December through to around March… It’s cold, it’s dark, and without the manufactured “most depressing day of the year” coming and going (January Blue Monday, thank you very much, it’s a big fat no from us), suddenly something shifts.
It’s still cold. It’s still dark at 4pm. But instead of doom-scrolling, people start doing something far more dangerous for their bank accounts: booking holidays.
Searches for “sunny getaways”, “cheap flights”, and “anywhere that isn’t here” spike every January. Because winter doesn’t just drive people indoors, it drives them toward escapism. And for travel brands, this is where CRM platform and marketing strategy really earn their boarding pass. (Pardon the pun!)
UK travel companies are gearing up for a booking frenzy in the next few months, as winter-weary Brits trade grey skies for sunshine. Package holidays are up 5%, with 200,000 extra travellers hitting “book now” compared to last year, proof that nothing cures the post-Christmas slump like a beach and a cocktail.
The question for travel brands isn’t whether people want to escape — they absolutely do (us included, please pack us in your suitcase). Our question to you, if you work in the travel industry, is – are you using your CRM to make it effortless for them to book with you?
In this article, we’ll show you how to use CRM and smarter marketing automation to convert those January daydreamers into actual bookings.
Behaviour Signals to Track in your CRM Platform
January through March isn’t the slow season; we like to call it the dreaming season. And if you know what to look for, the signals are everywhere.
The browsing behaviours you’ll see:
- Hours spent scrolling through destinations without booking
- Price comparisons across multiple sites
- Cart abandonment with “I just need to think about it”
- Newsletter signups for deals, guides, and inspiration
- Wishlists that keep growing
Intent is sky-high. Conversions just aren’t instant yet.
Behaviours Explained:
People aren’t hesitating because they don’t want to book, they’re hesitating because they’re not ready… yet. Right now, they’re dreaming. Scrolling destinations, reading reviews, building wishlists.
WeDoCRMs Recommends: This is where your customers want to feel that spark of excitement, so it’s time to build that hype up to make them commit their money and time.
At the same time, they’re hunting for deals. Post-Christmas budgets are tight, but the desire to escape is very real.
WeDoCRM Recommends: Flash sales and early bird discounts work! For example, “Book now, pay later” schemes are always a winner because they remove the financial friction, especially after Christmas.
What you shouldn’t forget is that your customers are planning around life, not just holidays. School term dates. Freshly renewed annual leave. A best friend’s wedding in June. A milestone birthday in August. They’re not booking one holiday; they’re mentally mapping out their entire year of getaways.
The CRM and Marketing Opportunity:
If your CRM and marketing are set up to spot this behaviour and guide people from browsing to booking, you win. If not, those potential bookings will disappear and go straight to the competitor’s pipeline.
What you should see in your CRM platform to make data-driven decisions
| Customer Behaviour | What It Means |
| Repeated destination searches | Strong intent, needs reassurance |
| Price alerts set | Budget-sensitive but committed |
| Long session times | Research mode, not browsing |
| Multiple return visits | Decision-making in progress |
| Abandoned bookings | Timing or confidence issue |
This is the moment where generic marketing fails — and personalised CRM wins. When you see these data signals, you can stop guessing. You know what each person needs, whether that be a nudge, reassurance, or just time. That’s when your CRM can be super helpful!
1. Meet Customers While They Are Browsing
Not everyone is ready to book, but we can all dream. What we have seen over the years is that the best travel brands don’t push. They stay present while customers are still fantasising. (If you are going to get them to convert eventually, you’ve got to poke them, but in a nice way.)
What WeDoCRM Recommends: Use browsing behaviour to send inspiration, not sales pressure. Show them content about places they’ve looked at. Remind them gently. Let them fall in love with the destination first; the booking usually follows naturally. Your CRM / ESP platform’s job is to recognise that stage and respond.
What this looks like in practice:
- Send destination inspiration emails based on their browsing history
- Share “best time to visit” content for locations they’ve viewed
- Drop soft reminders like “Still dreaming of Greece?” that feel personal, not pushy
2. Remove the Uncertainty With Price Alerts or Half-Price Deals
Travel decisions are emotional and financial. When people feel unsure about timing or pricing, they don’t book, and that’s okay; they just aren’t ready yet. However, your CRM platform is meant to remove that friction. (If you think your platform isn’t set up correctly, we can help you with this here –
What WeDoCRM Recommends: Price alerts. Clear explanations. Alternative suggestions when their first choice is expensive. If you give people confidence… they’ll commit. Set gentle reminders if they return but don’t convert, keeping your brand top of mind without pushing prices or deadlines.
What this looks like in practice:
- Trigger price drop alerts for routes or hotels they’ve viewed
- Explain price fluctuations clearly (transparency builds trust)
- Suggest alternative dates or nearby destinations if their first choice is expensive
3. Abandoned Cart Nudges
In travel, cart abandonment usually means “I need to think about it,” not “I’ve changed my mind.” How you follow up makes all the difference.
What WeDoCRM Recommends: We believe that reassurance beats urgency. Flexibility, social proof, and gentle reminders work so much better than countdown timers screaming “LAST CHANCE.”
What this looks like in practice:
- Reassure them about flexible cancellation policies
- Add social proof such as reviews, ratings, and testimonials from real travellers
- Send gentle nudges, not panic-inducing countdown timers
Give them space, but don’t let them forget why they were excited in the first place. Like we said above about poking your customers… but in a nice way – slowly, slowly catchy monkey!
4. Look at Your Data and Personalise!
If someone’s browsing family holidays, sending them solo backpacking deals isn’t just unhelpful, it’s a fast way to get ignored; it’s practically spam. The good news here is that your CRM (if set up correctly) already knows what your customers care about. Family trips, solo adventures, romantic escapes… It’s all there in the data. The key is actually using it.
Why it matters: This is where your CRM stops being a mailing list and starts acting like a great travel agent, the kind that remembers what you’re looking for and suggests things you’ll genuinely love.
WeDoCRM’s Segmentation tips:
- Someone browsing family holidays: Send school-holiday dates, kid-friendly activities, family reviews
- Someone browsing solo travel: Send flexible dates, unique experiences, group or community tours
- Someone browsing a couple’s getaways: Send romantic settings, upgrades, slower-paced escapes
When your messaging matches intent, customers feel understood — and bookings follow naturally.
The Opportunity for Travel Brands
Blue Monday might be over, but winter isn’t. And neither is the urge to get away.
For travel brands, this season isn’t about filling seats tomorrow — it’s about building relationships today that turn into bookings later.
People want to book holidays right now. The intent is there. The dreaming is happening. The problem is that most travel brands are still running 2015 marketing plans, such as batch-and-blast emails, zero personalisation, and no automation. (If this is you, insert lots of crying faces here, but don’t worry, we can help!)
You need to treat your CRM platform as a strategic asset. With AI now on the scene, there is so much more you can do to get conversions. Segmentation will be your best friend, and as long as you are looking at your data, this can be used to then create nurture journeys that meet your customers at every stage. This, alongside dynamic content and emails that feel personal, not generic, will see a huge difference.
Winter might be grim, but the holiday booking season? That’s where the opportunity is—if your CRM is actually set up to capture it.
How WeDoCRM Can Help You
Not sure if your travel CRM is doing what it should be? We work with travel brands to audit their systems, build smarter customer journeys, and turn winter browsers into confirmed bookings. Let’s talk about what’s possible for your brand.
Want more insights? Check out:
Travel Peaks: How To Gain a CRM Advantage – To help with Travel Peaks in CRM
Case Study: FlyNowPayLater – read about how we helped a client in the travel industry achieve their crm goals
Holiday CRM Insights for Personalised Marketing
