After a number of tumultuous years in the travel industry, we are seeing new trends emerge in booking behavior again this year. The traditional early booking season has returned, but more and more travelers are choosing to book at a different time. In this blog, we dive into the changing travel world and how the traveler's booking moment is changing.
The great appeal of last minute
In 2023, we saw an ever-increasing group with consumers booking their vacations last minute. This was both summer vacations and smaller vacations in between. There are two factors that can play into this: prices and uncertainty.
Inflation and high gas prices make it increasingly difficult for the Dutch to estimate what they have to spend for a vacation. In addition, vacations are becoming increasingly expensive. With the hope of last minute offers, as well as the deposit of vacation money, many Dutch people see that it can help to wait a little longer to book a vacation. For some, this also means choosing a shorter vacation or a different (cheaper) destination than first thought.
In addition, a large proportion of the Dutch say they would like to travel without plans this year. They plan where they will go and what they will do just before departure. Lesser-known destinations are preferred. Consumers are looking for surprise and adventure.
The best price for the best trip
The Dutchman's search for the best price goes beyond the price of a flight and accommodation. This also has to do with additional costs during a vacation. Here we see a big trend for booking all-inclusive vacations. This way, consumers have few on-site costs and know where they stand in terms of budget before they go on vacation. Choosing destinations with lower living costs than in the Netherlands also plays into this.
The information from this blog is based on surveys done by Skyscanner, Booking and the VakantieDiscounter. And on the popularity of search terms from other major tour operators such as TUI, Sunweb and ANWB.
