It will be a familiar scene for many over the next few weeks: a busy airport full of people on summer vacation. But tourists may find that peak travel periods are no longer as predictable when more people travel between a region’s most popular months and off-season.
Travel companies are reporting an increase in demand between March and early May, and between September and October, as holidaymakers try to avoid heatwaves and overtourism.
Small-group adventure travel company Intrepid Travel said it saw a 61% increase in mid-season bookings to Western Europe last year. It reported a 29% increase in Southern Europe. In response, Intrepid increased the number of flights to Spain, Italy, Portugal and France this year by 47% in April and 27% in October.
Intrepid said the change in interest from holidaymakers was due to rising temperatures across Europe. The company no longer offers walking trips in Spain and Portugal in July and August, and the active Greece trip only has an exit in early July. Then it doesn’t continue until September.
Greece recorded its earliest ever heatwave in June this year, with temperatures reaching 38C (100F) for more than three consecutive days. Temperatures in Turkey rose above 40 degrees last week and 66 million people were exposed to extreme heat for days, according to independent climate science group Climate Central.
Raph Giacardi, UK editor-in-chief of the website HolidayPirates, said people were “not keen on traveling as a heatwave sweeps across Europe”. He added: “To avoid extreme heat, we may see more holidaymakers taking advantage of traveling to European destinations during the shoulder season in September and October, when temperatures are still warm but more comfortable and there are much better deals on flights, hotels and package holidays. Crowds can also often be seen.” Not to mention it’s much smaller.”
Mastercard Economic Institute’s Travel Trends report stated that there was a shift to travel during the shoulder season last month. The report, based on aggregated and anonymized transaction data, stated that the share of overnight stays during the shoulder season in the European Union has increased by 1.8 percentage points over the last decade.
Among the countries furthest removed from the busy summer months are Mediterranean hotspots such as Croatia. However, similar changes were also seen in countries such as Sweden.
“This suggests that it is more than hot summers that are driving this change,” the report’s authors said. “There are probably also two major demographic shifts at play: more retirees freed from work obligations and more childless households freed from school calendars.”
Colum McLornan, managing director of Friendship Travel, which caters to solo travellers, said they were actively increasing the number of off-season trips due to customer demand.
“Last year we saw some customers requesting trips outside the peak season, particularly to Mallorca, where the island is calmer and there are fewer crowds. “As a result, we have added new services to Mallorca in October and will look to expand this offer to other popular destinations if necessary.”
“A large proportion of Friendship Travel customers are over the age of 40 and, as with the rest of the travel industry, we have recognized that this age group has the freedom and flexibility to travel outside of peak season and chooses to do so to avoid busy crowds and peak season prices. School is now Since they are not tied to their holidays, traveling outside of these times is a luxury they can afford.”
Concerns about overtourism have also been raised recently in some popular destinations. A new tourist fee has been implemented in Bali since February. Hotel taxes are also higher in Amsterdam and Paris, and there are stricter rules on public drinking in Milan and Mallorca.
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In some parts of Milan, city administrators have banned outdoor seating after 12.30pm on weekdays and 1.30am on weekends in response to residents’ complaints. They also limited the sale of takeaway food and drinks late into the night.
Kelly Jackson, managing director of travel company The Travel Corporation, said: “We encourage off-season travel, also known as shoulder season or low season travel, which visits popular destinations when tourist activity is low during peak periods. This approach will benefit both travelers and visitors.” “They offer numerous benefits to the destinations they serve, such as less crowds, lower costs and year-round support for local economies.”
Hazel McGuire, UK and Europe managing director at Intrepid Travel, said: “The reality is that having too much tourism in a destination is not good for local people or the environment. Traveling in the off-season is another great way to avoid crowds and ease the impact on crowded spots.”