Rhyme + Reason: Off-Peak Imagery to Broaden Travellers’ Consideration Window
Our latest research with Rhyme + Reason suggests that featuring shoulder and off-season imagery in destination advertising can encourage travel beyond peak periods without diminishing a destination’s overall appeal. Conducted in early 2026, the two online studies surveyed more than 1,800 out-of-province Canadian travellers and compared reactions to peak-season creative with advertising that blended peak and off-peak visuals across urban, coastal and mountain destinations.
Peak season, typically summer, often impacts the expectations that a traveller may have toward a destination, where their mental image is influenced by a set of experiences that only exist within that specific timeframe. The truth is, they don’t. So, we asked:
If we show more of that calendar, do we make the destination less appealing overall? Or do we expand the timeframe when people would consider visiting?
Blended-season advertising performed on par with, and in some cases better than, peak-only creative. More importantly, it increased travellers’ willingness to consider visiting during fall and other off-peak months. For urban destinations, fall consideration increased from 38 per cent among those who saw peak-only imagery to 49 per cent among those shown blended imagery. The increase was even greater for coastal destinations, where fall consideration rose from 39 per cent to 53 per cent.
The results also show that expanding the seasonal mix does not have to come at the expense of appeal. Among respondents evaluating urban destinations, 80 per cent said the blended creative made the destination look appealing, compared with 75 per cent for peak-only creative. The proportion who said the advertising made them want to visit also increased from 60 per cent to 66 per cent. Coastal creative saw a similar gain in visit interest, rising from 74 per cent for peak-only imagery to 80 per cent for blended imagery.
Results for mountain destinations were more nuanced. Peak-only imagery performed slightly better overall, suggesting that destinations built around distinct, weather-dependent activities may benefit from clear seasonal positioning. Even so, blended imagery increased consideration during fall and winter, indicating that a broader visual approach can still help extend the travel window when applied thoughtfully.
The findings suggest that growing shoulder-season visitation may not always require creating a separate product or campaign. For many destinations, showing the core visitor experience across more of the calendar could help travellers see more times of year as viable options. The full report explores how blended imagery affected destination appeal, perceptions and travel timing across each destination type.
Rhyme + Reason is an Atlantic Canadian creative agency that blends data-driven insight with compelling storytelling. The agency develops distinctive campaigns that cut through the noise and deliver results, seen in work with clients such as Destination Cape Breton, Explore Waterloo Region and the Province of Nova Scotia.
Learn more about how Rhyme + Reason is helping destination marketers rethink seasonality and expand the travel consideration window. Visit the Rhyme + Reason website to read the full report, including detailed findings and methodology:
The study explores Canadians’ travel outlook and intentions for 2026 through 2027, with a distinct focus on how Social Values influence both their travel mindset and destination choices, both domestically and internationally.
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