Rising costs are affecting some journey advisors, however not all: Travel Weekly

Travel advisors are reporting a combined 2026 with regards to reserving tempo, however they’re largely in settlement about one factor: the journeys they’re promoting are pricier.

A year-long sequence of Travel Weekly surveys tracked advisor sentiment all through 2025 because the business confronted a unstable interval of presidency coverage modifications and financial shifts. While greater than half of advisors reported reserving declines throughout a midyear droop, the ultimate months of 2025 noticed stabilization, outlined by shorter reserving home windows, heightened worth sensitivity and a shift towards higher-value itineraries.

The most up-to-date survey of 235 readers was performed on-line in November and December and requested about reserving patterns and sentiment in regards to the yr forward. 

Despite lingering issues over journey prices and the geopolitical local weather, most advisors are getting into 2026 with an optimistic outlook on development.

When it involves reserving quantity for 2026 journey to this point, 44.1% of respondents stated reserving quantity was both barely or considerably forward, whereas 37.9% reported reserving quantity was barely or considerably behind.

In an open-ended query, a number of advisors shared extra about what’s impacting the reserving local weather.

“The government shutdown that lasted 43 days did affect future bookings for our agency,” one Columbus, Ohio-based advisor stated. “Many of our clients paused on confirming vacations and placing deposits. Now we are playing catch-up and hope 2026 will be as good as 2025.”

Another is seeing fewer new vacationers, and the economic system has impacted the boldness of current purchasers. 

Several others stated purchasers who’re inexperienced card holders are involved about re-entry into the U.S. and are holding off on worldwide journey.

On the flip facet, Kari Jevert of All About Vacations in Crown Point, Ind., stated the previous few years have felt like “Wave season never ends,” and demand has stored advisors busy with quoting or reserving day by day.

“A good percentage of our clients are well- and often-traveled; not much deters them,” Jevert wrote. “So much so, [that] when we do advise perhaps about an increase in Covid cases being reported or maybe wildfires in the Rocky Mountains limiting visibility or air quality, they don’t care. They still want to go!”

The excessive price of journey

Survey respondents usually appeared to agree that the price of bookings is growing this yr.

Asked how per-trip spending for journey in 2026 tracked in comparison with the identical time frame final yr, 55.2% stated it’s barely or considerably larger, in contrast with 22.1% who stated prices are barely or considerably decrease.

Quite a lot of advisors stated that the worth of journey is impacting their enterprise. For occasion, Melissa Vincent of Cruise Planners in DeRidder, La., stated that ocean cruising stays sturdy, however airfare will increase are conserving purchasers from touring as a lot as they did beforehand.

“Rising costs of travel including airfare, increased dining expenses and the insane tipping culture has been a factor for our agency,” Vincent stated.

When requested what purchasers’ issues are after they categorical hesitancy to journey, the highest motive was rising costs, adopted by the economic system.

Advisors have been requested the identical query in a Travel Weekly survey fielded in July and August, and the economic system was No. 1, adopted by world political unrest, conflicts or wars. The rising costs of journey was the third-most-cited concern.

Will 2026 be turbulent, too?

While 2025 was a rocky one for a lot of companies, reserving quantity appeared to stabilize, and even rebound, heading into the brand new yr.

In a March survey, Travel Weekly discovered that 44.9% of respondents reported a lower in leisure bookings, a quantity that elevated to 57.7% in May. In July and August, that quantity started to reduce, to 52.4%, and in December, 42.8% of advisors reported a decline in bookings. 

Also in December, 43.5% of respondents stated they have been experiencing a rise in bookings, barely eclipsing the quantity reporting decreases.

“There is still great unease among many clients, but as one client aptly stated, ‘I travel to have something positive to look forward to, that I can almost fully control since so much seems so bleak and out of control these days,'” stated a Philadelphia-based advisor.

Despite pricing woes and reserving fluctuations, journey advisors are largely constructive in regards to the yr forward. Overall, 66.2% of December survey respondents stated they have been optimistic in regards to the profitability and development of their enterprise in 2026, whereas 15.9% have been impartial and 17.9% have been pessimistic.

Several respondents pointed to the resilience of the journey business.

“Until the U.S. political atmosphere stabilizes, I imagine future sales will be lower than normal due to public uncertainty over their future,” a Seattle-based advisor wrote. “However, I expect to ride out the next two to three years — not the first time and not the last!”