Countdown to Peaks: Essential Travel Peaks Campaign Planning Guide

The travel industry’s busiest sales period is almost here, and strong travel peaks campaign planning is what separates confident travel homeworkers from those who spend January scrambling to keep up. Peaks isn’t just a “busy month” — it’s the period that often shapes your entire year. And whether you’re brand new to travel homeworking or you’ve been consulting for a long time, your marketing strategy in the next few weeks could be the difference between modest sales and your biggest January yet.

Peaks has changed dramatically over the past few years. The market is faster, customers are more distracted, and social media algorithms are less forgiving. But the good news? Independent travel consultants who prepare now — strategically, calmly, and with purpose — consistently outperform big brands trying to shout their way through the noise. When your marketing is intentional, your enquiry levels rise, your conversion becomes easier, and your clients feel clearly guided rather than overwhelmed.

This guide breaks down everything you need to do before 26 December arrives, helping you enter Peaks with clarity, confidence, and a marketing plan strong enough to power you through the first quarter (and beyond). Whether you’ve been dreaming of joining The Independent Travel Consultants or you’re already part of our network and ramping up for action, this step-by-step approach is built to help you win.

Why Peaks Still Matters — And Why It’s Changing

Peaks remains the biggest conversion window in travel because customers have two powerful forces working in your favour: emotional urgency and financial motivation. People want something to look forward to, and the post-Christmas mindset pushes them toward action. Meanwhile, suppliers flood the market with value-driven packages, early-booking offers, and incentives specifically crafted to stimulate demand.

However, the landscape has shifted — dramatically.

People aren’t just searching “summer holidays” anymore. They’re hunting for reassurance, clarity, personalisation, and someone who can translate an overwhelming amount of information into the right holiday for their lifestyle. This is where a proactive travel homeworker becomes indispensable.

Customers no longer book with whoever shouts the loudest. They book with whoever feels the most human, relatable, trusted, and present.

Your marketing needs to reflect that — and Peaks is your perfect opportunity.

What Customers Want During Peaks 2025

Through The Independent Travel Consultants network, we’re already seeing five clear behavioural trends emerging:

1. They want early reassurance

Customers want to know:

Is my money protected?
Is my holiday changeable?
Are flights secure?
What happens if something goes wrong?

This is where your role as a fully supported travel homeworker shines. Your messaging must make protections, aftercare, and trust part of the sales story.

2. They want clarity over chaos

With social media algorithms creating content overload, simplicity wins. Your marketing should guide rather than overwhelm — clean messages, clear recommendations, and expert interpretation.

3. They want value, not cheap deals

Value messaging is essential this year:

Upgrades
Flexible terms
Added benefits
Bonus experiences
Tailor-made options

People are willing to spend — but they want to see the value clearly.

4. They want personal relevance

Generic “book your summer holiday now” posts fail. Personal, focused messaging wins — families, couples, solo travellers, honeymooners, adventure lovers, cruise fans, and luxury clients all respond differently. Segmenting your content ahead of Peaks will increase conversion dramatically.

5. They want fast responses

Peaks is a momentum season. If your marketing is strong and your reply times are sharp, enquiries will flow. If responses slow down… they flow straight to someone else.

All of this matters when crafting your travel peaks campaign planning.

The Marketing Checklist Every Travel Homeworker Needs Before Peaks

If you do nothing else, complete this list before the window opens.

1. Refresh All Your Sales Channels

Before Peaks hits, clients will check your:

Facebook business page
Instagram
TikTok
Personal profile (if you allow business content)
Website bio
Google Business Profile
WhatsApp Business profile
Email signature

Everything must show:

You are active
You are credible
You are ready for Peaks

Out-of-date pages cost conversions.

2. Create Your Peaks Value Proposition

Your “Peaks message” should answer:

Why book with YOU instead of searching online?
What makes your travel homeworking services unique?
Why is January the best time to book?
What benefits do clients get when booking with an Independent Travel Consultant?

Examples:

“Expert guidance that saves you hours of searching”
“100% financial protection with PTS”
“No call centres — personalised support from start to finish”
“We source the offers you won’t find on Google”

This value proposition should appear across all your marketing platforms.

3. Build Your Peaks Social Content Calendar

The consultants who smash Peaks don’t wake up on 27 December writing posts.

They plan now.
Schedule now.
Automate now.

Your Peaks content should include:

Early teaser posts
Offer-based posts
Video content
Destination education
Myth-busting
Carousel “quick guides”
Customer testimonials
Behind-the-scenes clips
Urgency reminders
‘Why book early?’ messages

A strong mix nurtures cold audiences and converts warm ones.

4. Prepare Your Enquiry Templates

Speed matters. You should have ready-to-send templates for:

Family enquiries
Couples enquiries
Cruise enquiries
Long-haul trips
Short breaks
Honeymoons
Solo travellers

This reduces your admin time dramatically.

5. Update Your Lead Tracking System

Whether you use a spreadsheet or, soon, our ITC CRM, you must track:

Where enquiries came from
What stage they reached
What you quoted
Whether they converted

Peaks marketing isn’t just about posting. It’s about managing demand.

6. Build Your “Warm Audience” List

Right now — before Peaks — begin:

Messaging past clients
Sharing your “what’s coming in January” teaser
Posting educational content
Growing email signups
Creating story polls
Running pre-Peaks engagement content

You’re warming them before the flood of supplier advertising hits.

The Marketing Strategy That Will Win Peaks for Travel Homeworkers

Stage 1: Pre-Peaks Warm-Up (right now)

Goal: Build anticipation + warm your audience.

Focus content:

“What’s coming for January” posts
Early-booking benefits
Planning tips
Travel hacks
Holiday trends for 2025
Behind-the-scenes of your homeworking life

This phase increases trust.

Stage 2: The Boxing Day Switch-On (26 Dec–3 Jan)

This is where enquiries explode.

Your content must:

Be high frequency (daily or twice daily)
Use strong calls to action
Highlight real offers
Be visually polished
Deliver fast value

Your messages should be clear, bold, and full of intent.

Stage 3: Momentum Management (4–31 Jan)

By now, you’ll be juggling:

New enquiries
Existing warm leads
Offers expiring
Clients wanting calls
Limited availability from suppliers

Your marketing must shift to:

Daily urgency messaging
Social proof
Quick “book it before it’s gone” reminders
Testimonials from January wins

Momentum breeds momentum.

Jamie Says:

“Peaks has always been the moment when great travel consultants rise. But it’s no longer about who shouts the loudest — it’s about who shows up the most consistently, the most authentically, and with the clearest value. Planning for Peaks isn’t just an admin job; it’s the foundation of your entire year. Whether you’ve been doing this for years or you’re brand new to travel homeworking, a well-prepared strategy puts you miles ahead of competitors who wait until the last minute.”

The Biggest Mistakes Consultants Make During Peaks

1. Posting only offers

Offers provide urgency, but without:

Education
Personal branding
Destination stories
Client reassurance

…your posts feel exactly the same as every travel agency on the internet.

2. Only relying on supplier marketing

Supplier assets are useful, but clients buy from YOU. Your story, your face, your knowledge — that’s what converts.

3. Responding slowly

Peaks is fast. A two-hour delay can lose the booking.

4. Neglecting your warm audience

Your existing clients are 6x more likely to convert than new ones.

5. Thinking newcomers can’t compete

This is one of the biggest myths in travel.

And it’s simply not true.

A Counter-Argument: Why New Homeworkers Can Succeed in Peaks (Often Faster Than Veterans)

Peaks isn’t about how many years you’ve worked in travel.

It’s about:

your personality
your consistency
your response times
your marketing activity
your confidence
your customer care

New consultants inside The Independent Travel Consultants network frequently outperform experienced agents because they’re:

more active on social media
more visible
more willing to show personality
more responsive
more consistent with content

Clients value energy, enthusiasm, and service — not job titles.

If you’re new, you’re not behind.

You’re building from day one with systems, support, and marketing strategies that many long-term agents don’t have.

Your Peaks Blueprint: The Weekly Countdown Plan

You now know what works. Here’s your simple, actionable schedule.

4 weeks before Peaks

Refresh your brand assets
Update all profiles
Build your content calendar
Record video content in batches
Create enquiry templates
Prepare your email sequences
Start warming your audience

3 weeks before Peaks

Begin posting teaser content
Share travel trends
Post educational carousels
Grow your mailing list
Contact past clients

2 weeks before Peaks

Increase frequency
Share early-booking benefits
Talk about protections
Add urgency language

1 week before Peaks

Schedule Boxing Day content
Prepare limited-time offers
Draft scripts for quick response messages

Boxing Day Launch

Begin daily posting
Share real client wins
Highlight availability
Push your strongest offers

January Momentum

Keep posting
Reply instantly
Prioritise warm leads
Share success stories
Maintain consistency

If You’re Not Part of The Independent Travel Consultants Yet

Peaks is the perfect time to join the travel homeworking industry.

Why?

Because:

demand skyrockets
training is accelerated
you learn by doing
you see instant results
you gain early momentum for the year ahead

You’ll be fully supported with:

supplier access
ATOL protection through PTS
marketing guidance
structured training
ongoing mentoring
community support
tools to manage enquiries
branding assets
a network of consultants
an inclusive team that treats you as an equal

If you’ve dreamed of starting your own travel business, Peaks is when your success can snowball.

And yes — you can absolutely start now and still be ready.

Ready to Make This Your Most Successful Peaks?

You don’t need to shout louder.

You need to plan smarter.

Whether you’re already part of The Independent Travel Consultants or considering joining our network, a strategic approach to travel peaks campaign planning will transform the enquiries you receive in January.

Start now.
Plan clearly.
Show up consistently.
Build relationships.

And let Peaks become your biggest growth opportunity of the year.