Off-season travel needs easy access, not only pretty views in busy months.
Why easy access shapes the off-season
Off-season travel needs easy access if destinations want guests after the peak. That was a central message at the Global Tourism Forum in Brussels on 9 and 10 November 2026. Speakers said a fine landscape is not a plan on its own. A place must be reachable, bookable and worth visiting in quieter months.
The purpose is to spread tourism through the year, not only through the busiest weeks. Rail officials urged easier booking and fewer national barriers. TUI’s Vincent Snauwaert said investors still ask one hard question: can guests get there? He warned that existing air routes are not guaranteed.
If this agenda works, lesser-known destinations and local hosts may gain more stable custom. Travellers may gain simpler trips outside peak weeks. Airlines and tour firms may gain if traffic rights stay open and costs stay predictable. Treasuries that rely on air taxes may lose revenue if those levies are cut. Residents of quiet towns may also lose calm if new routes fill the shoulder season too fast.
Easy access decides whether off-season trips can actually happen now
Easy access decides whether off-season trips can actually happen for people far from hubs. Oana Gherghinescu of the European Union Agency for Railways said access should feel easy, not only fast.
She called for fewer national barriers in rail booking and operations, and for gains that also help smaller places. If that work stalls, remote destinations keep losing the travellers they hope to attract.
Local experiences keep visitors longer once they finally arrive there
Local experiences keep visitors longer once the trip is already easy to book. One operator described how seasonal programmes helped stretch the season in Kirkenes, in northern Norway.
Montenegro’s tourism minister said registered rural hospitality businesses there rose from a few dozen to more than 400 in five years. Local hosts can gain from that model. They gain little if access never arrives.
Air routes can vanish if taxes and rights stay tight
Air routes can vanish, TUI’s speaker warned, if destinations take today’s flights for granted. He pointed to traffic rights and protectionism as bottlenecks, and said ministries need funded plans before they approach airlines.
Operators may gain if taxes are lighter and rights are clearer. Public goals paid for by aviation taxes may lose out if those tools are dropped without a replacement. The forum did not settle that trade-off.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What was the forum’s main travel message?
Speakers said destinations must be easy to reach and worth visiting beyond their busiest months.
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When and where was the meeting?
The Global Tourism Forum Annual Meeting 2026 was held in Brussels on 9 and 10 November.
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What did TUI’s speaker warn about?
Vincent Snauwaert said air routes are not guaranteed, and he pointed to traffic rights, protectionism and what he called punitive taxation.
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Who may gain if off-season access improves?
Lesser-known destinations, local hosts and travellers who want quieter months may gain if trips become easier to reach and book.
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Who may lose?
Places that remain hard to reach may lose custom. Public programmes funded by air taxes may also lose if those levies are cut without another plan.
Conclusion
The Brussels forum’s message was practical. Off-season travel needs easy access, plus a reason to stay. If governments and operators remove barriers, quieter destinations and local businesses can gain months of custom. Travellers can gain simpler trips when beaches and cities are less crowded. The losers may be places that stay hard to reach, and public aims funded by air taxes if those charges are simply cut. Routes will not appear from a slogan. They will appear when access, money and local offers move together. That is the practical test set in Brussels.
Bibliography / Sources
- O’Donoghue, D. (2026, November 10). Beyond peak season: How destinations can attract tourists year-round. https://traveltomorrow.com/brussels-forum-highlights-better-transport-links-and-local-experiences-to-boost-off-season-tourism/
- Global Tourism Forum. (n.d.). Annual Meeting 2026 — Brussels. https://globaltourismforum.org/events/annual-meeting-2026
- Global Tourism Forum. (2026). Agenda — Global Tourism Forum Annual Meeting 2026, Brussels. https://media.globaltourismforum.org/reports/files/34303496ff.pdf