Many families are giving the gift of travel -- destinations include relaxing on the beach or hitting the slopes

From CNN Correspondent Carolyn O'Neil

ATLANTA (CNN) -- Some families are opting to take holiday trips together instead of spending money on gifts for each other.

Carol and Greg Rutherford are among them. They will celebrate Christmas with the kids on the ski slopes of Crested Butte, Colorado.

"This year, we thought instead of the gifts and major dollars spent on toys they're not even playing with in two months, we'd do the family thing, something they will remember forever," said Greg Rutherford.

Leaving home for the holidays -- whether you're parking a ski suit or a bathing suit -- is a growing trend.

"Resorts generally are starting to feature Christmas, New Year's packages that include some kind of holiday entertainment," said Ed Perkins, a spokesman for the American Society of Travel Agents.

Winter escape destinations like Hawaii and the Caribbean often are extremely busy between Christmas and New Year's Day.

"The travel industry is very interested in building up this holiday season travel market," Perkins said. "Part of the reason, of course, is that right now is really a dead time of year for business travel."

Based on a report from CNN's Business and Travel and Beyond. The segment appears weekdays on Early Edition at 7 AM (ET) and on Morning News at 10 AM (ET).