Americans Taking More International Trips for Spring Break

A new study found more Americans are traveling overseas this Spring Break, with multigenerational vacations also experiencing a major demand spike.

The AAA booking data showed that international travel for the Spring Break travel period was up 30 percent compared to last year. Another 40 percent of adults in the United States said they would travel with three generations of family members during the holiday.

Only about 14 percent of survey respondents said they hadn’t decided if they would travel for Spring Break.

“Families are making up for lost time,” AAA Senior Vice President of Travel Paula Twidale said. “We’ve seen a spike in international Spring Break bookings.”

Cruising is making a big splash this year, with voyages to Alaska, Canada, Northern Europe and the Persian Gulf seeing a spike in popularity. Ships leaving from Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Tampa top the list of AAA cruise bookings for Spring Break.

Domestic travel still dominates the leisure landscape, with Florida, Hawaii, Las Vegas, New York City, San Francisco and New Orleans topping the list of American destinations. In Europe, the most-booked itineraries for Spring Break include Paris, London, Amsterdam, Rome and Barcelona.

As for the top Mexican destinations for the holiday travel period, Cancun, Riviera Maya and Mexico City top the list, while Nassau, Bahamas; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, are the most popular Caribbean vacations.

“Americans are taking advantage of the strong U.S. dollar and the exchange rate in Europe,” Twidale continued. “Travelers looking for warm weather are flocking to the Caribbean and Mexico or sailing to tropical destinations while enjoying the amenities of a cruise vacation.”