Virtuoso’s travel agents experienced a record-breaking year in 2024, with sales up 213pc compared to the same period in 2019 and up14pc year-over-year in total sales volume, fuelled by momentum for 2025 and 2026
The cruise sector saw an 18pc increase in sales, sustainability remains a key trend, and Virtuoso’s partners are impacting the industry by driving sales growth in sustainable cruise partners and other sectors; other trends include Legacy Travel and the inclusion of generation Beta in travel across various generations from 2025 onwards.
Updates on the luxury travel space noted a lack of slowdown in luxury experiences, with travellers booking for revelry and celebratory travel
Travellers are willing to travel at any cost to have the experience they desire, with trends including self-preservation travel, increased demand for Asian destinations, and a shift towards “coolcations” in Scandinavian countries for climate-conscious travel.
Over 4,700 attendees, comprising luxury travel agents and 2,086 travel brands spanning 97 countries, convened at the Bellagio, Aria, Cosmopolitan and Vdara for the weeklong event. They included Siobhán Byrne’s Adams & Butler from Ireland.
Among this year’s event innovations were “Brain Dates” for informal and unstructured group discussions on self-selected topics, a Hotel Showcase, and wellness offerings such as fitness classes and yoga.
Misty Belles, Virtuoso’s vice president of global public relations said “if you look at where we were last year, in terms of planning one to two years out, we are 38 percent higher. That shows that momentum continues to build for 2025 and 2026. Right now, we are seeing no slowdown in luxury experiences.”
