaches, demand for weekend check-in dates are surging. 

Travel demand is soaring past pre-COVID conditions, indicating growth is on the horizon. Search trends have remained relatively consistent year over year; however, there is a noticeable increase in 2021 holiday demand compared to 2019. Recovery of demand across U.S. holidays signals increasing consumer confidence in travel. This may be due, in part, to heightened desire amongst travelers to take advantage of vacation time as more businesses and destinations open up.

The rise in demand during holidays before Labor Day shows that leisure travelers are looking for opportunities to get away. However, current demand growth tells a story of travelers who are no longer held back by travel worries and are becoming increasingly confident in their health and safety while traveling. 

This year, demand for Labor Day travel surpassed the demand for the Fourth of July travel, foreshadowing what holiday demand may look like as the year continues. Additionally, the increase in demand for Labor Day 2021 was almost four times the demand in 2019. Going into Indigenous People’s/Columbus Day weekend, the data shows that 2021 demand is two times higher than that of 2019. The demand surrounding U.S. holidays indicates that travel is not only rebounding but also growing.

As the end of year holiday season approaches, the Koddi team will continue monitoring Thanksgiving and Christmas demand to see how it compares to 2019. Given the growth we’ve already seen during other holidays, we predict that both Thanksgiving and Christmas demand will follow the trend and surpass 2019 demand. 

Koddi is continually monitoring the shifts in hotel demand and sharing any signs of recovery that we’re seeing here on our blog and our social media channels. Stay informed by following us on LinkedIn or subscribing to our blog.