2024 Seven out of 10 advisors said that they specialize in ocean cruises. Family/multi-generation travel (66%) and specific destinations (60%) are other top specializations. Alaska (77%), Hawaii (72%), and Florida (63%) are the most popular U.S. destinations, said advisors. The Caribbean-Bahamas (85%), Europe (85%), and Mexico-Central America (83%) are the most popular non-U.S. destinations. Ocean cruise contributes to 23% of advisors’ annual gross sales, and the share of all-inclusive vacations is 21%. Almost 9 out of 10 advisors plan to sell to affinity/ clubs, and to nuclear families in the next 24 months. Eight out of 10 advisors are affiliated with consortia, marketing groups or host agencies. Preferred commissions with supplier (84%), customer service (69%), and exclusive promotions (66%) are the most important factors for advisors while choosing a host agency. Four out of 10 advisors said that they find host agencies based on referrals from a friend, colleague or advisor. Host agency website (30%) and a web search (8%) were other means. Nearly 50% of the advisors said that they pay an annual fee of up to $500. One out of 2 advisors said that they pay a commission of between 11% and 30% to the host agency. Nearly 50% of the advisors said that they charge a service fee. Word of mouth referrals (87%) are the most popular lead generation channels for advisors, along with current/past clientele (77%), and social media (60%). Almost 100% of advisors use text messaging to stay in touch with clients. Ninety-five percent use emails and phone calls. Six out of 10 advisors use Facebook messenger for communication. Thirteen percent of advisors still don’t use any messaging apps. Eighty-one percent of advisors generate their own social media content. Fifty-six percent of advisors said that they share between three and 10 posts in a week. Eight out of 10 advisors said that they have their own website. Of these, 65% said that the site is hosted by them or a third-party platform. Quality of call center operations (74%), client needs (68%), and destination expertise (65%) are the most important factors in selecting a supplier, said advisors. One in 2 advisors said that they would like to learn the best practices of other advisors to help grow their business. Six out of 10 advisors are independent contractors/ advisors with a host agency or franchise or a consortium. Forty-five percent of the advisors said they have 21 years of travel sales experience or more. More than 60% of advisors said that they expect a double-digit growth in annual gross sales in 2025. FAM Trips (83%) and virtual training (79%) are the most preferred training formats. Product specialization and social media training are the most preferred training programs. KEY FINDINGS 4