Agent benefit: Who’s reserving with journey advisors?

While inflation and financial uncertainty are among the many prime challenges going through U.S. journey companies, the market stays robust.

Despite slower projected development in 2025 in comparison with the earlier 12 months, journey company gross sales are outpacing the general journey market, with unique and high-end luxurious journey main beneficial properties, in response to Phocuswright’s latest journey analysis report, U.S. Travel Agency Landscape 2025. Wealthier vacationers, undeterred by larger costs, proceed to hunt out distinctive experiences and the non-public service journey advisors supply. Although U.S. vacationers general are displaying heightened worth sensitivity, advisors are leveraging a wide range of ways to attraction to extra budget-conscious prospects.

The consumer profile of U.S. journey brokers

Travelers who work with advisors are sometimes older and wealthier than the common traveler. More than three quarters of shoppers are over 40 years outdated, with 44% older than 55. Six in 10 shoppers have an annual earnings of $100,000 or extra. 

Younger vacationers, with a robust drive to journey, are sometimes a key demographic within the broader journey market. However, they are usually extra price aware, typically leveraging on-line journey companies to search out the bottom worth. Yet interesting to youthful generations is essential for the long-term success of the advisor channel. There is elevated give attention to attracting and coaching Gen Z and millennial advisors with a big social media presence to higher interact with youthful vacationers.

While youthful vacationers typically select their reserving channel primarily based on worth, advisors point out that solely 2% of their shoppers e book with them as a result of they provide one of the best worth. Instead, advisors say private relationships, customer support and their information of journey merchandise and locations are most vital to attracting vacationers.

Expanding the consumer base to incorporate a youthful clientele would require educating youthful vacationers about the advantages that advisors can present—and doing so in a manner that can attraction to this youthful demographic.