This article originally appeared in the December issue of AGENTatHOME magazine. Subscribe here to receive your free copy each month.
The global travel industry has fully recovered from pandemic-era challenges and is expected to approach $1.8 trillion in gross bookings by 2027 — at least, that’s the word from the recently released Global Travel Market Report from Phocuswright. And it’s especially good news for travel advisors as they set their sights on the new year, according to several leaders within the travel advisor consortia space. (Note: Phocuswright is owned by Northstar Travel Group, the parent company of AGENTatHOME.)
“We’re optimistic about 2026,” said Angie Licea, president of Global Travel Collection, the luxury division of Internova Travel Group. “Demand across the luxury travel segment continues to rise, particularly among affluent travelers seeking more personalized, transformative experiences. Our advisors are reporting strong advance bookings well into 2026, with longer lead times and higher per-trip spending compared to previous years.”
Many industry insiders echo Licea’s optimism. Virtuoso, for example, is tracking a 24% increase in early bookings for future travel, with high-value trips — those in the $50,000-and-up range, including upscale cruises and multigenerational vacations — selling especially well. David Kolner, executive vice president of strategic communications for Virtuoso, cites a recent Virtuoso survey of some 3,000 travel advisors in dozens of countries, noting that “67% of them are saying they expect 2026 to have an increase in travel demand.”
Lindsay Pearlman, president of Travel Leaders Network (TLN), has also identified several trends driving travel bookings into the new year.
“2026 will be the year of travelers wanting experiences, not things,” he said. “We are already seeing that certain luxury goods are being purchased less, but travel? It shows no signs of stopping. People are demanding cultural immersion, one-of-a-kind experiences — and, of course, the highest level of service from advisors.”
Travel experts are seeing a rise in “whycations,” or trips designed to align with a client’s emotional or personal goals. (Photo Credit: Balate Dorin/stock.adobe.com)
According to Pearlman, among TLN’s 20 top-producing leisure agencies (representing more than $2.5 billion in annual preferred partner leisure sales), half expect their leisure sales alone to grow more than 10% in 2026.
And Karryn Christopher, president of Signature Travel Network, says personalization is key for boosting business in the new year.
“The No. 1 trend we see — and it’s not new for 2026 — is figuring out a way to take that personalization to the next level,” she said.
Christopher adds that, in a world where travelers can find endless options online, successful advisors are focusing on what travelers can’t do alone: Make informed choices based on expert insight
“We’re seeing with AI and people’s access to more information that they’re not necessarily understanding the distinct differences between all the choices,” she said. “They really need advice to help explain those differences and what truly makes the experience right for them.”
The Quest for Meaningful Travel
According to the 2026 Virtuoso Luxe Report, luxury travelers are prioritizing “meaningful, restorative and deeply personal” travel over generic luxury and indulgence.
Virtuoso’s Kolner describes this shift as a movement “from FOMO [fear of missing out] to slow-mo.”
“The idea behind FOMO is that clients are going places not because their friends are going,” he said. “Their fear of missing out is related to the fact that destinations may never be the same again — things like ‘I want to go to the polar regions before there’s more impact from global warming.’ What gets clients off the couch is, ‘I need to get to “blank” destination before it changes.’”
Kolner adds that travelers are also tending to stay longer in one place.
“They’re doing less jumping around to different destinations,” he said. “FOMO gets them on the plane, but slow-mo defines the way they’re experiencing these destinations.”
This trend dovetails with what Signature calls “whycations,” a trend mirrored in Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report: Travelers aim to align their globetrotting with an emotional or personal goal such as wellness, shared experiences and positive-impact travel.
Families and Cruises
Travel advisors looking for sales opportunities will do well to look at families, according to Wayne Spector, senior vice president of Network of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel (NEST).
The “I countries” — Italy, Iceland and Ireland (pictured here) — will continue to be popular. (Photo Credit: Leonid Andronov/stock.adobe.com)
“Family travel will continue to be a huge trend shaping 2026 and beyond,” he said. “Family travel is so popular that we’re seeing trends within the broader niche. Skip-gen travel, where grandparents take grandchildren away without the middle generation, is growing. We’re even hearing about ‘modern family’ travel, where exes and their new partners vacation with all their children, and another trend of aunts and uncles taking nieces and nephews on trips.”
Clients are also increasingly taking to the seas and rivers, according to Spector. “Cruising of all types is trending strongly for 2026,” he said. “We’re seeing an uptick in cruising, especially with travelers who have traditionally favored all-inclusive resorts. As most expenses are prepaid with cruising, clients can budget better for their vacation.”
Spector’s take on cruising is mirrored by others. At TLN’s Leisure Leaders Meeting in October, for example, every top agency surveyed expects cruise growth in 2026, and 95% anticipate gains in premium and luxury cruise, with river cruising unanimously forecasted to grow.
Where Clients Are Going in 2026
It’s no surprise that Europe continues to be a strong seller for the new year. NEST’s Spector expects interest in the U.K. and the “I countries” — Italy, Ireland and Iceland — to surge, as well as less-visited subregions of Europe, including Eastern Europe, smaller Greek and Spanish islands, and other less-frequented parts of the Mediterranean.
Signature’s Christopher says the cooperative’s members continue to sell Italy, Portugal, Montenegro and Croatia at a brisk pace.
“We continue to see growth in all destinations within Africa, as well — not just safaris, but including Morocco and Egypt,” she said.
Christopher adds that Southeast Asia is attracting bookings with its “unique, culturally immersive and authentic experiences,” while Australia and New Zealand are experiencing a surge in bookings, thanks to restored air capacity.
Global Travel Collection’s Licea also reports strong interest in diverse destinations, including Japan, South Korea, Patagonia and the Chilean/ Argentinian Andes. Southern Africa continues to perform well, especially for safaris and conservation-based experiences, while the Mediterranean shoulder season is gaining popularity.
And that’s not all.
“As for emerging destinations, Global Travel Collection advisors are seeing growing interest in places that offer authentic cultural experiences, untouched landscapes and a sense of discovery beyond the traditional luxury hot spots,” Licea said, naming Colombia, New Zealand, the Dolomites and the Swiss Alps among top emerging destinations.
Avoiding Crowds, Following Pop Culture
Kolner confirms that “clients are definitely avoiding crowds when they can,” which he says is driving sales to places such as Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Bhutan. Travelers are also increasingly seeking destinations associated with popular books, television shows and movies.
“We’re seeing clients being motivated to take a trip based on entertainment trends, whether it’s ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ or ‘The White Lotus,’” Kolner said.
Virtuoso even has a term for this emerging phenomenon: Main Character Synergy. To stay on top of this segment’s potential, Kolner encourages advisors to remain culturally literate and up to date on popular entertainment.
Travel Advisor Strategies for 2026
Christopher says that advisors do well when they focus on key strategies — including selling preferred partners, leaning into customization and embracing technology, “so you have time to focus more on connecting with customers and creating tailor-made, custom experiences,” she explained.
To that end, Signature is stressing the advantages of using AI.
“We integrate AI into our tools so that our advisors don’t have to learn yet another way to work — it just really becomes part of their current process,” Christopher said.
She also notes that, while premium cabins can sometimes be difficult to book due to capacity, private and semi-private air offers an appealing alternative for luxury clients.
“We have partnerships with Chapman Freeborn, the private jet charter, and we’re seeing growth within that space,” she said. “We work with TCS World Travel as well, and we continue to see year-over-year growth with them.”
To strengthen an agency’s business model, TLN’s Pearlman encourages advisors to make the most of their consortium and host agency support systems, and also to identify their own unique specialization.
“It is not possible to be everything to everyone and, frankly, advisors shouldn’t try,” he said. “In 2026, refine what your strengths are and become an expert in certain niches.”
The Right Clients — A Winning Mindset for 2026
Kolner shares additional advice for agents seeking to grow business in 2026: Stop wasting time on the wrong clients.
“There’s something like 13 million U.S. travelers who are looking for a travel advisor right now,” he said. “We’ve been saying this for a while, but I really encourage advisors to think about firing clients and changing their client lists.”
Replacing time-wasting customers (whom Kolner calls “vampires”) with higher-value clients who respect advisors’ time and expertise can have positive effects on multiple levels, Kolner explains.
“You’ll be shocked at how it changes the quality of your life and the quality of your business — and your sales are probably going to go up,” he said.
Spector, meanwhile, stresses several fundamentals to set a positive tone for the new year.
“It’s important for travel advisors to know their ‘why,’” he said. “When you know your ‘why,’ the ‘how’ gets easier.”
He also recommends prioritizing personal development, networking, marketing and maintaining robust communication with clients.
“There’s no such thing as overcommunicating with clients,” he said. “In uncertain times, they need reassurance, clarity and leadership. You are their steady rock in a sometimes chaotic world.”
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