Consumers are moving away from traditional busy travel booking periods in favour of year-round discounts, a new report suggests.
Findings reveal that customers are engaging earlier and more frequently with travel brands before making a final purchase.
Almost half (45%) of people in the UK will visit a website two to three times before buying tickets or making a hotel booking.
The ‘fall of peak’ research also highlights a shift towards more consistent customer engagement across the travel industry.
Consumers also remain cost conscious with average booking values across the travel sector dropping by 30% between July and September.
The study by digital analytics platform Quantum Metric found that half of people prefer regular deals from brands all year round over scheduled sale days like Black Friday and Travel Tuesday.
Just 14% are waiting until Cyber Monday or Travel Tuesday to book their 2024 Christmas travel.
Almost a quarter (22%) of travellers had already booked at least half of their travel bookings for the festive period by October, suggesting that earlier sales are driving early holiday behaviour.
Digital leaders cited in the research agree that change is underway with 43% saying peak seasons are starting earlier and 33% believing they have become less defined.
The findings come from survey date from 2,000 US and UK consumers, 1,000 digital leaders and data from the firm’s customer base.
Quantum Metric global vice president and head of travel and hospitality strategy Danielle Harvey said: “The fact that so many consumers visit a website multiple times before making a travel related purchase demonstrates the importance of ensuring your digital experience is seamless.
“If a customer encounters issues, chances are they won’t return to finalise their transaction.
“With consumer attitudes to peak sale seasons also significantly changing, it’s vital that travel businesses implement continuous optimisation across all channels.
“Additionally, offering more personalised touchpoints – be that promotions or preferred payment methods – can also increase loyalty and drive conversions.”