Travel advisors are reporting a mixed 2026 when it comes to booking pace, but they are largely in agreement about one thing: the trips they are selling are pricier.
A year-long series of Travel Weekly surveys tracked advisor sentiment throughout 2025 as the industry faced a volatile period of government policy changes and economic shifts. While more than half of advisors reported booking declines during a midyear slump, the final months of 2025 saw stabilization, defined by shorter booking windows, heightened price sensitivity and a shift toward higher-value itineraries.
The most recent survey of 235 readers was conducted online in November and December and asked about booking patterns and sentiment about the year ahead.
Despite lingering concerns over travel costs and the geopolitical climate, most advisors are entering 2026 with an optimistic outlook on growth.
When it comes to booking volume for 2026 travel so far, 44.1% of respondents said booking volume was either slightly or significantly ahead, while 37.9% reported booking volume was slightly or significantly behind.
In an open-ended question, several advisors shared more about what is impacting the booking climate.
"The government shutdown that lasted 43 days did affect future bookings for our agency," one Columbus, Ohio-based advisor said. "Many of our clients paused on confirming vacations and placing deposits. Now we are playing catch-up and hope 2026 will be as good as 2025."
Another is seeing fewer new travelers, and the economy has impacted the confidence of existing clients.
Several others said clients who are green card holders are concerned about re-entry into the U.S. and are holding off on international travel.
On the flip side, Kari Jevert of All About Vacations in Crown Point, Ind., said the past few years have felt like "Wave season never ends," and demand has kept advisors busy with quoting or booking every day.
"A good percentage of our clients are well- and often-traveled; not much deters them," Jevert wrote. "So much so, [that] when we do advise perhaps about an increase in Covid cases being reported or maybe wildfires in the Rocky Mountains limiting visibility or air quality, they don't care. They still want to go!"
The high cost of travel
Survey respondents in general seemed to agree that the cost of bookings is increasing this year.
Asked how per-trip spending for travel in 2026 tracked compared to the same period of time last year, 55.2% said it is slightly or significantly higher, compared with 22.1% who said costs are slightly or significantly lower.
A number of advisors said that the price of travel is impacting their business. For instance, Melissa Vincent of Cruise Planners in DeRidder, La., said that ocean cruising remains strong, but airfare increases are keeping clients from traveling as much as they did previously.
"Rising costs of travel including airfare, increased dining expenses and the insane tipping culture has been a factor for our agency," Vincent said.
When asked what clients' concerns are when they express hesitancy to travel, the top reason was rising prices, followed by the economy.
Advisors were asked the same question in a Travel Weekly survey fielded in July and August, and the economy was No. 1, followed by global political unrest, conflicts or wars. The rising prices of travel was the third-most-cited concern.
Will 2026 be turbulent, too?
While 2025 was a rocky one for many agencies, booking volume appeared to stabilize, or even rebound, heading into the new year.
In a March survey, Travel Weekly found that 44.9% of respondents reported a decrease in leisure bookings, a number that increased to 57.7% in May. In July and August, that number began to lessen, to 52.4%, and in December, 42.8% of advisors reported a decline in bookings.
Also in December, 43.5% of respondents said they were experiencing an increase in bookings, slightly eclipsing the number reporting decreases.
"There is still great unease among many clients, but as one client aptly stated, 'I travel to have something positive to look forward to, that I can almost fully control since so much seems so bleak and out of control these days,'" said a Philadelphia-based advisor.
Despite pricing woes and booking fluctuations, travel advisors are largely positive about the year ahead. Overall, 66.2% of December survey respondents said they were optimistic about the profitability and growth of their business in 2026, while 15.9% were neutral and 17.9% were pessimistic.
Several respondents pointed to the resilience of the travel industry.
"Until the U.S. political atmosphere stabilizes, I imagine future sales will be lower than normal due to public uncertainty over their future," a Seattle-based advisor wrote. "However, I expect to ride out the next two to three years -- not the first time and not the last!"