Travel Advisors and Their Impact on The Industry

by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 7:00 AM ET, Tue May 12, 2026

Travel advisors might be the unsung workhorse of the travel industry, connecting travelers looking for specific travel experiences with the brands, suppliers, cruise lines and experiences that fit them best, demystifying the often complex travel planning process and supporting travelers every step of the way, from planning and booking to crisis management.

So this Travel Advisor Appreciation Month, we're celebrating the advisors who work hard every day to help travelers live the travel experiences of their dreams by showcasing their impact on the travel industry.

Let's dive in.

The Importance of the Travel Advisor

The North American travel advisor group in Chongqing.

Travel analytics firm and TravelPulse's sister company, Phocuswright, found that offline cruise bookings made through travel advisors reached $22.7 billion last year, representing an 18% year-over-year increase.

This number alone shows that, while preconceived notions underscore the importance of travel advisors, their impact remains enormous. This number was the highest absolute volume on record.

The number of cruise bookings booked through advisors has also increased in recent years, likely as new cruisers seek expert advice and someone to help navigate through a more complex travel environment than pre-pandemic.

In 2023, for example, 67% of cruise bookings were made through advisors and travel management companies (TMCs). In 2025, that number had increased to 70%.

Phocuswright's "U.S. Travel Agency Landscape 2025" report found that in 2024, travel agencies in the U.S. grew faster than other distribution channels, increasing 6% in gross bookings, compared with the entire market's 3% increase. U.S.-based agents' bookings totaled $125 billion in 2024.

David Stone, Head of Global Sales for the luxury travel company Unforgettable Travel, explains the importance of travel advisors in supporting his business.

"Travel advisors play a really important role in our business for several reasons," Stone explained. "Firstly, word of mouth is incredibly powerful. We've gained many new advisors through recommendations from our existing network…Secondly, we see a high level of repeat business through travel advisors. When we work with an advisor and their client has a great experience, that client often travels with us again. This is happening more frequently and allows us to deliver a much more personalized service.

"Additionally, the value of a single advisor can be significant," Stone continued. "Many of our advisors make 10+ bookings per year, providing a consistent and reliable stream of revenue, volumes we wouldn't typically achieve through direct clients alone. Finally, meeting client expectations is often easier with travel advisors involved. We're working alongside a trusted partner who knows the client well, which helps ensure the trips we deliver meet and often exceed expectations."

Who Are Travel Advisors?

TTAND travel advisors recently joined an exclusive FAM trip to Portugal.

Eight in ten travel advisors are women. While this metric hasn't changed much in decades, it should be celebrated in a world where women have been in the minority in many industries and are only now beginning to make strides toward equality.

The fact that most advisors are women—who often own their own businesses to boot—is important, especially when you combine it with the fact that women are the majority decision-makers when it comes to planning travel on the client side, too.

Both of these metrics support the idea that the advisor's role is relational and community-oriented: a female travel advisor's personal relationships with other women become her professional superpower when they turn to her for expertise and help planning destination weddings, anniversary trips, multigenerational cruises and other milestone moments.

Seven in ten advisors own their own agencies, while home-based advisors are even more likely, at 82%.

56% of advisors are also over 55, showing that for many, it can be a fun second-life career, a flexible income proposition or a sustainable, long-term career path. More than two-thirds of advisors work from home, with just 18% continuing to work in a storefront.

The Relevance of Travel Advisors in the Age of Technology

Classic Vacations Luxury Travel Trends for 2026

The report shows that travel advisors are never more critical than when uncertainty about travel grows.

"The advisor role becomes even more important in moments of uncertainty. Travel today can be influenced by a range of external factors, and advisors bring the expertise, relationships, and destination knowledge to navigate those situations with confidence," explained Melissa Krueger, CEO of Classic Vacations. "They're also guiding clients in real time, offering informed recommendations and, when needed, shifting travel plans to alternative destinations that still deliver the experience the traveler is looking for. That level of support builds trust, and in luxury travel, trust is everything.

"As technology continues to evolve, it's reinforcing the value of the advisor," continued Krueger. "The more access travelers have to information, the more they seek trusted guidance to help them make sense of it and to turn it into something personal, thoughtful, and well-executed."

Advisors reported that personal relationships (40%), customer service (29%) and their expertise (27%) are the main three reasons their clients choose them over other booking methods.

"So often, the role of a travel advisor is still couched in the old paradigm of a travel 'agent' and talked about in terms of threats in a world where consumers can book themselves, OTAs are thriving and AI is always right around the corner," said Michael Schottey, Vice President of Membership, Marketing and Communications at ASTA.

"In truth, there is so much more that advisors do that cannot be replaced," Schottey continued. "A true, trusted and verified travel advisor is more than just a 'help' for travelers. They are an expert source of knowledge, a needed extra layer of customer service, a safety net when things go wrong and a true professional companion at every step before, during and after the journey."

Advisors' biggest challenges remain inflation and the rising cost of travel, competing with suppliers for direct bookings, finding new clients, economic uncertainty related to government policy and marketing effectively.

Yet despite these, advisors remain relevant in an increasingly uncertain world and a shifting travel landscape.

The Importance of The Travel Advisor

Hard work, service to others, passionate care. These qualities define travel advisors every day. And, from someone whose own mother belongs to this group of amazing people, it does not go unnoticed.

The metrics above show your impact to a world that might not understand what you do or your relevance. But it's the personal impact you have on your clients—let's call them what they really are: your friends—in helping them create lifelong travel memories with their loved ones, where it matters most.

Thank you for everything you do.

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