The 2016 trends and forecast survey of USTOA’s tour operator members has revealed resiliency and optimism in a somewhat turbulent year. According to results of the biennial economic impact study from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, USTOA Active Members contributed nearly $15 billion in revenue to the travel industry in 2016.

That revenue figure couldn’t have been made without your help. Our travel agent allies are a continuous source of support. Active Members projected that two-thirds of total packages sold in 2016 were through travel agencies.

The following results were shared at the Annual Conference & Marketplace held December 6-9 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.

KEY ECONOMIC IMPACT

As revenue will rise to nearly $15 billion in 2016, optimism continues and indicates confidence for 2017. The survey revealed that almost half (44 percent) of the members who anticipate an increase in sales next year forecast “optimistic” to “boom year” growth with sales ranging from 7 to 10 percent or more. Slightly more than a third (38 percent) of members who anticipate growth remain cautiously optimistic that sales will increase 4 to 6 percent in 2017.

WHAT’S HOT FOR 2017

Cuba tops the “hot” or most popular destinations list for travelers in 2017. The top 10 hot destinations for this year also included Italy, which ranked second, followed by Iceland, the U.K., Spain, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, China and Vietnam.

In addition to helping your clients with deciding where they want to go, our tour operator members can also help with what kind of travel experiences they seek when they get there. USTOA members offer a variety of culturally immersive, experiential programs for travelers in destinations around the world. Family/multigenerational programs are offered by a majority (81 percent) of tour operator members, with just over three-fourths (77 percent) of membership providing honeymoon/romance experiences. Around half of the Active Members offer the following categories: adventure (55 percent), art and culture (53 percent), culinary (49 percent) and safari/ nature (49 percent).

WHO’S TRAVELING

When asked who’s traveling, tour operator members responded that about half of their customer base is 51 years of age and older. The next largest group was 36 to 50, representing 24 percent. Gender is split evenly (50/50) among male and female passengers. Two-thirds of business booked was by U.S. residents traveling internationally, with 20 percent by U.S. customers traveling domestically.

The success of our members and the industry as a whole would not be possible without the help of you, our valued travel agent partners. We look forward to growing that relationship together throughout this new year.

We invite you to visit USTOA’s Travel Agent Resource page at www.ustoa.com/resources/ travel-resources for the most up-to-date information on our members and what they are offering your clients this year.

For more information about tours and packaged vacations, visit www.ustoa.com. And, remember that when booking with USTOA Active Members, you also get the assurance of knowing that they are held to the highest standards in the industry with our $1 Million Travelers Assistance Program.