Goodbye to August's primacy and Instagram's posturing: the new traveler demands tranquility

Almost since tourism became popular for the common mortal, most families, either due to children's vacations or work needs, concentrated all their vacation time in the summer, particularly in August. 

Over time, that has been changing, to such an extent that currently 92.7% of travelers consider the traditional pattern of long vacations in August to be extinct or in sharp decline, according to the Ávoris Travel Insights report, titled ‘Summer 2026 through two lenses’.

The report's data paints a picture of the new tourist consumer: a more pragmatic traveler, cautious with their money, allergic to extreme heat, and, above all, deeply disenchanted with the scenery imposed by social media.

The great fragmentation: August loses its throne

While August ceases to be the undisputed totem of the vacation calendar, the culture of short getaways several times a year is emerging strongly.

35.6% of citizens explicitly cite the distribution of rest throughout the year as the most relevant structural change in their habits. 

In fact, more than half of those surveyed (56.4%) state that they prefer multiple short trips over a single prolonged trip in the midst of summer heat.

In fact, heat is becoming increasingly important when deciding when to travel: 55.9% move their trips to June or September, fleeing from extreme heat and finding better prices.

With an average family budget of €2,013 planned for the summer (where 64.6% actually manage budgets below €2,000), leaving August aside allows for savings and enjoyment of less crowded places and services. 

The fall of the Influencer effect and the rise of the heat factor

The report also reveals the drastic drop in recommendations of places by content creators. The era in which thousands of visitors flocked like a swarm to a beach, a viewpoint, or a restaurant just because a fashionable instagrammer had taken a photo, seems to be coming to an end. 

Faced with the dilemma of choosing between a very popular spot on social media or an unknown and quiet destination, 80.7% of travelers opt for the latter.

And there's more. 96.8% of those surveyed agree that social media causes saturation and goes against the authenticity and habitability of the places they promote. 

To the flight from posturing is added the rebellion of the thermometer. 83.5% of citizens admit that extreme temperatures influence the planning of their trips. 

“Sun and beach” tourism is losing attractiveness as temperatures skyrocket. Thus, domestic tourism is growing (which already borders on 37.3% of preferences, very close to 41.2% for the coast) and the active search for slow or unhurried tourism, which 45.5% prioritize to reduce stress.