Sales continue to grow for about half of travel advisors, according to the latest iteration of our “Travel Trends & Advisor Insight Report.” However, the number of advisors reporting improved sales year-over-year has dropped about 7 percentage points from the three 2023 surveys we ran. At the same time, the percentage by which sales have improved year-over-year has also been on a downward trend.
That said, interest in cruising is up among non-cruisers, according to two-thirds of travel advisors surveyed. These travelers are mostly drawn to contemporary/family cruises (66 percent) and premium/upscale cruises (50 percent). In all, interest in cruise vacations are up among all clients, according to half of respondents.
Beyond that, luxury travel is on the upswing: 80 percent of advisors say they are selling or are trying to sell more luxury travel. How much luxury travel the two largest pluralities of these respondents is selling falls at opposite ends of the spectrum, however: Twenty-three percent say 1 to 5 percent of their business is luxury sales, while 22 percent of respondents say luxury sales make up 40 or more percent of their business.
The last highlight was the importance of the 2024 presidential election, as many respondents said the results would either make or break their business in 2025 and beyond. In particular, and without specifying what result they were hoping for, many advisors said they expected things to improve next year as they anticipate the economy continuing to recover.
The 2024 Q3 “Travel Trends & Advisor Insight” Report was fielded October 10-25, 2024, and received responses from 328 U.S.-based travel advisors. To download the full report, visit www.travelagentcentral.com/travel-trends-advisor-insight-report-q3-2024.
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