Spontaneous trips surge

Airlines, hotels and booking platforms say last-minute travel demand is rising again. Economic shifts, looser cancellation rules and the return of flexible work have combined to make spur-of-the-moment trips more attractive. Consumers report choosing short, nearby breaks and weekend escapes rather than long-planned vacations, while operators experiment with dynamic pricing to capture late buyers.

For carriers this trend is a mixed blessing. Last-minute ticket buyers often pay premium fares, helping short-term revenue. But they also complicate capacity planning and route economics. Hotels and OTAs (online travel agencies) are shifting inventory strategies toward flexible blocks and short-stay promos. Analysts say the pattern reflects wider post-pandemic habits: people prioritise experiences and adopt more fluid schedules.

The trend is reshaping sector tactics. Airlines push seamless rebooking apps and more forgiving change policies. Hotels market refundable short-stay packages and same-day deals. Cities that once needed long-lead tourism marketing now test rapid-response campaigns aimed at nearby urban catchments. For travellers, the upside is freedom and choice; for planners, the challenge is balancing yield management with unpredictable demand spikes.

If last-minute travel continues to grow, expect pricing and loyalty models to adapt. Rewards programs may add instant-book perks. Destinations could win by offering clear last-minute bundles that simplify decisions. The central fact: travel is behaving less like a calendar item and more like an on-call pleasure — and the industry is racing to catch up.