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Booking Trends

Understand booking patterns and timing to optimise your tourism business

Hayden Zammit Meaney avatar
Written by Hayden Zammit Meaney
Updated today

Booking Trends

Understanding when and how people book helps you plan staffing, inventory, and marketing. This guide shows you how to spot and use booking patterns in your tourism business.

What are booking trends?

Booking trends reveal:

  • When people book (advance time, day of week, time of year)

  • How booking volumes change over time

  • What patterns repeat seasonally

  • Why certain periods outperform others

Accessing booking data

  • Navigate to Insights Hub from the main menu

  • Select Visitor Analytics to view visitor patterns

  • Use the quarter filters to analyse different time periods

Understanding seasonal patterns

Quarterly breakdown

Use the Quarter filter to see how visitor numbers change:

  • Q1 (Jan-Mar) — often includes summer holiday peak for domestic travel

  • Q2 (Apr-Jun) — autumn shoulder season, school holidays in April

  • Q3 (Jul-Sep) — winter patterns, ski season peaks

  • Q4 (Oct-Dec) — spring recovery, Christmas holiday lead-up

Reading quarterly charts

When viewing a sub-region, the main chart shows quarterly trends:

  • Compare bar heights across quarters

  • Look for consistent patterns year over year

  • Identify your peak and off-peak periods

Visitor type trends

Different visitor types book differently:

Holiday travellers

  • Book further in advance

  • Peak during school holidays

  • More flexible on travel dates

  • Respond well to early-bird offers

Business travellers

  • Shorter booking windows

  • Concentrated mid-week

  • Less seasonal variation

  • Value convenience over price

Visiting friends and relatives (VFR)

  • Often book around special occasions

  • Peaks at Easter, Christmas, school holidays

  • Longer average stays

  • Less price-sensitive for accommodation

Transport and booking patterns

How people travel affects when they book:

Air travellers

  • Longer advance booking windows

  • Price-sensitive to timing

  • Plan around flight availability

  • Often book packages or multiple elements

Drive visitors

  • Shorter booking windows

  • More spontaneous travel

  • Weather-dependent decisions

  • Easier to capture last-minute

Coach tourists

  • Very long advance bookings (group planning)

  • Fixed itineraries

  • Predictable volumes

  • Seasonal tour programs

Using the comparison feature

To compare booking patterns:

  • Select a state and sub-region

  • Enable Comparison Mode

  • Choose to compare against:

- State overall - Another sub-region

  • Review the comparison charts and percentage differences

This helps you see if your area follows regional trends or has unique patterns.

Identifying trends in your data

What to look for

Pattern

What it means

Rising quarter-over-quarter

Growing popularity

Consistent peaks

Predictable seasonal demand

New off-peak activity

Opportunity to develop

Declining peaks

May need refreshed offerings

Stable year-round

Less seasonal dependence

Questions to ask

When analysing trends, consider:

  • Are peak periods growing or stable?

  • Is off-peak getting stronger?

  • How do we compare to similar regions?

  • What's driving changes in patterns?

Acting on booking trends

Staffing decisions

Use trends to plan your team:

  • Peak periods — ensure full staffing, consider casuals

  • Shoulder seasons — opportunity for training, maintenance

  • Off-peak — reduced hours or team holidays

Pricing strategy

Adjust prices based on demand:

  • High demand — premium pricing justified

  • Moderate demand — standard rates

  • Low demand — promotions and packages to drive volume

Marketing timing

Time your marketing to booking patterns:

  • 2-3 months before peak — capture early planners

  • 4-6 weeks before shoulder — encourage bookings

  • Last minute for off-peak — spontaneous travellers

Inventory management

Plan stock and availability:

  • Order supplies ahead of peak periods

  • Schedule maintenance during off-peak

  • Balance availability for groups vs individuals

Regional and demographic insights

Age group booking patterns

Different age groups book differently:

  • 25-44 — often plan around family schedules

  • 55+ — more flexible, can travel off-peak

  • 15-24 — shorter planning windows, price-sensitive

Origin market patterns

Where visitors come from affects timing:

  • Interstate visitors plan further ahead

  • Locals book closer to travel dates

  • International visitors need more lead time

Common booking trend questions

How far in advance do people book?

This varies by:
​

  • Visitor type (holiday vs business)

  • Season (peak periods book earlier)

  • Price point (higher prices = longer consideration)

  • Market (international = longer lead times)


​

What causes trend changes?

Trends shift due to:
​

  • New attractions or events

  • Competitor activity

  • Economic conditions

  • Transport links (new flights, roads)

  • Marketing campaigns


​

Should I focus on peak or off-peak?

Most businesses benefit from:
​

  • Maximising peak period revenue

  • Building shoulder season business

  • Developing off-peak products


This creates more stable year-round income.

Tips for trend analysis

  • Compare like with like — same quarters, similar regions

  • Look at multiple years — one year might be an anomaly

  • Consider external factors — events, weather, economic conditions

  • Act before peaks — marketing needs lead time

  • Monitor competitors — their activity affects your trends

Understanding trends helps you prepare for what's coming and capitalise on opportunities.

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