24 | CHART 13 Advisors said that the topmost challenge in selling a luxury vacation was the total cost, which some clients found too high. Advisors also shared that managing client expectations was a challenge. In many cases itineraries/ schedules did not match with the inventory, said nearly four out of ten advisors. One in five advisors also shared that they don’t have enough expertise to sell a luxury vacation. This number is far more for those with annual sales of below $1 million and those with less than ten years of experience in the industry. This points to the need for more focused training formats and hand-holding from suppliers. With a suggestion for suppliers, an advisor said, CHALLENGES IN SELLING LUXURY VACATIONS LUXURY VACATION TRENDS FOR 2024 All vendors should state that their trip or cruise can be booked with a travel advisor, for the same price as booking direct. This would lessen their load. 10% 12% 13% 14% 16% 17% 19% 39% 39% 46% Clients are not interested in luxury products None, I have plenty of clients interested in luxury travel Customer interest in luxury travel isn't as strong as it used to be I am unaware of new products/brands Not enough sales and marketing support from the suppliers I don’t have strong BDM relationship Not enough expertise to sell with confidence Clients’ itinerary/schedule did not match with available inventory Managing clients’ expectation is demanding/time consuming Total cost of luxury vacation is too high for clients