Holidaymakers are changing the way they plan their trips, booking closer to departure while demand for long-haul destinations continues to grow, according to new data from Away Holidays.
The travel company has seen its average booking window shorten from 102 days – 94 days year on year. The proportion of customers booking more than 61 days before departure has fallen from 59.2%–50.3%, while the share booking within 30 days of departure has risen from 24.1%–27.1%. Bookings made within three weeks of departure have also increased, from 17.9%–19.7%.
The shift comes as travellers navigate a more unpredictable travel landscape, with extreme summer weather and wildfires across parts of Europe, ongoing tensions in the Middle East, and disruption to flight routes all contributing to greater uncertainty around travel plans.
Gianni Leone, Senior Product Director at Away Holidays, said the figures point to a more considered approach to holiday planning rather than growing impulsivity. “The biggest shift we’re seeing isn’t a surge in bookings a week before departure, it’s the steady decline of the traditional booking window. Last year, almost 6 in 10 (59.2%) of our customers booked more than 61 days before travelling. This year, that’s fallen to just over half (50.3%). At the same time, bookings made within 30 days have risen from 24.1%–27.1%, while those made within three weeks have increased from 17.9%–19.7%. Overall, the average booking window has shortened from 102 days – 94 days,” Leone said.
“People still want to get away, but they’re making those decisions differently. Holidaymakers are navigating a much more unpredictable world than they were five years ago. Extreme summer weather and wildfires across parts of Europe, ongoing conflict and tensions in the Middle East, and periodic disruption to flight routes have made travellers more conscious of when they commit. Our data suggests they’re not becoming more impulsive; they’re becoming more considered.”
“Rather than waiting until the final few days before departure, many are simply shortening the planning window. They’re giving themselves enough time to organise the trip while waiting for a little more certainty before pressing book.”
Despite the shorter booking window, long-haul travel shows no sign of losing its appeal. Away Holidays has recorded a 120% year-on-year rise in bookings to Thailand, alongside increases of 58% for Zanzibar and 20% for Mauritius. All three destinations have traditionally required travellers to plan further in advance.
Leone said the destination data reinforces the picture of travellers becoming more strategic rather than simply more cautious. “The destination picture is where this trend becomes even more interesting. We’re seeing strong year-on-year growth across a number of long-haul destinations, with Mauritius bookings up 20%, Zanzibar up 58%, and Thailand up 120%.”
“What’s striking is that this growth is happening across destinations that have traditionally been planned well in advance. Thailand in particular has seen a significant increase in bookings, suggesting that travellers are still willing to commit to long-haul holidays when the destination gives them the right combination of value, availability, and certainty.”
“It shows travellers are becoming much more strategic. They’re still prioritising long-haul trips, but they’re being more selective about when and where they book, balancing the desire to get away with a need for greater flexibility as they keep an eye on global events and changing travel conditions.”
Industry observers note that shifting booking windows can affect inventory management and pricing strategies for travel firms, while potentially creating opportunities for late-availability deals on popular routes. At the same time, destinations such as Thailand continue to attract strong interest compared with previous years.
Overall, the data points to resilient demand for long-haul travel alongside more cautious and deliberate booking timelines. Travellers appear to be securing trips with enough lead time to organise them while retaining flexibility in case of disruption.