The key facts
- ATOR: last-minute tours have become rare on mass-market international destinations
- Tour operators buy only as many seats as they can realistically sell
- Isolated discount offers disappear quickly; the way to save is early booking
Cheap package deals shortly before departure have become noticeably scarcer
Last-minute tours have practically disappeared from mass-market international destinations, experts of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) told the online publication «Podmoskovye Segodnya». According to their explanation, companies have stopped buying up excess capacity, which previously had to be sold off at deep discounts right before departure — that is exactly how the familiar «last-minute» offers used to be formed.
What has changed compared with the pre-crisis period
ATOR specialists noted that compared with the period before 2019, the volumes of air transportation and the approach to hotel bookings have changed: tour operators have become more cautious in assessing demand and try to purchase only as many seats as they can realistically sell. An editorial consequence of this approach is the disappearance of mass sell-offs of remaining inventory in the last days before departure.
What this means for those planning a vacation
Isolated offers with significant discounts still appear, but they quickly disappear from sale. According to the experts, waiting for a cheap package until the last moment risks a loss of choice: by the time of purchase, a suitable hotel, the right room category or a convenient flight may already be gone. ATOR named early booking as the optimal way to both save money and get the desired hotel and room.
A travel agent's advice on travel dates
Earlier, a travel agent advised choosing international travel for savings after January 6–7, preferably spanning working days: in her assessment, after the holiday peak, airfare and hotels become noticeably cheaper. The material is based on a report by a single publication and comments from ATOR; no independent confirmations or statistics on sales volumes are provided in the sources.
