Aito members’ clients flock to book wildlife and birding holidays

Aito, The Specialist Travel Association, said its operators and agents are seeing a “marked improvement” in enquiries and sales – especially for birding and wildlife holidays.

The association said the market had softened during the spring amid international uncertainty and rising travel costs but was now seeing “significant bounce back” following the Middle East conflict.

Felicia Severns, managing director of Aito member Odyssey World – which tailor-makes wildlife and cultural holidays with focus on Southern Africa and Borneo – said: “This month Odyssey World has hit our monthly revenue target for the first time since March.

“After experiencing a general reduction of around 50% in regular sales between April and June, the tone of conversations has changed dramatically.

“Clients seem much less anxious about rising costs and fuel surcharges, our booking patterns have returned to almost normal, and demand for wildlife holidays, from southeast Asia to African safaris, is proving remarkably resilient.

“It feels as though many travellers simply pressed pause for a short while to see what would happen before returning to book those bucket-list adventures.”  

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Susie de Carteret, founder of Aito member Tasmanian Odyssey, which specialises in wildlife and birding holidays to Tasmania and South Australia, added: “In the last month alone, we have seen a 10-fold increase in bookings compared to the four months from March to June. 

“We have had so many late bookings for the last few months of 2026 that we are now on course exceed last year’s booking levels.

“The recovery demonstrates that while our clients may have delayed making a decision since the unrest in the Middle East, they haven’t abandoned their travel plans.

“With the second half of 2026 looming, they are now booking quickly to secure the wildlife and birding experiences they had been planning.”

Kerrie Porteous, head of sustainability at Naturetrek, added: “We’ve certainly noticed a strong few weeks of bookings, especially after attending this year’s Global Birdfair in July – it is always a great event for us and it is particularly encouraging to see that recent global events haven’t dampened the nature sector’s enthusiasm for travel.”

Martyn Sumners, Aito executive director, commented: “What we’re hearing from members is that determination and desire to travel have superseded the anxiety of earlier this year.

“Travellers who paused their booking decisions during the spring are now returning to secure specialist nature holidays, particularly to those destinations that have long been on their bucket lists.

“It’s a timely reminder of the resilience of the independent specialist travel sector, the enduring appeal of expertly curated, responsible travel experiences, and putting your trust in the hands of a genuine expert rather than relying on an AI-generated itinerary.”