First read is on us.

Subscribe today to keep up with the latest travel industry news.

Surging Demand for Milestone Celebrations Means New Business for Advisors


Skift Take

Despite the opportunity, there are challenges involved in successfully putting together celebration travel. One of the biggest ones is to keep things under control with unwieldy groups, particularly if there is no designated group leader.

As one travel advisor put it, an increasing number of clients want to take the party on the road these days. He was referring to the growing trend of celebration travel: groups of family or friends traveling together to mark a significant birthday, anniversary, or other milestone. While destination weddings have long been part of this, the scope of destination celebrations is expanding in all kinds of directions.

While some of the demand is fueled by an increased number of affluent consumers willing to pay for extraordinary bonding experiences, social media may be another factor. Whatever the reason, celebration travel is a potentially lucrative niche for travel advisors, with possible sources no further away than the existing client base. It’s definitely time to ask: What do you have to celebrate?

For more coverage of pertinent issues, click here.

Any suggestions for the coverage you would like to see are welcome. Feel free to contact me at mbl@skift.com.

— Maria Lenhart, Travel Advisor Editor

Featured Stories


Affluence Is Fueling Demand for Advisors to Plan Milestone Group Travel: The trend of family and friends celebrating birthdays and other milestones with travel is growing in scope. It's a likely niche for many travel advisors to pursue.

Carnival Builds a Connected Cruise Experience: Cruising has lagged behind other sectors of travel when it comes to digitization and personalization. A new wave of technology, though, is creating a more seamless experience for cruisers around the world.

Tourism

Selling U.S. Tourism in Trump Era Leaves Industry Grasping for Fixes: During the past couple of years, American government policies have been smearing the welcome mat that the U.S. travel industry tries to roll out for international tourists. As one U.S. Travel official noted this week: “Travel will go where it’s easiest to go.” And these days coming to America is not easy.

Hotels

What Luxury Hospitality Can Learn From These First-Time Hoteliers: Ambitious first-time hoteliers are forging some of the most intriguing hospitality experiences. The power of the beginner’s imagination combined with knowledge and passion from other industries is adding up to exactly what the most jaded travelers want.

The Man Who Puts the Sparkle in the Baccarat Hotel: When your brand is all about high-quality, custom-crafted crystal, you’d better be sure that the message shines throughout any product extensions. To uphold and safeguard Baccarat’s identity, enter the glass attendant.

A New Generation of Luxury in the English Countryside: There are a number of socioeconomic factors driving the investment and interest in refurbished luxury English countryside escapes, but the most basic is a driving desire from all involved to reconnect with sunlight, nature, and conscious meals in a comfortable setting.

Marriott Homesharing Strategy Is About Guest Loyalty Not Profits: Some hotel chains, such as Marriott, feel they have no choice but to get into homesharing. Marriott is trying to turn it into a loyalty play to keep its customers engaged with the brand.

Radisson Plots Co-Branding Pilot With New Owner Jin Jiang: With new Chinese owners in place, it seems sensible for Radisson to target both outbound travelers and the domestic market.

Online Travel

TripAdvisor Pressured Into Making Additional Reforms to Support Sexual Assault Victims: If you think protest is futile, then you’re wrong. Petitioners didn’t think TripAdvisor went far enough to promote traveler safety, and they got the travel website to take stock of itself and make additional reforms.

Skift Travel Advisor Editor Maria Lenhart [mbl@skift.com] curates the Skift Travel Advisor Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Tuesday. Have a story idea? Or a juicy news tip? Want to share a memo? Send her an email.

Up Next

Hotels

How Data Quality Issues Impact Global Hospitality Operations

There are wide discrepancies in data quality for hotel transactions across global regions, with the largest occurring in Asia-Pacific. Because hotels and agencies need to harness data quality to thrive, they must take a more nuanced regional approach to monitoring potential issues.
Sponsored
Online Travel

What Travel Brands Should Know About China's RedNote

As overseas travel rebounds and Chinese consumers increasingly seek out genuine travel tips and personalized recommendations, brands looking to engage this influential audience must understand what makes RedNote a powerful tool for modern travel marketing.