Today’s traveller, evolving patterns & how hotels can adapt
Once upon a time, there was a degree of predictability about when people travelled: Europe in their summer months - unless skiing of course, sun and sand during the colder months and the occasional long weekend getaway. Families always travelled during the school holidays and only corporate travellers booked mid-week. But today’s travellers are rewriting the script: increasingly avoiding the traditional peak seasons for a variety of practical, emotional and ethical reasons – and it is reshaping the travel landscape.
With extreme weather conditions occurring more frequently and rising global temperatures becoming more intense and unpredictable, and driven by overtourism, costs, the ability to work remotely and a desire for more meaningful experiences, travellers are stepping off the beaten path - and off the traditional travel calendar.
For hotels, this evolution is both a challenge and an opportunity. The traditional high-season model is giving way to a more fluid, year-round approach. Today’s new travellers are seeking authenticity, flexibility and value. They want to feel like a local and not just a visitor. Hotels can stay ahead of these shifting seasons and evolving travel habits by embracing flexibility, implementing data-driven strategies and developing guest-centric experiences.
As travel seasons blur, look to review your seasonality by monitoring your booking trends in real-time to identify emerging travel trends. Consider responding to these changing travel patterns with the creation of micro-campaigns that support the off-peak periods such as mid-week escapes, stay and save or check in to your office with a view.
Ensure your revenue management strategies incorporates dynamic pricing and packages. The ability to adjust your rates based on real-time trends, not the calendar is essential. Off-peak travel can offer significant savings: allowing travellers to achieve more with their budget. The introduction of value-added packages during your quieter periods to encourage flexible travellers to slightly adjust their dates of stay to take advantage of these offers.
To complement this revenue management approach, take time to review your booking policies: ensuring they are easy to understand, offer flexibility and encourage direct bookings with the best terms available on your owned booking channel.
As more travellers seek meaningful cultural connections over the choreographed tourist experience, off-peak travel is providing a welcome shift. With fewer crowds, there is more opportunity for real interactions with the locals - making the time in a destination feel more personal, more authentic and far less rehearsed. And eco-conscious travellers are considering their impact on the destination they are visiting by travelling in the quieter months which helps distribute visitor numbers more evenly and supports local economies all year-round.
Hotels that are curating immersive, seasonal experiences that celebrate the unique charm of their location throughout the year - whether it is a winter stargazing experience, a friendly chat with the local beekeeper or a self-guided 4WD experience through the outback - are winning the hearts of travellers and bookings.
Building collaborative partnerships with local operators, restaurants and nearby attractions can unlock unique guest experiences while enhancing visibility through shared audiences. Many destination marketing bodies run campaigns specifically to support their members during quieter travel periods: keeping your tourism listings current and actively engaging with these networks is key to staying front of mind.
Now’s the time to evaluate the effectiveness of your owned marketing channels - newsletters, blogs or social media - and consider how audience segmentation informs your messaging. Are you tailoring campaigns to meet the unique needs of multigenerational families, mature-aged travellers, or digital nomads? Targeted communication based on travel behaviour allows for greater resonance and engagement. By actively promoting regional events, seasonal highlights and cultural experiences, you can inspire new reasons to visit and attract new audiences: ultimately helping to position your business as part of a broader destination story.
Running a successful accommodation business today goes beyond simply filling rooms – it is about curating meaningful experiences that resonate year-round, speak to the evolving expectations of modern travellers and authentically communicate your property’s unique story.
Published: June 2025
