TURNING VIRTUOSO TRAVEL WEEK 2025 INSIGHTS INTO ACTION
As one of the most anticipated gatherings in the luxury travel space, Virtuoso Travel Week 2025 provided an in-depth look at the forces shaping traveler behavior, along with clear opportunities to reach top consumer and trade-focused audiences.
Virtuoso Travel Week 2025 underscored the undeniable momentum of luxury travel. In fact, the industry isn’t just thriving, it’s accelerating across every category. According to Virtuoso’s 2025 report, all travel categories experienced year-over-year growth in the first half of 2025, with double-digit increases in global leisure sales. Cruises rose more than 25%, on-site services grew 33%, and preferred hotel rates climbed over 8%. The takeaway is clear: affluent travelers are spending more, booking earlier, and seeking experiences that feel both exclusive and transformative.
For brands, this is not only validation of luxury travel’s resilience, but also a clear signal that strategic communications and PR must rise to meet unprecedented demand.
As an agency that specializes in luxury travel, lifestyle, and hospitality, we see moments like this as opportunities to translate industry trends into clear, measurable communications strategies. Below we’ve highlighted the key insights and what they mean for your brand.
A Market Where All Segments Are Rising
The Virtuoso findings show that no travel segment is being left behind. With tours, hotels, resorts, and cruises recording strong growth in 2025, luxury travelers are embracing variety and investing more broadly in different types of experiences. This is important for long-term planning. If the momentum continues, 2026 and 2027 will likely see heightened competition for consumer attention, earlier booking windows, and greater pressure on brands to differentiate. For PR and communications leaders, that means today’s campaigns should not only speak to the current surge but also set the stage for sustained relevance in the years ahead.
In our case, Zapwater is currently working with Seaside Finolhu Baa Atoll in the Maldives to highlight its unique, design-forward approach to its five-star island. While the Maldives is filled with ultra luxury product offerings, our teams have been able to separate Seaside Finolhu from the bunch, and deliver exceptional media features in top tier outlets like Conde Nast Traveler and Forbes.
Longer Booking Horizons Mean Longer Media Runways
Advance bookings for high-value trips ($50,000+) are up sharply, especially for cruises and safaris. Many of these trips are booked one to two years ahead. As such, PR planning must match the pace of traveler planning.
Our team builds thoughtful, long-lead pitches for luxury lifestyle, travel, and business press well before our clients’ peak seasons. We highlight early-booking offers, new and exciting itineraries, or limited-capacity experiences to ensure our clients are top-of-mind during the decision windows.
Emotional Motivators Should Shape Messaging
Across markets, “joy and happiness” remains the top travel motivator, followed by mental reset, curiosity, and awe of nature. Moreover, regional nuances matter. For example, Greater Chinese travelers place higher value on adrenaline and culinary experiences, while Canadians over-index on adventure and live entertainment.
Our team is quite adept with this trend after representing Visit Finland for many years. Finland has been named the “Happiest Country in the World” by the U.N. Happiness Report, and we’ve crafted strategies to
Communications that tap into why people travel, rather than just where, resonate deeper.
Sustainability is Maturing into a Purchase Driver
Seventy-seven percent of Virtuoso advisors have seen increased client interest in sustainable travel over the past five years, with supporting local economies as the most popular pillar. While awareness of partners’ sustainability practices is moderate, 64% of clients are willing to spend more if those practices are clearly communicated.
While sustainability is nothing new to the market, there’s a clear desire among consumers to understand how brands are embracing and implementing it at all levels, from community-led projects to eco-certified accommodations.
The Zapwater team is working with our clients to provide specific details about their sustainable offerings,
Niche Segments Are Gaining Influence
Solo female travel (“Wander Women”) now represents a meaningful slice of the market, driven largely by Boomers and Gen X. Multigenerational travel is also on the rise, with 53% of Virtuoso travelers planning to travel with multiple generations this year and a 23% year-over-year increase in celebration travel.
These niches deserve dedicated packages, promotions, and content, from safety-forward solo itineraries to high-touch family reunion packages. Over the past year, Zapwater has worked with our destination, hotel, resort, and cruise clients to ensure we’re promoting key offerings to these powerful audiences.
Overall, Virtuoso Travel Week 2025 reaffirmed that luxury travel is continuing to evolve. The main opportunity that lies ahead is translating the data into communications strategies and stories that inspire, inform, and convert to bookings. Above all, leveraging these insights can help position brands and destinations not just as places to visit, but as experiences that resonate long after the trip ends.
photos courtesy of Pixabay