TravelOnly Conference 2026: Navigating a Fast-Changing Travel Market

The official kickoff of the 2026 TravelOnly conference aboard Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady featured co-owners Ann Luciani and Greg Luciani sharing the host agency’s vision and emphasizing the importance of the community that makes up the organization.

Their message focused on growth, advisor engagement, relationships with partners, and TravelOnly’s commitment to continuing to evolve alongside the realities and challenges advisors face in the field.

For Greg Luciani, President and CEO, that evolution requires a vision of the future. He encouraged advisors not to limit their ambitions to where their businesses stand today, but to consider where they could be in the years ahead.

“I don’t want you to think about where your business is in 2026. I want you to think about where your business is going for 2030 and 2035. Think big!” It was a message that remained central throughout his presentation: think bigger, create new business opportunities, and don’t let the fear of failure limit ambition.

A market filled with opportunities

According to information shared during the presentation, the high-end segment is experiencing strong growth in both spending and bookings, while the lower end of the market requires more effort. Multigenerational travel and destination weddings are also seeing strong demand, with double-digit growth discussed. Baby boomers continue to represent a significant opportunity for the industry, and it’s a segment advisors should keep on their radar, according to TravelOnly’s president.

Growth today, however, comes with new challenges. Inflation, rising travel costs and an increasingly complex geopolitical environment are expected to continue putting pressure on the market. Luciani expects travel to become more expensive over the next five years. In this environment, an advisor’s ability to sell value and experience rather than focusing solely on price becomes increasingly important.

Niche markets can also offer particularly interesting opportunities. One example shared involved an unconventional cruise niche that had been developed over several years, with a single sailing capable of generating between $30,000 and $40,000 in commission. The takeaway was clear: some niches take time to build, but can ultimately become highly profitable.

The cruise traveller is evolving

The profile of today’s cruise traveller is changing. Guests are younger than they once were, helping to broaden the potential customer base for advisors.

At the same time, luxury was identified as one of the fastest-growing segments of the business. According to discussions throughout the day, high-end travellers often prefer not to manage their own bookings, creating a natural opportunity for advisors to offer a more concierge-style level of service while potentially generating additional revenue for their agencies. The product mix is therefore shifting toward more luxury and differentiated experiences. But this is not a strategy that can be built overnight, Luciani said. It is contingent on developing long-term relationships with clients.

AI becomes part of the advisor’s everyday business

It’s nearly impossible to talk about the future without discussing artificial intelligence. TravelOnly’s message to advisors was to begin adopting these tools now rather than risk having to catch up with several years of technological development down the road.

Among the tools discussed was TravelOnly Lead Hive, a program designed to provide independent travel advisors with tools and technology for lead generation. Joy, meanwhile, serves as TravelOnly’s internal chatbot. The examples presented were practical: creating ads, drafting emails, setting deposit reminders, keeping track of client birthdays, organizing daily tasks and proactively delivering information from the CRM. The objective is to reduce the time advisors spend on certain administrative tasks, allowing them to focus more on sales and client relationships.

One important limitation was also emphasized: technology cannot replace critical thinking or real-world experience. “It won’t replace the work you do on the ground,” Luciani told participants. For TravelOnly, AI should complement the advisor’s work rather than replace the human relationship. The goal? Automate certain tasks while keeping human expertise at the centre of the client experience.

Advisors take the floor

After a full day of presentations, the conference wrapped up with a panel of travel advisors who shared their perspectives from the front lines, including current market challenges and changing client expectations.

The day also included one-on-one meetings between advisors and suppliers on board. These 1:1 sessions gave participants an opportunity to connect directly with partners and learn more about the products and services available to them.

The first day ultimately highlighted one common thread: the market is changing, travellers are changing, and the number of tools available to advisors continues to grow. The opportunities are there, but success increasingly depends on building strong relationships, understanding emerging client segments and embracing technology without losing what remains at the heart of the profession: human expertise.