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Advantage reveals a significant rise in shoulder season bookings promoting new discussions around school holidays
Advantage Travel Partnership’s latest summer trading data reports that travelling in the shoulder seasons is becoming increasingly popular as people look to beat the crowds and avoid the extreme heat that is currently more synonymous with popular summer tourist destinations.
- Shoulder season bookings up 20% compared to 2024
- Summer holiday bookings up by 7% percent compared to the same period last year
- 50% of U.S bookings are for travel in 2025
New Advantage data shows that bookings departing in the period May-June 2025 are up 13 percent from the same period last year whilst bookings for September-October have seen an increase of 20 percent. Travellers are increasingly facing higher costs, hotter temperatures and larger crowds during peak seasons which is evidently prompting many to look at alternative travel dates.
Julia Lo Bue-Said OBE, CEO of Advantage Travel Partnership commented: “We are seeing significant growth in shoulder season bookings and interest in travel to cooler climates, driven by rising temperatures in traditionally popular summer hotspots, prompting travellers to seek more comfortable alternatives. It’s clear that cost and quality remain key booking drivers, fuelling demand for destinations like Croatia, Cyprus, and Egypt, where travellers can enjoy warm and dry weather during the shoulder seasons. The overall trend indicates a move away from peak summer travel and a shift in holiday habits.
The increase in consumers looking to book during the shoulder season supports the case that there should be a rethinking of the traditional school holiday calendar - shortening summer breaks and extending other holiday breaks, such as half term, throughout the year to allow families to enjoy these destinations, whilst avoiding the extreme heat and potentially benefitting from lower prices.”
Lo Bue-Said believes that the issue that families currently face is that they either pay higher prices during the peak season when the destinations they want to visit are busier with hotter temperatures or find they have no choice but to take their children out of school during term time which isn’t ideal. Given this backdrop, she believes that there is a case to be made for government to review term times, including shortening the length of the main school summer break and add more holiday to the May and October half term breaks.
She added: “Most schools across the country have a one-week break in May and one-week in October. However, some regions have extended the October half-term to two weeks and shortened the summer holiday break. By giving schools longer breaks at these times, would really benefit families from having the option of taking holidays in destinations that have warm climates in these months, but not the extreme summer heat.”
The traditional summer holiday period of July and August for this year continues to be still proving popular with bookings up 7 percent from 2024 which is likely driven by those unable to be flexible with their travel dates. Popular re-emerging destinations for summer holidays this year include Egypt, Croatia and Cyprus where holidaymakers are getting more for their money, which supports the trend that Brits are looking increasingly for value, and more experiential getaways, prioritising culture and activities over the typical ‘fly and flop’ holidays.
All-inclusive holidays continue to be in high demand making up 40 percent of Advantage sales with many seeking destinations that offer luxury all-inclusive experiences suggesting that holidaymakers are looking increasingly for value but are prepared to trade up.
Destinations such as Greece, the Canaries, Turkey, Mainland Spain, France and the Balearics have stayed consistent as the top booked destinations throughout 2024 and 2025 and long-haul travel destinations such as Australia, South Africa, Singapore, Bali, the Maldives and Mauritius remain firm favourites. In some cases, long haul travellers heading East, to Thailand for example, receive the same value for monty as they would in key short haul destinations as well as rich cultural experiences.
Due to the political climate in the U.S., it was a concern that UK consumers would reduce their interest in holidays there, however, bookings broadly align with 2024 booking data. The top three most popular U.S. destinations to visit remain the same as 2024: Orlando, New York and Las Vegas. Overall, the U.S. market has experienced robust growth over the last year. 50 percent of Advantage bookings made so far this year to the U.S. are for travel in 2025 and whilst there’s some trepidation around the sentiment to travel to the US, Advantage booking data suggests there is continued sign given the traditional longer advance booking patterns of booking for the States there appears to be a persistent demand for this destination.
Lo Bue-Said continued: “It’s interesting to see that despite the concerns around tourism numbers to America, overall, the U.S. market remains robust. We’re seeing particular interest in the southern states such as Nashville, driven by the growing popularity of country music as well as those states in North America that will be hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, providing tourists with the chance to watch the games in the same time zones, showing the impact sports tourism can have on a destination.
For anyone looking to get away in the coming weeks or months we would always recommend booking with a travel agent. Agents have an incredible amount of knowledge and experience in searching for the best deals available. They have their figure on the pulse knowing where to find the best availability which they are looking at daily. They are also best placed to help researching the ideal destination for every budget and ensuring you get the best value for your money.”
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