Partnering with Travel Advisors: Insights to Grow Group Travel

At TAP, we believe that collaboration and partnerships are essential for the growth and prosperity of every organization in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. Simply put, we need each other.

Destinations don’t flourish without visitors. Tour operators don’t thrive without suppliers. And travel advisors are often the essential bridge connecting travelers to it all.

To grow group travel—a key segment of the travel industry and a linchpin of success for tourism destinations—we must work together. When destinations, attractions, and operators support travel advisors, everyone benefits.

If you’re looking to increase visibility, visitor traffic, and bookings through group travel, advisors are your secret weapon. From recent feedback in our community, we’ve heard consistently that advisors are eager to collaborate, motivated to grow, and asking for support. So let’s dig into what’s working, what their challenges are, and how you can partner with them to grow group travel bookings and drive shared success. 

What’s Working in Group Travel Today

Travel advisors are already delivering group business—and they want to do more. Many shared that they are actively booking groups now, and most expressed interest in booking even more in the future. 

The Types of Groups Advisors Are Booking

Advisors told us they’re working with a wide variety of travelers:

• Friends and social groups 
• Multi-generational families 
• Religious groups 
• Special-interest groups like culinary, wellness, or adventure

Smaller but growing segments include school groups, corporate/incentive travelers, and destination weddings.

Group Sizes Are Significant

While small groups are a significant travel trend, many advisors emphasized that they are also booking medium to large groups—often 20, 30, or even 40+ travelers at a time.

This shows that group travel is a serious driver of visitation. In 2024, the global group travel market was estimated at USD 369.8 billion, and it’s projected to grow to USD 651.8 billion by 2034. Travel advisors are a great partner in serving up a piece of that pie.

Frequency of Bookings

Advisors also shared that they aren’t just booking one or two groups a year. Many are organizing multiple groups annually, with some handling 10 or more. Multiply that by the average group size (30) and a single advisor might assist over 300 people within those groups in a year. That’s a steady pipeline of travelers—ready to grow if advisors feel supported. 

How Groups Come Together

Advisors are finding multiple ways to bring groups to life:

• Working with pre-formed groups (families, clubs, or organizations) 
• Partnering with group leaders who recruit participants 
• Creating and marketing their own groups to new travelers 
• Leading groups for repeat clients who return to travel with them year after year.

This highlights just how creative and resourceful advisors are when it comes to filling group trips. 

Supporting the Growth of Group Travel

If group travel is already working, how do we tap into this stream of travelers, and help advisors take it to the next level? Recent feedback made it clear: they’re motivated to grow group travel but need more support from suppliers, destinations, and attractions.

Advisors Are Open to New Destinations—With the Right Tools

Advisors are curious explorers. Many are telling us that they are open to selling destinations not currently on their radar—if they feel supported with the right tools.

It’s not just about where to go—it’s about what kind of experiences they can offer. Advisors expressed strong interest in themed or special-interest trips (wine, wellness, history), cultural and heritage-rich destinations, off-the-beaten-path and emerging locations, and trips focused on outdoor scenery. Some also pointed to luxury, adventure, or sustainable travel experiences as opportunities. 

But they won’t promote a destination unless they feel confident. They told us the top things that would encourage them include:

• Hosted FAM trips 
• Access to local experts 
• Special offers or incentives 
• Help building custom itineraries 
• Ready-to-use marketing content

When you provide these tools, you make it easier for advisors to introduce your destination or product to new groups.

Barriers to Booking More Group Travel

Advisors are eager to book more groups, but they need support in overcoming some key challenges. Many shared that it can be difficult to consistently find clients interested in groups. Others said they encounter barriers with suppliers, such as slow responses, unclear pricing, or lack of flexibility. Group coordination and logistics also came up as ongoing challenges.

Suppliers who respond quickly, offer transparent pricing, and adapt to group needs are the ones advisors will return to again and again. A key area of support for destinations would be partnering with advisors to craft itineraries with unique, exclusive experiences that will attract more travelers and fill up their groups.

What Advisors Say They Need to Grow Group Travel

When asked how suppliers can help them grow group travel, advisors identified several priorities:

• More support and incentives from suppliers 
• Group-friendly products and packages 
• Strategies for finding niches and group leaders 
• Additional training and workshops 
• Stronger marketing tools.  

By leaning into these needs, you don’t just make a sale—you create a partnership that fuels ongoing group growth.

Advisors Are Hungry to Learn

One of the most encouraging themes we heard was advisors’ eagerness to learn. Many said they want more education on topics like marketing group travel, working with suppliers, selling group travel effectively, using social media, and building itineraries. This is something we are working on providing through the TAP community, as a thought partner to help advisors succeed—and in turn, help grow group travel bookings for everyone. 

How to Connect with Travel Advisors

TAP’s community of travel professionals includes an ever-growing audience of 6700+ travel buyers—primarily travel advisors, along with some tour operators that buy into other tour products. We offer several programs to support our travel buyers and connect them with our TAP Tour Operator Partners and TAP Guild members.

One of these programs, the annual Virtual Travel Showcase, is also available to our full community of destinations and attractions (called PPTPs – Preferred Professional Travel Providers). Through a hybrid workshop-webinar style format, this showcase is designed to engage and educate the travel buyer audience on your destination, attraction, or tour product’s hidden gems, unique, authentic experiences, and niche group opportunities.

Presenter registration is open until Friday August 29th for our 2025 Virtual Travel Showcase, and we have just a few spaces left. Learn more about how you can be a part of this innovative event and connect with travel advisors who are eagerly looking for new places, unique experiences, and hospitality at its finest for their group and FIT clients.