Turning the Tide on Seasonality: Key Takeaways from the Tourism Seasonality Summit 2025
Seasonality has long shaped the rhythm of tourism — peak summers, quiet winters, and everything in between. But as global travel patterns evolve, tourism leaders are stepping up to ask: can we do better?
The Tourism Seasonality Summit 2025, hosted in Seville, brought together destination managers, airline professionals, tourism tech innovators, and entrepreneurs to explore exactly that. With every panel, keynote, and networking session, one message came through loud and clear: the low season is full of untapped potential.
Opening the Dialogue: A New Era for Tourism
In the opening remarks, Ged Brown (Low Season Traveller) and Steven Small (Routes) reminded us that post-pandemic recovery is a double-edged sword. Yes, arrivals are up — but so are the pressures on destinations, residents, and the environment.
The goal? Rebalancing tourism so it brings benefits throughout the year, not just during high season.
Keynote 1: The European Outlook
Adolfo Reyes from the WTTC highlighted that tourism in Europe is not only back — it’s booming. With 12% growth in foreign arrivals since the pandemic, destinations face big questions:
- How do we manage overtourism while promoting sustainable development?
- How do inflation and economic uncertainty affect when people travel?
- What’s the real potential of shoulder and low seasons?
Actionable insight: There’s a growing appetite for travel outside peak periods — and now is the time to create offers that speak to budget-conscious, experience-driven travellers.
Panel 1: Balancing Peaks — A Destination Challenge
Moderated by BBC’s Rajan Datar, this panel brought together voices from ETOA, Algarve, ETC, and Ljubljana. A startling insight: 90% of European travellers now factor “overtourism” into their trip planning.
What’s working?
- Tourism taxes that help fund local services
- Spreading visitors to lesser-known areas
- Engaging locals in tourism planning
Key message: Sustainable destination management starts with listening — to both residents and travellers.
Keynote 2: Menorca’s Data-Led Success
Emilio Ines Vilar from Datappeal shared how Menorca moved from a 3-month to a 9-month tourism model using data-driven insights. By analysing traveller trends and flight connections, they built stronger airline partnerships and adapted local services to fit off-season demand.
Lesson for small businesses: Understanding where your visitors come from and what they do in the low season helps you adapt your offer and marketing — even without a big data team.
WTACH Address: Cultural Tourism Priorities
Chris Flynn, President of the World Tourism Association for Culture & Heritage, delivered a brief but powerful video message emphasizing the importance of protecting heritage while engaging communities meaningfully in tourism development.
Panel 2: Culture, Communities, and Tourism
Led again by Rajan Datar, this panel featured voices from IC Bellagio, WTTC, and Zorbabook. They emphasized how authenticity and local stories are now a key driver for year-round travel.
Ideas for action:
- Offer community-led tours or workshops during low season
- Highlight cultural festivals and traditions
- Protect — and promote — both tangible and intangible heritage
Keynote 3: Who Will Win the Sustainability Race?
Tarek Habib (Murmuration) challenged the audience to think of sustainability not as a constraint, but as a competitive edge. Destinations and businesses that move first — and meaningfully — on green policies will win trust and loyalty.
Key takeaway: Sustainability is not optional. It’s an investment in your future guests.
Panel 3: Air Mobility and Regional Access
With speakers from Jet2, Fly4, Hermes Airports, and GPA, this panel explored the role of new aviation technologies and smarter air route planning in reducing seasonality.
- Smaller, long-range aircraft are opening up niche routes
- Data and AI help identify underused but promising markets
- Cooperation between airlines and tourism boards is key to ensuring success
This matters to businesses in secondary destinations looking to get on the tourism map.
Panel 4: Reimagining Low Season Tourism
Moderated by me, this panel showcased how destinations can make the low season not just viable, but desirable.
Top ideas:
- Market “calm-cations” and wellness escapes
- Build offers around local wildlife, seasonal food, and creative retreats
- Promote lower prices, smaller crowds, and more meaningful local connections
Stat to know: 73% of Europeans are planning travel between October 2024 and March 2025. The low season is no longer a dead zone — it’s the next frontier.
Panel 5: Climate Action and the Future of Travel
With rising temperatures and unpredictable weather, the seasons themselves are shifting. Experts from Valencia, Eco Resort Network, and The SUN Program discussed what it means to be climate-resilient in the tourism industry.
- Plan for hotter summers and milder winters
- Adapt tourism products to be flexible and localised
- Follow the EU’s green transition goals — they’ll shape funding and regulations
Keynote 4: Getting S**t Done
Claus Raasted, with humour, energy, and a Batman suit, closed the summit with a no-excuses rallying cry for action over perfection.
His advice:
- Start small. Start now.
- Use what you have.
- Don’t wait for “the perfect time” — it won’t come.
Final Thoughts: What Can You Do Now?
Whether you run a B&B, manage a cultural site, or work in destination marketing, here are five takeaways you can apply today:
- Find your low-season strength — what’s magical about your destination in winter, early spring, or autumn?
- Tell different stories — reframe off-season as “calm, authentic, better.”
- Collaborate — with other businesses, the public sector, and locals.
- Use simple data — like guest origins, weather trends, and past bookings — to guide decisions.
- Think long-term — seasonality won’t shift overnight, but every step matters.
Let’s turn the “off-season” into the best season — one bold idea at a time!
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