Walking and activities specialist HF Holidays has reported bookings for shoulder months being “ahead of the curve” since before the pandemic.
The combined months of April, May, September and October have grown from 42% in 2019 to 44% of its total business taken this year.
The operator is building on this momentum by introducing more shoulder season UK domestic trips to its ‘Discover More’ range as well as itineraries covering Montenegro (pictured), Elba and Tuscany, Albania and Austria.
This comes as mainstream travel sectors have seen a recent spike in shoulder season and off-the-beaten-track travel thanks to heatwaves, costs and crowds, according to the company.
Product general manager Rob Carroll said: “Many of HF Holidays’ customers are not restricted to school holiday seasons for travel, and the luxury of choice means that most have been picking holiday dates outside of peak summer and away from the tourist hordes for some time.
“This ongoing demand has led to product development geared towards offering guests more enriching experiences in the destinations visited.”