Low season travel: Why it pays to travel off-peak

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This was published 1 year ago

Low season travel: Why it pays to travel off-peak

By Lee Tulloch
Even travelling in the depths of winter or the middle of the wet season in the tropics is not necessarily something to avoid.

Even travelling in the depths of winter or the middle of the wet season in the tropics is not necessarily something to avoid.Credit: iStock

The last time I flew out of Sydney international airport the check-in hall was fairly quiet, except for a large deployment of ADF personnel going to the South Pacific and a couple of orderly lines for other flights scattered throughout the hall.

There were no lines at immigration and only about three people ahead of me going through security. When I asked a security official which was the Fast Track line, he said, "They're all fast track today."

It was a Thursday morning at a time when there were no school holidays, either in the Australian states or at my destination. But if I'd timed my departure differently and left a couple of weeks before, during holiday season, the story probably would have been quite different.

I'm lucky I don't have to build my life around school holidays as many families do. The school year severely limits opportunities for travel, reducing it to a few narrow windows when the whole world seems to be travelling too, judging by lines and delays and frazzled tempers. It can be a whole different experience when you're not travelling with the pack.

I get it that the parameters of the school year need to be rigidly applied for many reasons. But it doesn't allow for much flexibility where circumstances require it. Parents who want to take their children travelling for educational experiences during the school year often run into roadblocks getting permission, even if they plan to follow the curriculum while on the road.

Workplaces can also be quite rigid when they make staff take leave during Christmas and the January period.

And yet travelling off-peak or in low season makes so much sense from the point of view of expense and availability and it's also better for the places we visit that tourism isn't so concentrated in defined seasons. Travellers out of season are a welcome presence in many communities, which appreciate the boost to their economy at a time when there's no other source of income.

I always think of the cruise ship season and how it impacts many ports. In Alaska for instance, I wonder at all those jewellery shops that pop up in small ports in summer catering just to tourists (why on earth would they specifically be interested in tanzanite?) and then pack up and relocate to the Caribbean for the winter season, flogging their tanzanite to beach goers.

Alaska probably doesn't see too many visitors in winter, nor does the Caribbean when it's sultry and stormy. A lot of high season travel happens because it's considered to be the best time, in terms of optimum weather. But I've always preferred those shoulder times – October or May in North America and Europe – because it's easier to travel in mild weather, it's less crowded and the light is beautiful.

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Even travelling in the depths of winter or the middle of the wet season in the tropics is not necessarily something to avoid. I like the Northern Hemisphere in the cold, no matter how bitter because, firstly, you dress for it and, secondly, everyone is living their normal lives and there's plenty happening indoors to keep the locals entertained, from theatre seasons to gallery openings and winter sports, if you're a sport fan.

The tropics in wet season can be beautiful. "Wet" often means rain only at certain times of the day and there are plenty of periods of sunshine. The rain is welcome in the humidity, and you're wet anyway if you're swimming, so you can embrace and enjoy it. And the colour of leaves and flowers really pop after rain.

Travelling that's determined by weather seems a bit optimistic these days, as weather patterns are so unpredictable due to climate change that's being felt all over the world. Everywhere I've been lately there is talk of the weather being different this year. Storms, floods and wildfires are sadly going to impact our plans for a long while to come.

As for the school holiday and work conundrum for taking leave, the pandemic showed many employers that allowing staff flexibility in terms of working from home had considerable benefits for everyone. It may be that other customs, such as the Christmas and summer holiday juggernaut, could do with a bit of revision.

I'm not suggesting anyone lose their hallowed Christmas holidays but it will be better for all of us if we stopped travelling in packs.

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