Some 3.27 million Belgians are still planning to travel before the end of 2026, but had not yet booked their trip when surveyed in August, TravMagazine reports. While the figure represents a sizeable pool of potential late bookings, it is also significantly lower than in previous years. But… where to go?
The latest Travel Intentions Barometer from the Association of Belgian Travel Organisers (ABTO) and NielsenIQ found that the number of Belgian travellers with unbooked plans has fallen by around 230,000, or 6.6%, compared with August 2025. The decline is even more pronounced compared with 2024, when 4.6 million potential travellers had yet to book.
The current figure is the lowest recorded since 2022. The survey covers both organised holidays and trips arranged independently by travellers.
The remaining demand could nevertheless provide a significant boost to the travel industry during the autumn and early winter months. For travellers who have not yet made up their minds, the shoulder season offers a wide range of options, from relatively close European destinations to long-haul escapes.
Smaller budgets and fewer last-minute bookings
Belgian travellers appear to be approaching their remaining travel plans more cautiously. The maximum intended travel budget has fallen to €927 per person, €128 or 12% less than a year ago.
The appetite for very late bookings has also declined. The proportion of travellers intending to book within 30 days of departure has fallen from 53% to 44%.
That does not necessarily mean that these travellers will stay at home. Rather, it may point towards more careful destination and price comparisons, particularly as travellers can take advantage of the wide range of options available outside the traditional summer peak.
Europe remains dominant, but long-haul is gaining ground
Europe remains by far the most popular destination for Belgium residents with outstanding travel plans, accounting for 74% of intended trips. Its share has nevertheless fallen by four percentage points compared with last year.
At the same time, long-haul destinations are becoming more attractive. Asia now accounts for 7% of travel intentions, up one percentage point, while Africa has risen from 3% to 4%. North America, Central America, and South America have doubled their share from 1% to 2%.
Together, Asia, Africa, and the Americas account for around 13% of intended trips, compared with 10% in 2025.
The trend is particularly interesting for autumn travel, when the choice of destination can make a substantial difference to the experience. While northern Europe is moving into its cooler and wetter season, Southern Europe and destinations further afield can still offer sunshine and warm temperatures.
Autumn opens up new European options
For travellers staying within Europe, September, October and November offer a different type of holiday from the traditional summer break.
Southern Spain is one of the most obvious choices. Andalusia combines relatively warm autumn weather with cities such as Seville, Córdoba and Málaga, as well as historic towns, food and wine regions and Mediterranean coastline. The reduction in summer heat can also make sightseeing considerably more comfortable.
Italy is another strong autumn option. Sicily offers archaeology, historic cities, food and countryside, while regions such as Umbria are particularly appealing during the autumn harvest and truffle season. Burgundy in France and Portugal‘s Alentejo and Douro regions similarly combine food, wine and scenery with the atmosphere of the harvest season.
Further east, Slovenia offers a combination of Ljubljana, Lake Bled and the Julian Alps, with forests providing spectacular autumn colours. Latvia can offer a similar experience, combining Riga with the forests and castles of Gauja National Park.
For travellers looking primarily for warmth, Cyprus, Malta and the Canary Islands are among the more reliable European choices later in the autumn. Madeira is another option, particularly for those more interested in walking, scenery and nature than in a traditional beach holiday.
The autumn alternative to the summer holiday
The shoulder season also changes what a holiday can be. Instead of concentrating on beaches and peak-season attractions, travellers can combine city breaks, nature, food and cultural activities with more moderate temperatures and, in many cases, fewer visitors.
This makes destinations such as Sicily, Andalusia, Malta, Madeira and southern Portugal particularly well suited to travellers who have flexibility over when they travel.
For Belgian travellers, the autumn can therefore offer a kind of third option between a traditional summer holiday and a short city break: a longer cultural or scenic trip in a warmer part of Europe, without the crowds and prices of July and August.
Long-haul becomes more attractive
The growing share of long-haul intentions is another notable feature of this year’s survey.
Japan, and South Korea, for example, are particularly attractive in October and November, when autumn colours add another dimension to trips combining major cities, cultural attractions and nature. Morocco offers a closer alternative for travellers looking for warmer weather, historic cities and landscapes.
Further afield, November marks an increasingly attractive period for destinations such as Thailand, and parts of Vietnam, as conditions become more favourable following the wetter summer months.
For travellers prepared to fly farther, autumn therefore provides an opportunity to exchange Europe’s shortening days for a very different climate and travel experience.
More independent and digital travel
The biggest change identified by ABTO and NielsenIQ, however, concerns how Belgians intend to organise their trips.
Among travellers with unbooked plans, 76% now intend to arrange their holiday themselves, compared with 62% last year. At the same time, the proportion planning to purchase a flight-inclusive package has fallen from 20% to 14%.
Other package holidays have also declined, from 5% to just 2%.
The shift towards independent travel is mirrored by an even stronger move towards digital booking. As many as 81% of prospective travellers expect to book their trip through a digital channel, compared with 66% in 2025.
The figures suggest that the remaining autumn travel market is increasingly being shaped by travellers who search, compare and book for themselves rather than relying on traditional package holidays.
A smaller but changing market
The 3.27 million Belgians who still intend to travel this year therefore represent a smaller market than in recent years, but one that is changing in important ways.
They have lower intended budgets and are less inclined to make very last-minute bookings, while showing greater interest in independent travel, digital booking and destinations outside Europe.
For the travel industry, the challenge may consequently be less about persuading Belgians to travel and more about capturing this changing demand. The autumn shoulder season offers plenty of opportunities, from warm Mediterranean Sea destinations and European food and culture to colourful northern landscapes and increasingly popular long-haul journeys.
