TORONTO — How another year flew by so quickly, no one in the retail travel industry quite knows.

But here we are, just about ready to close the books on 2024 ­– and looking forward to what 2025 will bring.

Was 2024 a good year for you? Did the revenge travel trend stay aloft with your clients and keep your agency busy with calls and inquiries and bookings? Or did you see a plateau in demand, or even a drop? What sold well, and what was the most memorable trip you created for a client? And did you enjoy the best part of this industry – the travel! – with a few trips of your own?

We connected with three travel advisors to get their take on 2024. They shared news of some of their biggest bookings – and their biggest frustrations with the industry. See if their reflections on 2024 echo your own. And all the best for 2025!

Jennifer McPherson

TurnKey Travel

“The biggest trend I saw in 2024 was personalized travel.

“Coming out of the pandemic, we heard all about the trend of ‘revenge travel’ as people scrambled to make up for lost travel time. The result has been an overwhelming number of tourists concentrated in a handful of destinations.

“Recent stats have shown higher visitor rates than pre-pandemic and yet 80% of travellers are all visiting the same 10% of global spots. Think London, Paris, Rome and even smaller geographic areas such as Venice and Santorini. Everyone is feeling the crowds in these popular destinations, which has caused a surge in the trend for bespoke or customized travel.

“Luxury travel used to only mean having the penthouse suite at the exclusive resort or the largest balcony on a cruise ship. But now personalized travel is the ‘new’ luxury.

“I have been specializing in curated travel for my clients for years before COVID but I have seen a larger increase in the past two years of clients wanting even longer and more ‘off the beaten path’ types of adventures.

“We just had clients return from a six-week tailor-made journey that took them through Japan, SE Asia, Western Australia and Dubai/Oman. This six-week adventure was an incredible journey, but also an incredible amount of work. Especially Japan, it’s so popular with travellers now that it’s hard to get commitments from guides, as they’re all being pulled in to work for bigger tour companies that are short-staffed. Many places in Japan have now gone to a lottery system for booking your entry because they have too much demand.

“Travellers are craving that authentic experience and are willing to pay for an escape that does not have them sitting on a coach bus with dozens of tourists. They want to ‘live like a local’ and have more immersive experiences.

“We are seeing this in the level of interest for small-ship and expedition cruising, as well as emerging destinations such as Greenland/Arctic Circle, Bhutan and Patagonia.

“I just returned myself from two trips that took me to Morocco and also to the Azores, both fam trips for agents. I was very impressed with both of these destinations and I know my clients will be interested in them too. I am already planning a custom, small group tour to Morocco next November.

“With this increased trend towards meaningful and unique travel, we as advisors have to become more creative, such as looking for other areas besides the city centres or optimizing shoulder seasons. Ultimately, I hope this trend towards authentic travel will reduce overtourism and lead to a more sustainable industry.”

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Sandra McLeod

RedDoorTravel

“Wow, another year almost over. I am amazed at the number of people travelling everywhere, for longer periods of time. A lot of exotic places, expeditions and some new popular places in Europe – Switzerland, Portugal, Croatia, Greece – added to the usual European vacations.

“Definitely more people are seeing the value of travel professionals, especially for sorting through all the options and when there are issues. The list of issues is never-ending. Nothing surprises me anymore.

“People are more conscious of prices and wanting to get the best value for their dollar, no matter the price point.

“Most frustrating has been all the issues with air! Changing schedules, cancellations and price increases. Most disturbing is the nickel-and-diming, especially given the billions of dollars airlines are making on charging for seats. Also, the taxes! It’s crazy.

“I was booking air recently and the taxes are equal to or greater than the actual price. That is ludicrous. It makes me wonder if the airlines are putting more in the list of taxes to show lower prices, like they do with the seats.

“What has amazed me the most is the number of new ship builds coming out. It seems like it’s nonstop. Also, the size of some of them, and all the bells and whistles. It’s great for the clients. Even the higher-end cruise lines building smaller ships are adding more luxuries, with larger rooms, more restaurants and so on.

“Equally gangbusters are the river cruises. With the smaller ships, if you don’t book a year in advance, some are sold out. Also, they are becoming more inclusive, offering larger rooms, and sporting more modern decor.

“As a travel professional, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with all the changes. It is definitely and exciting time to travel and be in the travel industry.”

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Sheila Gallant-Halloran

Lush Life Travel, a Direct Travel affiliate

“If 2024 taught me anything, it’s that travel transforms.

“This year felt like my ‘make-up’ year for all the trips missed during the pandemic, and it was nothing short of extraordinary.

“I began by grounding myself with my annual visit to family in Newfoundland, then shifted to business growth at Virtuoso Travel Week in Vegas, where I was honoured as a top sustainability advisor.

“From there, I crisscrossed the globe, blending personal adventures with professional milestones.

“In Maui, I soaked up island beauty with my family, enjoying luaus, shave ice and beachside relaxation at the Fairmont Kea Lani. At Miraval Austin Resort & Spa in Texas, I immersed myself in wellness with floating sound meditation, equine therapy and archery. Career highlights included being named a Virtuoso Cruise Icon (top 1% of the network) and celebrating with a Windstar cruise to Tahiti, where my youngest daughter and I snorkelled, went scuba diving and jet-skied in paradise.

“In Costa Rica, as a top performer for Direct Travel, I earned a GEM (Going the Extra Mile) trip to the Andaz Papagayo, spying on monkeys and ziplining through the treetops. Exploring Istanbul and Rhodes on an Explora Journeys cruise with my cousin revealed the cultural richness of both destinations.

“Three Danube River cruises – on the AmaMagna, Scenic Amber and Uniworld’s River Duchess ­– helped me refine my expertise in river cruising. This October, I even restarted my women’s river cruise group, sailing the River Duchess, and I already have plans to lead another group on the Seine with AmaWaterways next year.

“But the ultimate highlight? An unforgettable expedition to Antarctica with my husband with Lindblad Expeditions. From witnessing Adélie, Gentoo and chinstrap penguins, to walking on ice and cruising through the iceberg graveyard, every moment was surreal. Seeing an emperor penguin was the icing on the cake!

“As a newly minted empty-nester, I’m embracing ‘chapter 3’ – the phase after schooling and raising kids. For me, this chapter is all about travel and helping others explore the world. I can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring!”

This article appears in the Dec. 19, 2024 edition of Travelweek; click here.