She was no different, combining a trip to see her family in south Florida with some beach time together with her own family. Employers are more flexible and people can grab a few extra days. They're going for it,'' says American Society of Travel Agents Spokesman James Ashurst. Hot spots include cruise ships, Mexico and Las Vegas. Of course, the economy helps.
People feel more comfortable splurging, travel industry observers say.
Don Lansky, spokesman for the large cruise discounter Cruise Line Inc., says families already have started booking for Christmas 1998. The Beaches resorts in the Caribbean, the family offering from the Sandals group, was 100 percent booked for both holidays before Thanksgiving and could have sold 60 percent more rooms. Some families now come both for Thanksgiving and Christmas, she said. They certainly don't want to spend their precious few days off cooking, hosting hordes of company, or sitting around at the grandparents' house. In some cases, the grandparents don't want them either.