Spontaneity has always been at the heart of a good travel adventure. Dropping everything to take flight without having any clear plans in place is a romantic notion.
The reality, of course, is very different. Although there will always be opportunities for booking spur-of-the-moment holidays, the era of last-minute bargains is fading away.
A combination of increasing demand, busy schedules, and a growing interest in boutique, one-of-a-kind experiences means it’s much better to plan further ahead.
Here are a few reasons why you should be booking a 2027 holiday now…
The luxury of choice
Leave holiday planning on the backburner and you might be lucky but there’s a high risk of not getting exactly what you want.
Post-pandemic there was a trend for postponing plans – largely due to a prevailing sense of uncertainty shrouding the world at that time. Today, the opposite is true; make plans too late and you certainly won’t get the best options available.
[Image: Diskit Gustor Festival in Ladakh]
Securing the best accommodation
Backpackers might be happy finding shelter at any hostel in town. If you have your heart set on a specific property – whether it’s a boutique hotel or a family-size villa – then there’s an urgency to act fast as prime spots are snapped up quickly.
At Yellowwood, we avoid mass market chains to work with a hand-picked selection of lodges, campsites and family-owned properties such as Thawale Camp in Malawi’s Majeti Wildlife Reserve and Gorilla Conservation Camp in Uganda. Space is limited and rooms book up quickly.
[Image: Moon's Camp in Kenya]
Flight, train and seat availability
Whether you’re dreaming about a trip to Europe or hoping to explore a more remote area of the world, booking far ahead allows you to lock in ideal departure times, preferred local airports, and the best seats. Airlines are releasing their schedules much earlier and prices are likely to rise – rather than fall - the closer the dates get.
While we don’t sell international flights, we strongly recommend travellers book tours ahead of time to guarantee the perfect flight matches and minimise unnecessary long and costly journeys.
[Image: Mount Fitzroy in Patagonia]
Making milestone memories
Multi-generational travel is becoming more popular. But trying to find dates to align with different schedules is never easy – especially if the trip has been arranged to celebrate a special birthday or occasion. Given the amount of work involved in juggling diaries, securing seats together on flights and finding a holiday that works for everyone involved, it’s advisable to start discussions even 18 months in advance.
[Image: Festival of Corpus Christi in the Canary Islands]
Being one of the lucky few
By actively seeking the path less travelled, we instinctively take our travellers to lesser-known destinations and give them access to experiences where numbers are limited. Often, only a finite number of spaces are available and there’s high demand.
A good example is the World Nomad Games. We have been selling holidays to the “Olympics of Central Asia” for many years and are currently the leading operator to the region. Places for the event – which happens every two years in locations across the region – consistently sell out fast. We are already seeing interest in 2028 even though a location is yet to be announced.
Festivals – such as Bhutan’s Thimphu Tshechu and Naadam in Mongolia – also have fixed date departures. These only happen once per year and may trips operate as escorted tours with set departures. Even though tailor-made trips offer greater flexibility, certain dates cannot be compromised.
[Image: Paro Festival in Bhutan]
[Image: Autumn in Japan]
