Travelling off-peak: the perks and problems

We’ll never tire of talking about the value of travelling off-peak, it truly is the unsung (or in our case very much sung) hero of sustainable travel. We spent the weekend at the Destinations Travel Show, where we spoke to so many of you about our holidays and sustainable travel. Something we really noticed was how much the value of off-peak travel is being recognised, with some of you telling us you want to travel off-peak before we even mention it! Truly music to our ears. We wanted to take a moment to really hammer home what the perks and problems of travelling off peak are, why you should do it and why you should shame those who don’t (we’re joking of course…).

On all our destinations we talk about peak, shoulder and low season, so you always have a helpful reference point for when to travel. Of course there are occasions when travelling off-peak isn’t really an option, like for going to certain festivals or to see some natural phenomena – but, we’re here to talk about when you can travel off-peak. There are also some, for lack of a better word ‘problems’ with travelling off peak that we’d like to go through as well.

View from Thailand sunrise in June (shoulder season)

Avoiding crowds in the shoulder season

One thing that not only locals but also tourists struggle with is overcrowding during the peak season. That might look like hundreds of people pushed against each other at a cultural site, not being able to book any restaurants or activities because they’re so full or even struggling to book flights or hotels. The trouble with everyone wanting to travel at the same time is that inevitably it makes life difficult for the locals and makes your trip less enjoyable. This is where the shoulder season comes in. The shoulder season is the shorter period between the peak and low seasons where you still get a few tourists, and the weather might be a little cooler. Let’s take Thailand for example, if you travel in the shoulder season you’ll see the prices for things drop as the main bulk of tourists leave, the plants burst into life as they enjoy a couple hours of rainfall each day and you’re able to get a seat at that restaurant everyone has been talking about.

So, if overcrowding doesn’t really sound like your kind of thing, then dig a little deeper and check out what the destination is like out of peak season, because more often than not, the shoulder season is the perfect time to travel.

Beach in the Maldives in the shoulder season

Social sustainability and seasonal income dispersal

At Not in the Guidebooks we really believe in and take a holistic approach to being more sustainable. It isn’t just the environment (though of course that is a key part) but it is also social sustainability that needs to be considered. So, what happens to local communities when everyone travels at the same time every year, especially for communities that rely on tourism for a large part of their income.

Take the Maldives, for example, where foreign tourism contributes approximately 30% of the annual GDP. With a distinct peak season running from December to April, the majority of this tourism revenue is concentrated within just five months of the year. This seasonal concentration particularly affects small, independent businesses, which struggle with income instability during the off-peak months. One solution lies with more responsible tourism practices – specifically, considering travel during off-peak seasons to help distribute tourism income more evenly throughout the year. This is true to lesser and greater extents wherever you travel, and of course if you really have to travel at peak time then be extra considerate of where you spend your money. Always opt for locally run restaurants, hotels and activities where possible to ensure that your money is going back into the community.