F1S advisors report "boom" in int'l bookings over 2022 & 2019

For the second consecutive year, travel bookings among First in Service (F1S) travel advisors are up year over year, the company says. 

Sales are also up compared with the same period in 2019, according to newly-released data from a recent survey conducted by F1S in Canada and the United States. 

International travel demand continues to "soar," the company said in a press release, as nearly 70 per cent of all advisors characterize their bookings as “up” over those in 2022, with more than 23 per cent saying they are “up significantly.” 

When comparing this year’s international bookings with those in 2019, more than 65 percent of all advisors say there are “up,” with just over 23 percent indicating they are “up significantly.” 

READ MORE: First in Service opens Canada hub in T.O., grows network to 40 advisors

While domestic travel lags, a plurality of both Canadian and U.S. advisors, 46.5 per cent, say their domestic bookings are even with where they were in both 2022 and 2019. 

“Our F1S travel advisors are experiencing the boom First in Service is seeing in international travel as we witness a return to normalcy,” stated Fernando Gonzalez, CEO of F1S. “Last year, travel came roaring back, even as the pandemic had not yet subsided. With most countries now reopened, it’s no wonder that we continue to witness a substantial demand in international bookings. Given the current trajectory, F1S is poised to easily have its best year yet with over US$300 million in annual sales.” 

While luxury and premium leisure travel continue to lead the travel comeback over the past two years, Gonzalez said that the post-pandemic era is ushering in increased sales for its corporate and entertainment travel segments. 

“Thanks to the amazing resilience, passion and grit of our advisors across all three segments, we expect our travel sales to increase by 30 percent over 2022 alone,” Gonzalez noted. “Each of our advisors is now responsible for, on average, a whopping $2 million each in annual sales.”  

Now vs. then 

In the recent survey, First in Service advisors in Canada and the United States were asked to compare their international bookings to date for 2023 with those for 2022 and 2019 (the last pre-COVID year). 

According to the results: 

• 2023 vs. 2022 – Just under 70 percent of all advisors indicated that their bookings were up, with more than 23 percent saying they were “up significantly.” Slightly more than 30 percent labeled their bookings as “about even.” No advisor in either Canada or the U.S. characterized their bookings as “down.” 
• 2023 vs. 2019 – Just over 65 percent of all advisors characterized their bookings as up, with over 23 percent saying they were “up significantly.” Another 18.6 percent of advisors said their bookings were “about even.” 
• Canada vs. United States – Canadian advisors were more likely than those in the U.S. to say their international bookings had increased over 2022 and 2019: 2022, over 69 percent vs. 60 percent. Canadian advisors who said their bookings were “about even” were just over 26 percent, vs. 35 percent of U.S. advisors. 

In the same survey, Canadian and U.S. advisors were asked to compare their respective domestic bookings for 2023 with both 2022 and pre-Covid 2019. According to the results: 

• 2023 vs. 2022 – More than 23 percent of all advisors indicated that their bookings were up, with just over 9 percent saying they were “up significantly.” A plurality (46.5 percent) of advisors characterized their domestic bookings as “about even.”  
• 2023 vs. 2019 – Just under 26 percent of all advisors labeled their bookings as up, with 7 percent saying they were “up significantly.” A plurality (46.5 percent) of advisors said their bookings were “about even.” 
• United States vs. Canada – U.S. advisors were much more likely than those in Canada to say their domestic bookings had increased over the last two years: 2022, 40 percent vs. just under 9 percent; 2019, 35 percent vs. more than 17 percent. In the U.S., those saying their domestic bookings were “about even” were 35 percent in comparison with 2022 and 30 percent compared with 2019. Majorities of Canadian advisors – 56.5 percent and just under 61 percent – termed their bookings as “about even” when compared against 2022 and 2019, respectively. 

“Whatever their mix of business and/or destination specialization, F1S collaborates very closely with each of our exceptional advisors to provide them with the tools they need to be able to serve their clients’ specific needs,” stated Gonzalez. “It’s one of the primary reasons why we continue to flourish and grow at an accelerated pace.” 

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