The fall season is drawing near, marking the start of slower travel periods and major savings to hotspot destinations. While the cyclical nature of peak, shoulder and off seasons remains relatively consistent year-to-year, new data is helping advisors better understand their clientele and their vacation wish lists throughout 2025. Come along and explore what trends defined this summer, how those will impact the remainder of the year and which client behaviors advisors should pay extra special attention to.
A Summer To Remember
According to a recent article from Travel Market Report, July was a booming month for air travel. U.S. agencies reportedly sold $8.1 billion in tickets, the highest monthly total for July to ever be recorded by the Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC). Many of ARC’s major data points increased year-over-year, including total sales, total trips and the average price of premium-class tickets.
These record numbers across a variety of categories highlight one key finding: travel is dominating consumer spending. Whether it’s budget-friendly trips or luxurious getaways, vacationers are continuing to make the conscious effort to travel throughout the year — an important finding for advisors to note, as there’s certainly no shortage of clients to tap into.
Despite July’s unprecedented air sales, data from The Points Guy indicates that overall, it was a “summer of savings” for travelers. Ticket costs dropped year-over-year this peak season, with international first-class prices dropping to surprisingly affordable levels, while international premium economy rose by 4%. This trend extended to Labor Day weekend as well — a timeframe with notoriously costly tickets — showing a 7.44% decrease in fares.
It’s possible these savings are foreshadowing the upcoming holiday season as well, even if current prices for Thanksgiving and Christmas travel are higher than this time last year. It’s still early in the booking window for holiday flights, so winter travelers should expect the cheapest airfare prices to populate within the next few weeks. The Points Guy recommends looking for Thanksgiving passage around early to mid-October to strike the best deal.
The Behaviors of American Travelers
Phocuswright, a research organization specializing in travel industry data, recently shared some notable insights to create a clearer picture of the American traveler. It’s no secret that interest in European adventures has grown quite rapidly; however, Phocuswright found these globetrotters are taking their vacations further, visiting more countries per trip, and emphasizing the exploration of less-frequented gems such as Denmark, Iceland, Belgium and Finland.
On top of that, the regional personalities of U.S. travelers seem to be influencing their European preferences as well. For instance, Midwesterners are favoring France, while those in the West and South are packing their bags for the U.K. and Germany, particularly for their culinary experiences. These two regions are well-known for their gastronomy in the U.S., so exploring bold flavors and traditional dishes on a global scale is rather fitting.
Falling Into Shoulder Season
As travelers move away from peak travel season, vacationers looking to book trips throughout the remainder of the year are considering a couple of key destination factors, according to Phocuswright — these include scenery, pricing and rest.
Insurance company Trawick International supports this finding with data of its own, suggesting that travelers this fall season are enjoying smaller, quick trips rather than extended vacations. Casual wine tastings or a two-day wellness retreat are some of the ways visitors are finding relaxation. Additionally, with seasonal flavors back in demand, culinary experiences are predicted to be a focal point of trip itineraries, emphasizing a natural, farm-to-table atmosphere to perfectly complement the flavorful crops and hearty dishes of the fall months.
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