Travel Agents

After many years of setbacks and anticipation, Virgin Galactic's suborbital flights are expected to launch at last. Is a whole new era of space tourism, with rewards for travel advisors, about to take off, as well?

With Virgin Galactic's suborbital flights expected to begin at long last, space tourism could soon take off as a niche for travel advisors. Those already involved caution that it takes patience, training, and commitment.

Travel Leaders is one of the first travel giants to turn overtourism into an opportunity. It's teaming up with industry partners and academia to raise awareness, seek solutions, and push for sustainable business practices.

The classic American road trip is being revamped for more affluent and sophisticated travelers. Improved accommodations and amenities are a far cry from what many clients may recall from childhood.

As well-traveled Americans and international visitors look for their next adventures, travel advisors are pointing them to the allures of the open road. Fueled by an increase in high-end lodging options in the American West, more luxury travelers will shift gears and opt for driving rather than flying.

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.

The trend for groups of family and friends to celebrate birthdays and other milestones with travel is growing in scope. It's a likely niche for many travel advisors to pursue.

With college such a substantial investment for many families, touring prospective campuses is a growing priority. This is creating opportunities for travel advisors to step in and handle the logistics.

The business of planning custom college tours has the potential to grow as tuition continues to balloon at schools across the U.S. The relative cost of having an expert plan an intensive college visit may be worth it for students and families preparing to make a major investment.

While incentive travel is most often handled by travel management companies, it can also be a good fit for leisure travel advisors, especially those accustomed to working with high-end clients and those who make good use of outsourcing. While there are major differences between incentive and leisure travel, some of the same principles apply.