Travel advisors navigate a year of extremes

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Luxury last-minute trips and far-in-advance planning define a volatile 2025 travel landscape

Jun 17, 2025

In 2025, travel advisors are facing an unpredictable mix of booking behaviors—either very last-minute or surprisingly far in advance. This split trend, highlighted at recent industry conferences like American Marketing Group’s Travel Market and Travel Leaders Network’s Edge, reflects both economic uncertainty and pent-up demand from past travel disruptions. The result is a high-pressure environment for advisors, balancing urgent requests with long-term planning in a market shaped by volatility and shifting traveler priorities.

Key takeaways

Last-minute luxury surge: High-net-worth clients are increasingly making spontaneous luxury travel bookings, sometimes just weeks before departure. This has led to more reactive, high-stakes planning by advisors and a revenue boost for agencies like VIP Vacations.
Economic uncertainty drives hesitation: Some travelers are delaying bookings due to concerns about job stability, particularly those connected to government work or sectors facing restructuring. This trend is especially noticeable in the U.S.
Long-lead planning on the rise: While some book late, others are locking in 2026 holidays well in advance—especially those who missed out on trips during previous peak periods. This forward-planning trend is stabilizing parts of the market.
Volatile but growing market: Despite Q1 dips linked to geopolitical and economic volatility, both AMG and TLN report positive year-over-year revenue growth across travel segments, particularly in river cruising and luxury.
Shift in wedding and honeymoon demand: Destination weddings and honeymoons have slowed after a pandemic-era boom. Changing relationship timelines and financial priorities (like home buying) are contributing factors.
Forecast for 2026: Industry leaders are cautiously optimistic. While 2025 remains unpredictable, early 2026 bookings look strong, suggesting that a “new normal” may be taking shape.
Industry sentiment mixed but hopeful: Advisors report feeling more confident than at the start of the year, buoyed by strong recent performance despite the continued challenge of managing booking extremes.