The seven- to 13-day window recorded a 25 per cent year-on-year increase in global searches. The strongest regional gains came from LATAM, up 30 per cent, followed by NORAM and APAC, both up 25 per cent.<\/p>\n
For Australian travel advisors, the APAC figure signals that short-notice demand is no longer a fringe pattern but a growing share of how clients plan, or decline to plan, their trips.<\/p>\n
Expedia attributes much of the movement to a more flexible, less predictable environment, in which consumers respond more directly to pricing, events, and changing circumstances rather than following a single, fixed planning pattern.<\/p>\n
![\"FIFA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Untitled-design-57-copy-8.jpg.webp\" "\\"Last-minute")
FIFA World Cup \u00a9 Vishal Butolia<\/p>\n
Event-driven travel is also shaping demand. Searches to the United States and Canada for this northern summer\u2019s major football tournament rose 10 per cent year-on-year, while searches to Mexico climbed 15 per cent.<\/p>\n
Expedia frames the data as evidence of a more dynamic booking environment in 2026, with travellers reacting to specific events, regional disruption and shifting confidence levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cTravel planning is becoming more flexible, with many clients waiting longer to book and responding more directly to events, pricing and changing circumstances\u201d, said Robin Lawther<\/a>, VP of Expedia TAAP<\/a> and Business Development.<\/p>\n \u201cFor travel agents, this creates a clear opportunity to add value in the moment, especially given Expedia TAAP\u2019s strength in supporting last-minute demand\u2013 helping clients move quickly, navigate choice confidently and secure the right trip even on a shorter booking window\u201d.<\/p>\n