The organizing of things to do on a trip has historically been a last-minute affair. Before the digitalization of travel experiences, the vast majority of ticket purchases took place within a few days of – or even on the day of – the experience.
However, this has changed dramatically over the past decade. Experiences have become more important to travelers, and more tours and attractions have become online bookable.
In 2025 three in five travelers – 60% – booked their tour and attraction tickets at least three days in advance. A smaller but not insignificant percentage (17% of tour bookers and 20% of attraction ticket bookers) purchased their tickets at least a month in advance.
This raises a key question for tour, activity and attraction operators and resellers: What drives those behaviors? Why do 60% of travelers book further in advance, while some 40% still book relatively last minute? One in five tour bookers and slightly more attraction visitors purchase their tickets on the very day of the experience.
What are the key drivers behind these behaviors, and how can operators and resellers take advantage of those dynamics?
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Assurance, Organization Drives Advance Purchase
We asked travelers why they chose to purchase their attraction tickets in advance. The chart below looks at why U.S. travelers purchased attraction tickets at least three days in advance. (We see similar patterns with European travelers and across tours and activities as well.)
There are two key drivers:
1) Organization, or a design to plan in advance. Many travelers simply like to have everything organized and planned ahead of time.
2) Assurance. Travelers want to know that they will be able to access the attraction, or take the tour, see the site, or have that experience. Especially with the rise of overtourism, there is concern about access and availability for more popular experiences.
There is also a close relationship between the relative popularity of a tour or attraction, its importance to the traveler, and how far they book in advance. Travelers who really want to see a particular attraction or have a specific experience are far more likely to plan and book ahead of time. (See also: Why Travelers Book Some Experiences Last Minute.)
Why Last Minute? Hey, It’s My Vacation!
If a desire for organization and assurance of access drives advance booking, why do so many travelers still leave things to the last minute. In short, because it’s a vacation, it’s leisure time. They want flexibility. Travelers want to relax. For many, they want to do what they want when they want, on their schedule.
What This Means for Operators
There is always going to be a mix of advance planners and last-minute bookers, and operators and resellers need the right tactics to serve both.
How to drive more advance booking, while also attracting last-minute bookers
- Guarantee Peace of Mind: Let travelers know they can book early with confidence by highlighting a flexible cancellation policy. For example: ““Secure your spot now—our flexible cancellation gives you freedom to cancel or reschedule if your plans change.”
- Reward Early Birds: Offer discounts, free upgrades, or loyalty perks for those who plan ahead. Everyone loves feeling like they got the best deal.
- Create Strategic Urgency: A live availability calendar makes it easy for last-minute bookers to see what’s left. Use scarcity messaging (“Only 3 spots left!”) to subtly encourage FOMO, and communicate potential price increases (“Prices go up in December!”).
- Make Last-Minute Easy: Fast, mobile-friendly booking with instant confirmation keeps spontaneous travelers happy and converts more bookings.
- Highlight Peak Experiences: Promote popular dates or seasonal events to encourage advance planning, while still showing alternative dates for flexibility. For example, “Book now to enjoy the summer festival—spots fill fast!”
- Suggest Alternatives: If a date is full, recommend similar experiences or nearby options—don’t lose the booking over a full calendar.
- Tailor Your Messaging: Speak directly to the mindset of both advance and last-minute bookers to increase conversions. For example, “Secure the best price and availability now” appeals to advance bookers, while “Still time to join, but spots are limited” targets last-minute bookers.
Dig Deeper into Traveler Behaviour with Arival
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