Some services aren’t seasonal and are required year-round. But those services also see peak demand during certain seasons, and being prepared beforehand helps you sail through the season with confidence and achieve better business growth.
Australia’s tourism sector typically sees increased activity during the Christmas and summer holiday period. In the December quarter of 2025, tourism employment rose 2.9% from the previous quarter, reflecting the seasonal uplift in activity.
As the hospitality industry gears up for the peak holiday season, finance and accounting functions become increasingly critical. Higher guest volumes drive increased purchasing, more supplier transactions, and stronger revenue inflows. As a result, processes such as Accounts Payable (AP), Accounts Receivable (AR), revenue reconciliation, Night Audit and financial reporting play a vital role in managing cash flow, tracking receivables, ensuring accurate financial records, and monitoring business profitability throughout the busy season.
So, how does a hospitality business plan before demand sets in? How does a finance team manage the workload without necessarily increasing the headcount?
Here, we’ve covered 5 important things a hospitality business should get right before the holiday rush begins, and how the right support helps keep things running smoothly.
- Get your books up to date
During the holiday season, the transaction volume is expected to increase. Keeping your books up to date helps hotels maintain financial visibility and plan for the months ahead.
To keep your books up to date, clear pending entries, update financial records such as booking payments, reconcile accounts, review outstanding invoices, and resolve any discrepancies.
- Check for discrepancies
Payment mismatches, revenue discrepancies, duplicate or missing entries, errors in supplier invoices, and account balances that don’t match the records can go unnoticed in the holiday rush.
Payment mismatches, revenue discrepancies, duplicate or missing entries, errors in supplier invoices, and account balances that don’t match the records can go unnoticed in the holiday rush.
- Keep track of cash flow
While peak season brings more income to hotels, it also increases spending on staff, supplies, utilities, and other operating expenses.
Planning ahead for upcoming expenses, monitoring incoming payments, planning supplier payments, tracking spending, and maintaining a cash buffer helps hotels meet obligations, manage seasonal expenses, and avoid cash shortages during busy periods.
- Review your financial position
A healthy business starts with healthy finances. A clearer picture of your expenses, revenue, and profitability helps you prepare for seasonal demand and make informed decisions when business picks up.
Comparing revenue against expenses, reviewing budget and liabilities, assessing profitability, and finally ensuring if the reports are up to date helps you understand what your hotel is earning, what it is spending and whether it is financially prepared for the busy season.
- Prepare your financial team for increased workloads
The holiday rush isn’t just a surge in bookings, but there’s also a surge in payments and financial transactions.
A survey of 200+ finance leaders found that 46% of hospitality finance teams take more than six days to close their AP books, and 45% manage 5000 or more invoices/month.
This volume might increase with seasonal activity.
Sundaram, with expertise in various hospitality models and over 25 years supporting businesses across the world,can help hotels handle increased transaction volumes, reduce administrative pressure, and keep routine financial processes on track without expanding their in-house team.
Sign up for our newsletter
Add your email to receive our monthly newsletter.
