00:00Looking for a cheaper holiday with fewer crowds and better weather?
00:04Then it might be time to book your dream getaway during what's known as shoulder season.
00:11Shoulder season is the sweet spot between a destination's peak and off-peak seasons,
00:17typically falling in spring and autumn.
00:20Goes beyond just better value for money, but it's less overcrowded,
00:25which means you have much more authentic experiences.
00:28Travel operator Intrepid found Aussies are ditching the traditional Euro summer
00:33and instead opting for a Euro autumn.
00:37For the last seven or eight years, we've seen this trend of more people
00:40wanting to travel over the shoulder season.
00:43In 2025, it was the first year ever at Intrepid where October was our busiest month in Europe,
00:50as an example.
00:51So it was busier than July, which was traditionally our busiest month.
00:55The shift is also being driven by holidaymakers trying to avoid extreme weather.
01:01The recent European heatwave killed almost two and a half thousand people in 12 cities.
01:07France has already seen nearly 10,000 wildfires this summer.
01:11Europe's being gripped by a heatwave with temperatures in some countries in excess of 40 degrees Celsius.
01:17If you start travelling to particularly some of those southern destinations in Europe
01:22over the peak season, it can get pretty hot and pretty unbearable.
01:26So I think potentially climate change is also something people are getting recognised in
01:31and not wanting to travel over those periods when it's too hot,
01:34which is generally peak travel times.
01:37And it's not just better weather or cheaper fares.
01:40Travelling during the shoulder season can also help ease the pressure of over-tourism.
01:46The money doesn't really flow through to local communities over that key period.
01:51A lot of locals are forced out of their homes.
01:55It gets very expensive over that period.
01:57I think we've all got a responsibility to really try to understand this complex issue a bit more
02:03and look at ways to travel more responsibly.
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