Heatwaves in Europe have made headlines in recent years, leaving some to ask whether the destination will be too hot to visit in future years—with some operators already reporting changing booking patterns.
Intrepid Travel md for Australia and New Zealand Brett Mitchell, says heatwaves and over-tourism globally are shaping how travellers plan, book and experience their holidays, especially in Europe. “For the first time, we’re seeing more of our customers travelling in spring and autumn than during the traditional Jul-Aug peak,” says Mitchell. He highlights Italy as an example. Bookings from Australia and New Zealand for Italy in peak season are down 49% year-on-year—against a 79% increase in off-season bookings. And Intrepid is not alone, with both G Adventures and Globus Family of Brands noting a shift away from peak summer travel. G Adventures md Australia, New Zealand and Asia Sean Martin says it is seeing more and more travellers rethink the traditional Jul–Aug holiday in favour of the spring or late autumn. As such G has been increasing tours across Europe outside of the peak months and adding more tours to off-the-beaten-path destinations like Georgia, the Baltics, and the mountains of Montenegro which Martin says don’t see the intense heat. At the same time GFOB gm New Zealand Angela Webber says the shoulder seasons in Europe have been a preferred time to travel for ‘a while now’, adding that for GFOB, May and Sep are now considered part of the peak season. This has also led the company to expand its touring and cruising offering to meet this shoulder season demand, including more festive departures. “While the weather is cooler in Europe at the end of the year, it brings a unique charm— think festive lights, cosying up for local traditions and Christmas markets, of course.”
. . . Value For Money
The operators expect Europe shoulder season travel demand to continue to grow. And all of those contacted point out that aside from avoiding heatwaves, the shoulder season periods also mean fewer crowds and greater value for money for Kiwi travellers.
