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Cruise Planners Hosts 2025 Luxury Forum at Secrets Playa Esmeralda, Empowering Advisors in High-End Travel Sales
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Cruise Planners, the nation's leading home-based travel advisor franchise network, recently wrapped its annual Luxury Forum at the stunning Secrets Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa in the Dominican Republic. Held August 4–8, 2025, this immersive, invitation-only event brought together over 120 Cruise Planners travel advisors and 70+ luxury travel partners for a week of elevated networking, hands-on training and inspiration tailored exclusively to the luxury market.
As more travelers seek out tailored, high-end experiences, Cruise Planners continues to strengthen its role in the luxury travel space. The Luxury Forum focused on giving advisors the tools, insights and supplier connections they need to serve the discerning luxury client with confidence and creativity.
'Luxury travel continues to evolve, and our advisors are right at the forefront,' said Michelle Fee, CEO and Founder of Cruise Planners. 'This event gives them the tools, knowledge, and industry connections they need to stay ahead of the curve and deliver truly exceptional experiences for their clients.'
The event kicked off with opening remarks from Michelle Fee and Chief Strategy Officer Scott Koepf, who emphasized the sector's explosive growth. With 28 million luxury travelers worldwide and the market valued at $230 billion, the potential for travel advisors is immense, especially as today's travelers increasingly seek out meaningful and experience-rich journeys.
The program featured dynamic training sessions, supplier panels, and expert insights into consumer behavior in the luxury and expedition segments. A standout moment was the keynote by Karl Kannstadter, VP of Content Strategy at Exploration at Signature Travel Network, who delivered a deep dive into 'What Story Does Your Client Want to Tell?' On delivering clients memorable moments and a story worth telling when they return from their trip.
A highlight of the week was the Luxury Agent Panel, moderated by Fee and featuring powerhouse producers Debra Thune, Carol Rice, Maria Tilton and Sue Palenik. Their candid discussions and field-tested advice offered fellow advisors valuable strategies on attracting affluent clients, delivering elite service and closing high-end sales.
Throughout the week, advisors connected directly with leading luxury brands through curated networking events providing them with expert insight on the innerworkings of the travel space.
'This event goes beyond just training,' said Scott Koepf, Chief Strategy Officer at Cruise Planners. 'It's about giving our advisors a fresh perspective, stronger industry relationships, and the confidence to elevate the way they serve high-end clients.'
The Luxury Forum is part of a broader lineup of in-person training events hosted by Cruise Planners throughout the year, including the Land Symposium, Bootcamps, and the company's Annual Convention, all designed to foster ongoing education and advisor success.
There's never been a better time to get into the travel industry—and for a limited time, you can save $2,000 and own a Cruise Planners franchise! With demand for travel soaring, travelers are turning to trusted advisors more than ever. As a Cruise Planners franchise owner, you'll be perfectly positioned to ride this wave and build a rewarding business from anywhere.
Company Background: Cruise Planners was founded in 1994 and is the nation's largest home-based travel agent franchise network. As a leader in the travel franchise industry, Cruise Planners positions a nation-wide network of 2,500 franchise owners for success by providing innovative marketing programs, proprietary and cutting-edge booking, and technology tools, as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry's top executives. The company continues to be an industry leader and was named the No.1 travel franchise by Entrepreneur magazine for 18 consecutive years and awarded by Franchise Business Review as 'Best-In-Category' for 2 years.
Franchise Business Review also ranked Cruise Planners #3 OVERALL on their list of Top 200 Franchises of 2022. Cruise Planners was recently featured in Entrepreneur as one of the top 30 franchise innovators in technology, has been consistently named as one of the Top Women-Owned Businesses by the South Florida Business Journal, is on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and was recognized as one of the Top Workplaces by the Sun Sentinel.
Visit our website, for more information or to view the complete list of awards and honors. For those interested in becoming a franchise owner, please visit
