I've said I'd never sell a trip in low season, when the weather's wrong or the destination's half-closed, the discount is a broken product with a price tag on it. But that rule has a smarter sibling most advisors miss: the difference between LOW season and SHOULDER season. One is the destination at its worst. The other is the destination at its best-kept secret.
“I would never sell a trip to Egypt during low season. I feel like it's somewhat reckless.”
Know the difference
- Low season: the experience itself is compromised, monsoon, closures, the safari with no animals. Never sell it; no price fixes a broken product.
- Shoulder season: the weeks flanking peak, weather still beautiful, everything open, crowds thinner, and hotel rates meaningfully softer. The experience is 95% of peak at a fraction of the stress.
- Every destination's shoulder is different, and knowing it IS the expertise: the October window where one of my favorite group destinations is glorious, gently priced, and blissfully uncrowded is knowledge clients can't Google confidently.
Claire's own numbers
The framework, step by step
- 1
Low season
the experience itself is compromised, monsoon, closures, the safari with no animals. Never sell it; no price fixes a broken product.
- 2
Shoulder season
the weeks flanking peak, weather still beautiful, everything open, crowds thinner, and hotel rates meaningfully softer. The experience is 95% of peak
- 3
Every destination's shoulder is different
and knowing it IS the expertise: the October window where one of my favorite group destinations is glorious, gently priced, and blissfully uncrowded i
Claire's own framework from this essay, in the order she teaches it.
Source: Claire B. Soares, from her own travel business and live trainings.
Why groups belong in the shoulder
Group trips feel crowd pressure twice, the destination's crowds plus your own group's logistics. In the shoulder, restaurants can take your twenty, guides give you their best people, and hotels negotiate because your block matters more to them. Same luxury, better access, healthier margin. Sell peak to the honeymooners who want the postcard. Take your groups where the destination has room to embrace them, and price the savings into experience, not discounts.
Common Questions
What is the difference between low season and shoulder season?
Low season means the experience itself is compromised. Shoulder season is the weeks flanking peak, where weather still works, everything is open, and rates soften.
Why are shoulder seasons good for group trips?
Restaurants can take a group of twenty, guides assign their best people, and hotels negotiate because your block matters more to them.
Should you ever discount a low-season trip?
No price fixes a broken product. Selling a destination at its worst to hit a number damages the brand more than the empty departure would.
Written By
Claire B. Soares
Claire B. Soares is the founder of Travel AI University, a 6x Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist, and a Certified AI Consultant with a B.S. in Computer Science. A top 10% enterprise sales executive, she sold $3.4B+ in enterprise software to Google, Microsoft, IBM, Boeing, the federal government, and the DoD, then built $16M+ in luxury travel sales.
About Claire
