Kuoni encourages agents to tap into rising demand for multi-centre and shoulder-season trips

Kuoni has urged travel agents to capitalise on the growing demand for multi-centre and shoulder-season trips based on the results of its 2026 Travel Trends report.

 

Increased interest in multi-centre trips, shoulder-season travel and longer trips with ‘intentional rest’ elements, such as digital detox or wellness escapes as part of longer itineraries, have been highlighted as three key growth areas in Kuoni’s latest trends research.

 

The new report, based on Kuoni’s internal booking data captured on January 31, 2026, as well as its customer insights and global enquiry patterns, shows two and three centre bookings are up by 10% year on year. Multi-island Caribbean itineraries have grown by 50% on last year while 65% of Kuoni’s Canada bookings now feature five or more stops.

 

In terms of travel dates, June and September are now the operator’s fastest-growing months. Bookings in June are up 6% year on year while September bookings are up 12% across all destinations as sales continue to shift away from the peak summer season.

 

Head of trade partnerships Sarah Weetman said the operator now planned to increase its focus on multi-centres and shoulder-season breaks and would be encouraging agents to do the same through its communications, training and promotions.

 

As part of that the operator will produce a list of top tips for agents on its trade platform Kuoni Connect on how to sell more multi-centres, relaunch its ’Passport to Africa’ training sessions and develop a new product range with more multi-centre trips and sales opportunities for agents.

 

She said: “We will talk to trade partners about multi-centre opportunities and how agents can offer them to customers who have not thought of booking them.

 

“We want to encourage agents to show our point of difference, it’s a way for them to stand out in the market, particularly with Africa and Canada multi-centres. We are trying to show how easy it is to put these trips together.”

 

New product in the pipeline will make it easier to island hop in the Maldives and the Caribbean, she added.

 

Similarly, agents will be encouraged to promote out of season holidays, she said, noting: “We want to give agents the confidence to offer shoulder season trips and know their customers will have a great experience.”

 

The shift to increased demand outside the peak season was not new but a “really good opportunity for travel agents to get on board”, she said.

 

As part of this Kuoni plans to run eight to ten new ’Passport to Africa’ specialist training sessions nationwide this year for up to 15 agents each. It ran two last year.

 

The new sessions will include a focus on selling shoulder-season breaks. Dates and locations for this year’s sessions will be announced in April.

 

“We had real success with these last year. We have seen bookings and high engagement with agents,” said Weetman, who said the product team and call centre agents from Kuoni’s Expert Hub would attend.

 

The destination focused training comes as the report reveals Africa is among the operator’s fastest-growing destinations. While the Maldives retains the top spot, Tanzania is up ten places, coming in sixth, while South Africa is up from sixth to fifth place. Kenya is down two but remains in the top ten at number seven.

 

She added: “South Africa is fast becoming one of our top three countries that we sell. We are on track to double our South Africa sales because of the growth we have seen in peaks.”

 

The travel trends report also showed travellers were choosing upgrades to improve their holiday experience, from private guides to cultural experiences and food-led excursions.

 

A third of bookings now include a mix of four and five star hotels, with 20% upgrading to premium economy or business class flights.

 

This rises to 30% for longer-haul destinations such as Australasia and the Caribbean.

 

The operator said this represented a shift from ‘blanket luxury to smarter, more intentional indulgence’

 

Kuoni managing director Mark Duguid said: “People want holidays that feel richer, more thoughtfully designed and perfectly balanced. Multi‑centre travel is on the rise because travellers want variety — but also the reassurance that every part of their journey will work beautifully together.

 

"That’s where our travel experts make the difference. Customers really value having a real human in their corner with destination expertise and travel know-how who will be on hand to support them from the very first spark of a holiday idea to the moment they land back home.”