New Jersey travelers dream destination will surprise you

In a new report from AAA, they project that over 2 million New Jersey residents will travel over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Thanksgiving holiday is from Tuesday, November 25th, to Monday, December 1st, 2025. That is an increase of 1.6% over last year’s all-time high. AAA reports that 1.8 million of the projected 2 million New Jerseyans will travel by car. Yikes!

Nationally, AAA projects that 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home during the same Thanksgiving holiday.

When push comes to shove and the hustle and bustle of the holidays subside, where do New Jerseyans want to go for their dream vacation?

New Jerseyans dream of staying home

New Jersey travelers who take at least two domestic flights a year were asked about their dream destinations. The answer was surprising yet obvious.

Airport Parking Reservation.com surveyed in 2024, and the results showed that New Jersey ranked second in the country, with 25% of the frequent flyers opting to stay local.

To me, that is an easy choice. Here in New Jersey, we have the shore, including Cape May, which was named by Condé Nast as one of the best beaches in the country. We also have theme parks, amazing sightseeing destinations, and enjoyable towns with remarkable restaurants and accommodations. Traveling locally cuts down on the expense of flying, the hassle of the airports and worrying about accommodations in other non-familiar locations.

In the survey, Florida and Hawaii were tied for the top spot for obvious reasons. The survey also pointed out that 55% of those surveyed do not plan to take overseas flights.

When pressed to pick an overseas and international destination 48% of New Jersey travelers picked Europe, followed by 25% want to head to Australia. Both of those destinations are unique and fascinating but take a large bite out of your vacation time and of course can be extremely expensive for a family of four.

Staying local here in New Jersey is an excellent choice, we have a tremendous amount to offer, things you would be surprised to discover, not to mention it is more cost-effective. Enjoy New Jersey, stay local and be surprised.

Good luck with your holiday travels and we will see you here in New Jersey for your dream vacation.

For more information on the AAA holiday travel facts please see the link.

For the Airport Parking reservation study please see the link.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

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