AAA: Tropics Rule For Holiday Travelers

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – While staying at home and spending time with the family is a time honored tradition, lots of people are planning to head out of town.

In a recent AAA Consumer Pulse Survey, of those who said they had or were making travel plans 75 percent said their holiday plans are a little unusual because they will spend it on a cruise, at the beach or visiting another country.

While the holiday travelers (62 percent) said they prefer to stay at home during the holidays, they're still interested in taking a nontraditional vacation during the holiday season.

Of the top four unorthodox holiday vacation plans, the tropics seem to rule.

Sixty three percent said they planned to take a cruise while another 50 percent said they've booked a trip for a tropical vacation. Thirty seven percent said they were planning a trip to the beach.

Fifty five percent said they were going to take a trip abroad

Although travelers are interested in taking a more nontraditional holiday vacation, the majority of them (56%) have not taken one in the past five years. Instead, travelers have continued to visit and stay with family and friends.

"The year-end holiday season is the busiest travel time of the year," said Jessica Brady, AAA spokeswoman for The Auto Club Group. "Whether families plan a traditional holiday at grandma's house or a cruise to the Caribbean, one thing is certain, being with family and friends remains the most important factor during the holiday season."

The survey was conducted online at the end of October and the respondents were from the AAA's Southern region; Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee) from October 25 - 27, 2012. A total of 629 residents completed the survey. The survey has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points.