Members of Travel Experts and the portfolio of American Marketing Group (AMG) host agencies – TRAVELSAVERS, NEST and The Affluent Traveler Collection – are poised for continued growth in 2024.
As a case in point, 80 percent of Travel Experts affiliates polled by the luxury host agency are predicting another solid year for travel – with upward of 80 percent expecting an increase in business.
“This comes as more than 95 percent reported that business was up in 2023,” Travel Experts said.
Travel Experts said its advisors predicted that Europe would top 2024 destinations in popularity, with the “UK as the number one requested country followed by France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Croatia in that order.”
“River Cruises remain high on the demand list with more than 60 percent of the advisors reporting bookings for 2024,” Travel Experts said. “There has also been a steady increase in cruise bookings reported and the Caribbean has risen in demand with more than 50 percent of the respondents indicating the region as a preferred destination for their clients.”
“Luxury cruise travel was back with a vengeance in 2023,” said Christina Schlegel Bluetail of Travel in Arlington, Va. “I doubled my business from 2022, and 2024 is looking even stronger. I’ve also been booking into 2025 for months now as cruise clients are planning more voyages and earlier.”
AMG agencies are also gearing up for a strong year in travel. “Seventy-nine percent of respondents to a recent survey foresee their sales increasing in 2024,” AMG said. “Of those, 31 percent envision significant growth, and 48 percent believe sales will grow somewhat. Only five percent predict sales will decline somewhat, with no one anticipating a significant drop.”
“Travel has come roaring back,” said AMG Chief Sales Officer Kathryn Mazza-Burney. “After so much built-up demand, travelers today are venturing far and wide and spending more on higher-end travel experiences. Premium and luxury are leading the way again for 2024.”
That positive outlook, however, comes with some caveats. “The top concern survey respondents envision are issues related to air travel, such as fare cost. They also foresee problems related to rising prices and geopolitical issues,” AMG said. “As well, respondents predict competition from suppliers encouraging direct bookings from consumers. Many advisors, coming off an incredibly busy year, also anticipate dealing with burnout.”
For her part, Teresa McCombs of Aiken, S.C.-based TP McCombs Travel, an affiliate of Travel Experts, is predicting that her business with level off in 2024. “I’m not quite as busy as I was at this time last year, but the trips I am working [on have] higher budgets, and clients are spending more time in the destinations,” she said.
In the final analysis, the host agency surveys point to a positive outlook for 2024. “We are elated that 2023 proved to be another record year for many of our advisors and encouraged by the booking trend for 2024 which indicates the potential for yet another exceptional year for advisors,” said Travel Experts Executive Director Sharon Fake.
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