Skift Take

The Travel Leaders Group survey means that this has been a pretty good year so far for luxury travel for U.S.-based businesses.

Travel agencies that book luxury travel report such bookings are up or have remained steady so far this year, a Travel Leaders Group survey found.

Based on responses from 770 U.S.-based travel agents who book luxury travel, luxury cruise ship accommodations slightly edged out five-star hotels as the most frequently booked luxury accommodations, followed by boutique hotels [see chart below].

About 90% of survey participants said bookings “increased or remained steady” this year for luxury hotels, luxury cruise sailings, suites on cruise ships, luxury tour bookings, and first/business class airline tickets.

More participants said luxury hotel bookings increased year-over-year for 2014 compared with those who said the amount of bookings remained the same, with a combined 92% saying bookings are at or above what they were last year.

For all accommodations, a higher percentage of participants said bookings remained the same year-over-year for 2014 than year-over-year for 2013.

Luxury Accommodations Travel Agents Book Most Often

Rank Accommodation % Booked
1 Cruise ship (luxury) 43.50%
2 5-star hotels/resorts 43.10%
3 Boutique hotels 40.50%
4 4-star hotels/resorts 23.70%
5 5-star hotels/resorts – suites 21.50%
6 5-star + (plus) hotels/resorts 19.10%
7 4-star hotels/resorts – suites 19.00%
8 Cruise ship (not luxury) in a suite 18.40%
9 5-star + (plus) hotels/resorts – suites 16.00%
10 Villa 10.20%

Source: Travel Leaders Group

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Tags: luxury, travel agents

Photo credit: A Radiance of the Seas cruise ship in Alaska. blmiers2 / Flickr

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