5 Qualities to Look for When Partnering With a Tour Operator

A busy professional in any field can appreciate the value of outsourcing and delegating. In the realm of selling travel, this translates to meaningful — and profitable — partnerships with travel suppliers. Choosing those suppliers and building those relationships is a substantial piece of running a successful travel agency. But how do you decide which tour operators to bring into the fold?

The 2026 Outlook on Land Tours (compiled by Travel Market Report) found that the Globus family of brands was the top operator for land travel bookings in both the U.S. and Canada, according to advisors, at 49% and 62%, respectively. In search of some answers, we reached out directly to a handful of travel advisors to glean what it is they find useful about working with a tour operator like Globus. The following five themes are what emerged.

Quick turnaround time

“One of the biggest shifts I have seen over this past year is how much closer clients are booking to departure,” says Angela Hughes, CEO and founder of Trips & Ships Luxury Travel, based in the Greater Orlando area. “Because of that, land tour companies that can provide fast turnaround times, live inventory, quick confirmations, strong air support, and clear pricing are becoming even more valuable to agencies like mine.”

The data confirms a shift in booking windows. In the previous outlook, 72% of advisors had clients booking between six to 12 months prior to departure, and more than a quarter (26%) had clients booking more than one year out. In this outlook, the numbers have dropped: two-thirds (66%) had clients booking six to 12 months before departure, and 22% had clients who booked more than a year in advance.

“My business is built around high-yield sales, efficiency, and quick turnaround times, so I need partners that can move fast, communicate clearly, and solve problems without unnecessary friction,” reiterates Hughes.

Efficient business model

“From an advisor perspective, the biggest advantage is efficiency,” says Scott Waldron and Anita Milne, co-owners of Gravitate Travel in Kemptville, Ontario. “Online payment handling, clean reporting, and prompt manifest updates reduce administrative work and let us focus on our clients and on building the group itself. When an operator has thought through the advisor side of the process, it makes a real difference.”

“Today, I am looking much more carefully at yield, efficiency, scalability, and speed to close,” says Hughes. “If I can move a client into a strong escorted or land touring product that delivers a great experience, protects my time, pays efficiently, and allows my team to close the sale faster, that becomes a very attractive business model. The margins are often stronger, the operational stress is lower, and the turnaround time from inquiry to deposit can happen dramatically faster.”

Amy Madson of Orlando-based Madson & Associates agrees that referring clients to a tour operator makes efficient use of her time and services. “Using a tour operator makes my life as an advisor so much easier because they’ve done all the legwork on vetting hotels, providing transportation, booking the skip-the-line, must-see attractions, and having professional guides already built into one easy package,” she says. “It saves hours of work and so many headaches of trying to piecemeal a custom FIT trip.”

Clear communication

“The biggest things we value in a land tour operator are responsiveness, clarity, and ease of execution,” says Waldron and Milne. “Working with [tour operators like] Globus and Cosmos, what has stood out most is how quickly their team responds and how clearly their group quotes are structured. The pricing tiers, payment dates, and terms are laid out in a way that makes it easy to plan, sell, and manage a group without second-guessing the details.”

“We also think good advisor-operator relationships come down to communication,” continues the Gravitate Travel team. “Advisors should be upfront about their experience level and what support they need, and operators should be responsive, flexible, and solution oriented. That kind of partnership builds confidence and helps everyone deliver a better client experience.”

“Globus offers advisors a robust agent portal with an easy booking process, information on promotions and client data — all within a few clicks,” says Madson.

Competitive inventory

According to the 2026 Outlook on Land Tours, the top three challenges for advisors selling clients on land tours were clients not wanting to be part of a group tour (54%); clients wanting a flexible itinerary (49%); and that the total cost was too high (47%).

Tour companies are responding to this demand by offering intimate, small-group tour experiences with built-in time for independent exploration as well as a range of tour inclusions to account for different budgets.

“Many of our clients are looking for smaller groups and more unique travel experiences,” echoes Madson. “Globus offers many types of touring included their Small Group Discovery and Undiscovered Tours which resonate well with these folks.  There’s something to be said about being able to spread out the 20 to 24 people on the motorcoach that holds 45.”

“Some of the smartest and most profitable advisors I know are incredibly strategic about when they use escorted touring, small group journeys, packaged land programs, and operator partnerships versus when they build something fully customized,” says Hughes. “Clients are not sitting around asking how many hours you spent building an itinerary manually. They care about the experience, the outcome, the expertise behind the recommendation, and whether the trip runs smoothly. If an advisor can match a client with the right operator, the right itinerary, the right pacing, and the right value while also protecting their own time and profitability, that is smart business.”

Conflict resolution

Sometimes the best indication of a tour company’s integrity is how they respond when there is a problem. Advisors want to make sure that customer service reps are not only reachable but resourceful.

“I look at how issues are handled in destination when something goes wrong, how responsive the reservations team is when my advisors need help…,” says Hughes. “Those operational details matter tremendously in an agency environment because they directly impact efficiency, profitability, advisor confidence, and ultimately the overall client experience.”

“As a travel advisor, I know Globus Family of Brands always has my back,” says Madson.  “In the event of a client issue, they listen and respond with compassion.”

From the Sponsor

At the Globus family of brands, we believe the best supplier partnerships go beyond products and promotions. They’re built on trust, responsiveness, and a shared commitment to growing the travel industry.

That’s why the findings in Travel Market Report’s 2026 Outlook on Land Tours resonate so strongly with us. Advisors today are looking for partners that help them work smarter: faster turnaround times, clear communication, operational excellence, strong support, and travel experiences that truly deliver for their clients.

We’re proud to see so many Advisors highlight those qualities in their partnership with Globus and Cosmos. Our focus is and always has been to make it easier for Advisors to succeed while creating unforgettable journeys for travelers. 

As the travel landscape evolves, one thing remains unchanged: we’re here for the Travel Advisor community. We’ve Got U.

To learn more, visit our Travel Advisor Portal.