Shoulder season bookings on the rise, finds Advantage Travel Partnership

Shoulder season bookings up 20% compared to 2024 

Advantage Travel Partnership’s latest summer trading data has found 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.  

New Advantage data has shown that bookings departing in the period May-June 2025 are up 13% 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, said: “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.