Filling the shoulder season: book the quiet months

Choose a target group that can come then

Families with school-age children can hardly travel outside the holidays. Other groups can:

• Couples and over-55s looking for peace and lower prices
• Hikers and cyclists, for whom spring and autumn offer the best weather
• Families with children who are not yet at school
• Groups and companies, for an outing or team day
• Guests from countries with different holidays, such as the German states, which each have their own school holiday periods

Create an offer that suits them

A lower price alone is rarely enough. Guests book a reason to come. Think of a hiking package with a route map and packed lunch, a cycling weekend with bike hire, a quiet midweek with breakfast, or an autumn weekend with a campfire. Put the offer on its own page with your own photos and a clear price.

Email your past guests

Guests who have stayed before are the easiest bookings. A personal email with your spring or autumn offer often works well.

Is that allowed? Marketing by email normally requires consent. There is an exception for existing customers in Article 13 of the EU ePrivacy Directive: if you obtained the email address in the context of a booking, you offer something similar and the guest can easily unsubscribe in every email. Each country implements this in its own law, so check the details for your country. Guests who booked through a platform usually do not fall under this exception.

Make sure you are found online

Create a page on your website for each theme, such as "spring hiking" or "autumn break with your dog". That way you reach guests who search for it on Google. Also share the offer as a post on your Google Business Profile, and plan a few weeks of social media around the theme.

A planning that works

Guests often book the spring months during winter. So start in good time:

For the autumn, shift everything by six months: plan in spring, email in June.