What Is Shoulder Season?
The term “shoulder season” is generally defined as a stretch of time between a destination’s high and low tourism seasons. Usually that is fall, late winter and early spring, since the summer months and winter holidays bring traditional school and work breaks and therefore increased travel numbers, or peak season.
The benefits of shoulder season have historically been lower prices (driven down by lower demand) and thinner crowds even at popular museums and sights. But with travel sales through the roof — recent Virtuoso data shows a 36% increase in sales the first half of this year, compared to 2022, and a 69% increase over 2019 — do shoulder seasons look different? And does shoulder-season travel still lead to savings? Here’s what travel advisors are seeing.
Shoulder Season Still Exists, But It’s Diminished
Ashley Taylor with Key to the World Travel says that the booking landscape has changed in an obvious way post-pandemic — clients are far more willing to book a trip anytime of the year, and often times no matter the cost or no matter the school days missed. They want to see the world, she says, and they don’t really want to wait for the “perfect” time.
“Shoulder season is still there, but it’s not as prevalent,” Taylor said. “Especially since the pandemic, people seem to be thinking, ‘Life is too short.’”
The boundary between high and shoulder season is disappearing. Demand for travel is strong, even during off-season, and that brings prices up, and inventory down.
For example, October may have been off-limits for families pre-pandemic, but nowadays, clients might pull their kids out of school for a few days, or even a full week, in order to travel. Taylor says some school districts, including her own, offer some version of “independent study” or “educational days,” meaning students can make up their work later and have their absences excused.
While not everyone will do this, Taylor still sees the change impacting shoulder seasons; the deals that used to exist are simply not as extreme, because demand isn’t as low during these time periods as it once was.
Family and romance travel specialist Patrycja Kobak of It’s Worth Traveling is seeing the same thing.
“The boundary between high and shoulder season is disappearing,” Kobak said. “Demand for travel is strong, even during off-season, and that brings prices up, and inventory down.”
How to Find Shoulder-Season Deals
Deals still exist, but scoring one will likely require a client to be flexible about their destination and travel dates.
“If budget is a huge thing, I do suggest clients look at shoulder season,” Taylor said. “If they can travel during the week, that helps, too, because departing over the weekend will be more expensive any time of year, as plenty of people travel for just a long weekend.”
Taylor points clients to Cancun as a prime value option during shoulder seasons; rates in the Mexico resort town are consistently higher during spring break, summer and the winter holiday season, but visit in February and room rates at an all-inclusive such as Moon Palace Cancun or Dreams Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort (both great for families) may be as low as $250 per night.
Or, think a little outside the box in terms of where to go — Taylor had clients who loved White Stallion Ranch in Arizona for a recent family vacation. The wild card, though, is airfare, as flight prices have been inflated for a while.
Kobak looks to Hawaii during shoulder seasons. Though the island state is known to be a pricey destination, clients can save if they visit outside of peak season.
“If you dream about that Hawaiian adventure, shoulder season is the way to go for the biggest savings,” Kobak said. “Oahu is always a good idea, with a wide variety of accommodations for every budget, and countless activities for anyone and everyone.”
Kobak says that prices at Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa, can be discounted as low as 30% off during the shoulder season. If clients want to be in Honolulu, her pick is Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort & Spa.
Clients should also know that waiting to book isn’t helpful in terms of securing a good price.
In the past, we were able to book some amazing trips a week in advance — that is no more. Resorts and nonstop flights are selling out faster than Taylor Swift concert tickets.
“I think the biggest challenge we face as travel advisors during shoulder season is the fact that clients wait until the very last minute to book their vacation,” Kobak said. “In the past, we were able to book some amazing trips a week in advance — that is no more. Resorts and nonstop flights are selling out faster than Taylor Swift concert tickets. By waiting to book, clients are hurting their own wallets.”
Fall Foliage Travel Breaks the Rules
September, October and November are typical shoulder-season months, but clients on a mission to see fall foliage are unlikely to find lower prices — no surprise there. When the gorgeous gold and auburn leaves draw a crowd, rates in the destination go up.
Taylor sees clients looking to visit places such as Stowe, Va., and Great Smoky Mountains National Park for leaf-peeping. She’s a fan of Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, N.C., as well as Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville, Autograph Collection for such trips. Taylor has seen room costs in October at these destinations range between $350 and $550.
Other shoulder-season outliers include Hotel de Glace, Quebec City, Canada’s seasonal ice hotel. It’s only open January through March, and prices reflect that narrow range.
Taylor says clients are sometimes willing to pay a high nightly rate for the only ice hotel in North America — otherwise, a trip to Finland or Norway is likely in order. The mid-October balloon festival in Albuquerque, N.M., is another shoulder-season event that may lead to higher demand and travel costs.
