Positive data points for advisors
Jamie Biesiada
There is a lot of uncertainty right now, including about the economy, consumer confidence, global geopolitical unrest and beyond. "Wait and see" is becoming a common phrase as to what the remainder of the year holds.
And, as the survey Travel Weekly conducted in March seeking advisor input found, agencies were across the board in terms of concerns and impacts felt. For some, business was booming. Others were fielding cancellations and concerns from uneasy clients. Many fell somewhere between the two ends of the spectrum.
We're fielding another survey to get a pulse on how business is now, two months after that survey, but in the meantime, here are some encouraging numbers about 2025 sales for advisors.
Travelsavers' sales are up
Travelsavers recently released some sales statistics that paint a nice picture for 2025, following what was a very strong year in 2024.
Sales are up in a number of categories: premium ocean cruising (21%), river cruising (15%), contemporary ocean cruising (13%), luxury cruising (5%), guided vacations (11%), fun-and-sun vacations (5%) and FIT travel (4%).
"I am super bullish on this business and believe 2025 is going to end strongly," Travelsavers chief marketing officer Nicole Mazza said in a release. "Travelers are booking for the festive season and into next year. 2026 is already off the charts with double-digit growth."
Mazza did acknowledge the challenges 2025 has brought, like consumer confidence and inflation, but said, "After 55 years, we're not strangers to industry challenges."
Europe travel will still increase this year
Allianz recently released some stats on summer travel to Europe. Based on bookings, for the fourth year in a row, U.S. summer travel to Europe will increase, this year by 10%.
The boom in Europe travel started in 2022, when Allianz found it was up 600% (pandemic blues were a likely culprit). U.S. travel to Europe has since increased, albeit at a more gradual pace, rising 55% in 2023 then 34% in 2024.
While this year's increase might be small by comparison, it's still an increase, and that bodes well for advisors.
The top five destinations, as reported by Allianz, in order: London, Paris, Dublin, Rome and Edinburgh, Scotland. This year, Edinburgh and Rome swapped positions, with Rome edging out the Scottish capital for spot No. 4.
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