SETT Study on the Topic of Short-Term Travel Bookings

Last-Minute is the New Normal – Why Travel Agencies Can Profit Now

Booking habits are changing at lightning speed:

More and more customers are booking their trips at the very last minute – often just a few days before departure, sometimes even on the same day of arrival. For some, this means flexibility. For others, it creates stress and uncertainty.

For travel agencies, however, this shift opens up a major opportunity to reposition themselves.

The Trend: Bookings Are Becoming Shorter and Shorter

• Europe: Around 15–27% of all hotel bookings are now made within 7 days before arrival (D-EDGE, Net Affinity 2025).

• USA: In June 2025, about 40% of bookings were completed less than 7 days before departure (Skift, 2025).

• Same-day bookings are a reality: Roughly 6% of bookings happen on the actual day of arrival (HospitalityNet, 2025).

• Most affected segments: Business trips, trade fairs, city breaks, and short getaways.

Conclusion: Spontaneity is increasingly shaping travel behavior – in both leisure and business segments.

The Challenges for Travelers

Booking last minute comes with its risks and stresses:

• Uncertainty: “Will I really get my room?”

• Availability: Popular cities or trade fair destinations are often fully booked.

• Prices: Contrary to the “last-minute bargain” myth, prices often rise closer to departure.

• Effort: Customers need to book, pay, and prepare their trip in a very short time.

The Big Opportunity for Travel Agencies

This is where travel agencies can shine as trusted partners:

• Providing security: “We’ll take care of your hotel – right up to the last minute.”

• Reducing stress: Agencies handle the processing, communication, and confirmation.

• Demonstrating expertise: Customers know, “With my travel agency, I’m safe – even when booking at the very last moment.”

  
  

How Travel Agencies Can Prepare

To benefit from this trend, agencies need to:

• Be flexible: Ensure bookings are possible even on the day of arrival.

• Use digital tools: Platforms like SETTHub provide real-time access to millions of hotels worldwide.

• Communicate clearly: Actively inform customers that the travel agency is the safer choice for last-minute bookings.

How S-E-T-T Supports Agencies

We’ve positioned ourselves specifically for this trend:

• Product selection: Hotels in SETTHub can be booked up to the day of arrival.

• Last-Minute Support Team: If a last-minute booking isn’t instantly confirmed (“pending”), our dedicated team steps in immediately – securing another room category or switching to a hotel with instant confirmation.

• AI-driven Rate Intelligence: Our mapping function shows at a glance which hotels are available – with real-time price comparisons.

• Training: We train agencies to handle last-minute bookings with confidence.

Last-Minute Means Spontaneous, Not Cheap

Many still associate “last-minute” with leftover inventory or cancellation deals. Reality looks different:

• Business trips, trade fairs, events: When the city is full, prices go up – not down.

• Leisure travel: Customers decide spontaneously: “Rome or Madrid? Doesn’t matter – let’s go now!”

• New travel types: Short flights and weekend trips are booming, often triggered by attractive airfare offers.

Conclusion: Now Is the Time for Travel Agencies

The last-minute trend will only continue to grow. For agencies, this means:

• More advisory needs = more opportunities for positioning

• More customer security = stronger trust

• More tools in use = more professionalism

With SETTHub and our Last-Minute Support Team, our partners are perfectly positioned not to be overwhelmed by the trend – but to turn it into a real advantage.

👉 Recommendation to our partners:

Use this trend in your customer communication. Highlight the ability to book securely through you up until the last minute. This not only strengthens your profile but also builds long-term loyalty.

📌 Useful Links for Travel Agencies

1️⃣ Register for SETTHub 👉 Signup-Link

2️⃣ Go directly to SETTHub Login👉 Login-Link

3️⃣ Contact & Support👉 s-e-t-t.com/contact