We in the travel industry know better than anyone that storm clouds often bring happy endings—and this year is full of them. From ships large and small, mega and charter, to all-inclusive resorts and ultra-luxury destinations of every ilk, at home and abroad and in places customers never before ventured, 2024 really has been that year we all dreamed of during The Long Pause. And indeed, at the annual conferences of Signature Travel Network in Las Vegas and Dream Vacations/Cruise One on Celebrity Ascent, I heard story after story of how that break gave travel advisors and suppliers a little respite that many used to improve their knowledge base, to plan for the future, and to build a foundation that served them well when the industry finally caught the ball and ran with it. (More on those stories in a future column.)
Onboard Ascent, meanwhile, we shared our own little serendipity, as high winds and rough seas kept us from tendering to Grand Cayman—and the travel advisors onboard had “a spectacular day” booking trips for their clients instead. On Monday and Tuesday alone, they took in over a $1 million a day in December 2024 cruise departures, Brad Tolkin, co-chairman and CEO of Dream Vacations and Cruise One parent World Travel Holdings told TRO.
Indeed, close-in sales are a thing this year, many travel advisors told me. Some reported a brief Presidential election slowdown in September and October, but sales are strong again in November and December, and on into 2025 and even 2026, most said.
“Everything is rising,” Tolkin agreed; “the leisure travel economy is hot.” And, he added, “we have a great lens into how travel is distributed, and the travel advisor channel is at the top. We don’t see any speed bumps into 2025.”
In its franchise divisions, WTH has seen a 16% increase in those close-in bookings (which it defines as departures within 90 days)—adding up to almost 30% of recent business. “It’s not just about who won the election, but how much the winner won by,” Tolkin said. “It’s the certainty about the future,” combined with the run on Wall Street, that has consumers opening their travel wallets once again.
And all the signs are positive for 2025, he added. The silver tsunami will bring 10,000 US consumers into the 65+ age group this year—and they are packing 45% more disposable income than 15 years ago. “There are just so many reasons to be optimistic.” In 2024, noncruise sales are up 15% over the best year, and cruise sales up 19%.
So how’s a travel advisor to keep up? It’s going to be all about artificial intelligence, say the pundits and the executives at both conferences—and just like during Covid, taking a few hours to prepare for the business to come will pay off in spades.
Siri and Alexa “are nothing compared to what we are going to see with AI,” Tolkin told me. “The economic revolution we saw with the Internet is going to be just as formidable in our history. We’re just in spring training, not even in the early innings—and it will be a major factor quicker than anything we’ve seen since the Internet.”
At the headquarters level, World Travel Holdings already is preparing for a technology that is “different from other things that have come along in the past 25 years, and something we are going to be on top of. We will be making some organizational changes in line with this economic revolution that we will spell out in January.”
And of course there’s the new products on the horizon to attract customers. “The evolution of the product is just amazing,” even Tolkin says—from Icon of the Seas to Carnival’s Celebration Cay to Perfect Day in Mexico.
The franchise network, too, is attracting a new generation of travel advisors, both young and second-career. With a staff of 50 in the technology division alone, serving 2,000 franchisees (a net gain of about 100 in 2024) and their 5,000 associates, it’s all about providing service to the travel-advisor customer and his or her consumer customer, Tolkin says.
Franchise News
It’s been a year, says everyone. More than 1.3 million marketing pieces have been mailed out, and attendance at live conferences and online trainings is up.
New for 2025 is a customizable homepage, so every associate at every agency can have his or her own “window to the world” that highlights their unique niche. The sites also will have enhanced SEO best practices in place, each weaving in the keywords that apply to their niche, so they have “not just a website that is beautiful, but a website that works for them and can get them the impact they are looking for.”
An AI assistant tool is rolling out across all learning platforms, so travel advisors can ask questions like, “How do I look at my commission tracking report?” and get a reply that explains how to do that, and which classes and trainings may be helpful.
Returning in 2025 will be an in-person Martech Summit, which has been replaced by an online version since the Covid era.
Five Ways to Engage Past Clients
A name in your database from whom you never hear isn’t a client; it’s an unclient, says chief motivation officer Stuart Cohen. Just like a speaker at a travel-advisor conference (or a travel writer for TRO), you don’t have a contract. You don’t own your clients. Your role is to be hired, get fired, and then be rehired again. That’s the flow of the business we are in.
So here are four tips for success:
- Rephrase the way you ask for a trip review. Ditch the surveys and instead say, “I value your opinion, will you share your experience so I can use it to help others?” Do it by phone, not by email, and do it right away; every day that passes will decrease your chance of engaging.
- Ask what’s next. “What can I be on the lookout for for you?”
- Offer an idea session. Send a little note or leave a voicemail saying you are seeing some new trends, would they be interested in knocking around some ideas for future trips? “Whether you hire me or not, I love brainstorming.”
- Invite them to an experts event. Position yourself as an expert through a 15-minute chat on one topic, in person or online. You can invite a BDM, but never let the supplier be the leader; always position yourself as the expert. If they can’t come, say you will send the replay and the pdf. Then send a one-page, well-targeted tip sheet, even if it’s about packing lists.
Giving AI a try myself, Toby and I came up with this AI-enhanced holiday wish for you:
Wishing all my travel advisor friends a holiday season that’s first-class and five-star. May your days be merry and bright and your clients’ itineraries run smoothly. May your flights be on time your hotels be delightfully decorated, and your commissions be plentiful.
My Christian friends, may this special time of year bring you joy, love and all the things that make your heart sing. May the coming year be filled with good news, happy travels and blessings beyond measure.
My Jewish friends, from latkes to luggage, may your Hanukkah be filled with warmth, light, laughter and all the things that bring you joy. May the coming year be filled with good news, simchas and adventures that bring you joy and fulfillment.
And to the incredible travel agent community as a whole, we consumers thank you for all you do to make our travel dreams come true. May this holiday season bring you the calm, the happiness and the unforgettable adventures that you have brought us this year.
Happy holidays everyone!
Cheryl’s 40-year career in journalism is bookended by roles in the travel industry, including Executive Editor of Business Travel News in the 1990s, and recently, Editor in Chief of Travel Market Report and admin of Cheryl Rosen’s Group for Travel Professionals, a news and support group on Facebook. As an independent contractor since retiring from the 9-to-5 to travel more, she has written regular articles about the life and business of travel agents for Luxury Travel Advisor, Travel Agent, and Insider Travel Report. She also writes and edits for professional publications in the financial services, business, and technology sectors.
