Travel Market 2026, the premier global conference for advisors and preferred partners affiliated with Travelsavers (retail brick-and-mortar agencies in the U.S. and Canada) and Nest (home-based agencies in the U.S.), invited nearly 1,000 travel advisors and suppliers to San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 24-26.

The three-day event gave advisors valuable opportunities for professional development and networking with top suppliers, including airlines, cruise lines, hotels and resorts, tour operators and destination tourism boards. They also received advice for marketing strategies and insights into notable industry trends.

Here are three trends to watch. 

Luxury Travel is Booming

Even with current changes in how people are allocating their money, luxury travel spending is up, with travelers projected to spend $3 trillion globally by 2033.

“Despite what we are seeing in the news — the economics, the geopolitical climate, the rising costs, the disruptions — people still want to travel,” said Nicole Mazza, the consortia’s chief marketing officer.

Data from Travelsavers’ Affluent Traveler Collection (ATC) Symposium, which immediately preceded Travel Market, confirms that high-value clients are prioritizing personalized travel experiences, with spending for luxury guided travel up 45% year over year (rising from $14,300 to $20,800 per traveler), luxury cruise suite bookings up 33% and luxury hotel nights up 44%. A survey of advisors across Travelsavers, Nest and Affluent Traveler Collection supports that, with 12% reporting that their clients are more willing to spend on premium travel than in the past.

“Consumers today are saying, ‘It’s worth it to me,’” Mazza said. “But ‘worth it’ is more than a financial calculation; it’s become an emotional calculation that only [advisors] can make for them.”

ATC projections for 2027 are equally positive, with luxury land bookings averaging 23% more than comparable 2026 bookings. Similarly, Travelsavers’ luxury ocean partners are pacing 40% ahead, while luxury river bookings show the most impressive jump at 84% over last year.

During the event's general session, Ken Muskat, president of Scenic Group, (which includes Emerald and Scenic brands), shared that luxury river and ultra-luxury yacht cruising are among the fastest-growing segments in the industry.

Shoulder Season Is Disappearing

As clients seek more unique and exclusive experiences, they're naturally also looking to avoid crowds, which has historically made shoulder season — the lull between high-demand travel seasons — a common choice for travelers with flexible schedules. The Travelsavers survey reinforces this trend, with 29% of advisors reporting their shoulder season bookings increased in 2026, and another 10% noting that shoulder season has all but vanished as traveler demand now stretches across the year. 

“There appears to be quite a bit of optimism around shoulder season,” said Betsy Goldberg, senior corporate communications director for Travelsavers and Nest. “But what I think is interesting is the 10% who are saying there is no more shoulder season — they’re just busy all the time.”

When asked about client attitudes toward maximizing travel value, 16% of advisors reported that clients are flexible about their travel timing, and 11% said clients are traveling during less busy times, supporting the trend toward shoulder-season bookings.

The Great Wealth Transfer

According to Mazza, one of the largest shifts in consumer behavior in the travel industry is already underway: “the great wealth transfer.”

"Eighty-four trillion [dollars] — that’s with a “t” — will be transferred over the next two decades from baby boomers to the next generation of travelers," she said.

Travel Market's keynote presentation from Jason Dorsey, president of the Center for Generational Kinetics and an expert on emerging trends, provided insight into how advisors can successfully market to those travelers, and particularly Gen Z.

“This is the best time ever to attract Gen Z as your clients,” Dorsey said. “That wealth transfer is happening — and they’re also making money — but most importantly [for travel advisors], Gen Z is the No. 1 group for referring their friends.”

Dorsey explained that younger travelers are prioritizing “unique experiences and in-real-life moments.” In other words, they're looking to experience destinations rather than simply collecting stamps in their passports, according to Christian Leibl-Cote, executive vice president of global sales for Collette, who participated in a panel following Dorsey’s keynote.

“When the movie ‘Bucket List’ came out, everyone was listing places they want to go,” Leibl-Cote said. “They want to see the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House, the pyramids, but younger generations don’t want to just go; they want to do things that are unique.”

Jacki Marks, global head of trade sales & engagement for ALG Vacations (ALGV), added that an ALGV survey shows 80% of Gen Z and millennial travelers use AI and social media for travel inspiration; however, 75% of them want “human interaction to make the final purchase decision,” so while younger travelers take advantage of technology, they value the expertise of travel advisors — and that’s a golden opportunity.