Travel advisors have mixed feelings when it comes to this year’s fall travel season, according to recent Need to Know research conducted by TravelAge West. In the survey of more than 250 advisors, nearly equal numbers would describe their fall bookings as strong (24%), somewhat strong (30%) or somewhat weak (27%).
This is despite the fact that nearly half of advisors (45%) say this year’s business is stronger than this time last year, and stronger than 2019. In addition, more than a third of advisors (39%) report that clients are booking earlier than in previous years.
More than half of advisors say fall bookings are strong or somewhat strong.
Credit: 2023 TravelAge West
"My bookings for this fall’s travel season are somewhat strong, with people still traveling,” said Cole Kirkpatrick, a travel advisor with Classic Travel Connection. “Inquiries for 2024 are already piling up, though, which tells me that even if people aren’t traveling now, they are already considering travel 12 to 14 months in advance.”
A majority of respondents (80%) say that prices are higher this year than last year at the same time, and most (49%) indicate that clients are more concerned about price than last year.
Likewise, more than half of advisors (63%) report that clients are more concerned about travel delays and interruptions this year. However, when it comes to overcrowding and lack of availability, the data is less clear — 44% of advisors say clients show the same concern as last year, while another 44% say that clients are more concerned.
Nearly half of travel advisors (49%) say that clients are more concerned about price than they were last year.
Credit: 2023 TravelAge West“Prices are definitely higher this year, and clients are certainly noticing that,” Kirkpatrick said. “This is especially true for hot destinations such as Japan, Italy, Greece and the UK. For this reason, I’m exploring reliable destination management companies and tour operators who work with lower-budget clients. The last thing anyone wants to hear is, ‘Your budget won’t allow you to have this experience,’ when clients have saved for months or years for this vacation.”
Prices are definitely higher this year, and clients are certainly noticing that.
As to the type of travel that leads the way this fall, advisors say family travel leads the way (6.7 out of 8), followed by romance travel (6.5), group travel (5.5) and special occasion travel (4.6).
Most advisors say that 2023 sales will be higher than 2022 sales.
Credit: 2023 TravelAge WestThe top travel destination is the Caribbean (6.5 out of 8), followed by Cruise/River Cruise (5.8), Europe (5.2), a tie between USA/Canada and Mexico (4.8), Hawaii (4.2) and Asia (3.2).
Overall, advisors expect to finish the year somewhat (45%) or much (24%) higher in sales than in 2022. Most respondents (40%) also report that 2024 sales seem somewhat higher than at the same time last year — while 21% say they are much higher and 26% say they are about the same.
Need to Know Survey Series
“Need to Know” is a research series from TravelAge West that tracks the responses of advisors as they relate to various travel trends and topics. This survey recorded the responses of 271 advisors across the U.S. Click here to see more Need to Know stories.
