The report reveals how destinations can tackle seasonality to meet sustainability objectives, using proactive suggestions from the company’s Destination Gateway platform.
Travel intelligence specialist ForwardKeys has published a groundbreaking report, "Tackling Seasonality to Create a More Sustainable Tourism Model", offering data-driven strategies for destinations to combat the negative impacts of unbalanced tourism and drive responsible and sustainable growth.
The report marks ForwardKeys' first foray into prescriptive analytics, providing its users with actionable recommendations based on real-time and predictive data analysis.
How climate change is reshaping European tourism patterns
Among other insights, the report highlights how climate change is influencing booking behaviour, with Northern European destinations experiencing stronger peak summer growth in 2024 compared to their southern counterparts. Conversely, Southern European destinations have seen increased visitor numbers during shoulder seasons. ForwardKeys’ analysis shows how this shift presents opportunities for both regions to smooth out seasonal spikes and extend tourism seasons, fostering more balanced and sustainable growth.
Data-driven strategies to combat unbalanced tourism
At the destination level, the report highlights the power of granular, geolocalised data to manage existing tourism peaks. By understanding where and when visitor concentrations occur and the specific nationalities involved, destinations can implement targeted interventions. Using the example of Valencia, Spain, the report examines how destinations can leverage prescriptive insights into visitor behaviour in different districts to promote responsible enjoyment of nightlife areas and encourage exploration of alternative attractions — easing overcrowding and strain on local infrastructure in the peak season.
”Understanding visitor profiles and movements in granular detail, including nationality and time of day, is critical to major tourist hubs. By highlighting opportunities for visitor dispersion and identifying the nationalities most likely to be receptive to these offerings, our insights inform more effective promotional and outreach strategies.
Luis MillanHead of Market Intelligence & Consulting, ForwardKeys
Democratising access to prescriptive travel data insights
The insights presented in the report are generated using ForwardKeys' popular Destination Gateway platform, which has recently been enhanced with powerful new features. Users can now assess the environmental impact of inbound flights with CO₂ emissions data, understand visitor behaviour with heatmaps showing visitor concentrations and activity preferences, and manage growth with proactive recommendations for low and shoulder season opportunities — without the need for advanced data and analytical skills.
”ForwardKeys is evolving into the new currency of data for the tourism industry. With our enhanced geolocation capabilities, destinations not only have access to air traffic data but also a comprehensive understanding of visitor dispersion in-destination, enabling more effective management of tourist flows and the development of targeted strategies for sustainable growth.
Jon EshuijsDestination Segment Lead, ForwardKeys
