VIDEO: Tariffs & trends – Clementino & Mazza-Burney tackle strategy at Travel Market

“If you look at what’s happening, you’d think sales would be down. But they’re not,” said Jane Clementino, senior vice-president and general manager of TRAVELSAVERS Canada. “Canadians have made the decision that they want to travel.”

The state of the travel industry is front and center this week in Orlando, Florida, where nearly 1,000 travel advisors from the United States and Canada have come together for American Marketing Group’s (AMG’s) global conference, Travel Market.

The annual event, this year called “Connected,” offers a space to learn, network and explore the future direction of the business.

The latter has been a hot topic as bookings, north of the border, experience a shift due to declining sentiment toward the U.S. brought on by President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. Many consumers are choosing to stay within Canada’s borders or travel elsewhere – beyond the states.

Speaking on a panel yesterday, Wendy Paradis, president of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors (ACTA), told delegates that if current U.S. tariffs stay in place, the impact on the Canadian travel industry could be worse than the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ MORE: Summer travel intention surging among Canadians, but “U.S. backlash is real,” says poll

She noted how connected Canada and the United States have become over the past 50 to 60 years, and how the “immediacy” of the situation, as the relationship between the two countries breaks down, could have long-lasting effects on jobs and disposable income.  

The remarks have since sparked some disagreement among travel advisors, watching from afar, on PAX's Facebook page.

Finding the alternative

Speaking to PAX shortly afterwards, Jane Clementino. responding to Paradis' comments, agreed that disposable income plays an important role in travel bookings.

However: “I feel like we won’t have a repeat of 2020 [when the pandemic hit],” she said. “I think we have the means and capability of going around that and finding alternatives.”

Travel intentions appear to be high. KMPG reports that 58 per cent of consumers plan to travel this summer, up from 55 per cent last year. Deloitte also says people will spend 13 per cent more on summer travel this year than last.

READ MORE: On Location: Canadian advisors show up strong as TRAVELSAVERS’ Travel Market opens in Orlando

“Canadians are still saying they’re going to travel,” Clementino told PAX earlier this week. “Some within the country, but others will go elsewhere. For us, Europe is up 40 per cent this year. Asia has also doubled.”

This, even as tickets prices – and overall transaction values – continue to soar. “People are still spending money,” Clementino said.

Sales overall at TRAVELSAVERS Canada are above last year for the first six months. But the rest of 2025 could be a different story.

“The back half of the year makes me more nervous,” Clementino said. “Every day is a new day. Assuming things continue on the same trajectory, we’ll be fine. If things start to die because of different decisions, I think it will be a natural response.”

Canadians on the scene

AMG’s annual conference brings together travel advisors and preferred partners affiliated with TRAVELSAVERS, the Network of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel (NEST), The Affluent Traveller Collection and more.

This week, 108 Canadian travel advisors are on the ground in Orlando, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort, undeterred by the recent wave of negative headlines around U.S. travel, said Clementino.

“Everybody showed up and wanted to learn right away,” she said.

Canadians may be in the minority at Travel Market, but they're definitely flying the flag for their country this week.

TRAVELSAVERS Canada, last night, held a red-and-white-themed afterparty exclusively for the Canadian delegation, providing a dedicated space for advisors and suppliers to network, build relationships, and celebrate shared success.

A quick comeback

The American Marketing Group, in general, is reporting positive growth.

At yesterday’s opening session, Chief Marketing Officer Nicole Mazza said the company’s agency brands experienced a slowdown in Q1 of this year, but quickly bounced back.

"I can tell you as quick as we went into it, we came out of it," Mazza told the audience from a stage. "Business is back, and business is soaring."

AMG’s agencies represent around 25,000 travel advisors. Last year saw 102 agencies join the network, representing $279 million in preferred-supplier revenue, Mazza shared

More recently, from January to May this year, 47 new agencies have joined AMG’s agencies, representing $196 million in preferred supplier sales, Mazza said.

"2024 was a spectacular year coming off of two extremely strong years," Mazza said, noting that 2025 is looking "equally as strong.”

"I'm extremely bullish. Hopefully you are in your business, as well," she said.

“If you are seeing a dip in your business, use your connections. These are your folks. Have conversations. See what they are doing.”

Trend talk

Mazza went on to highlight several booking trends that the company is currently tracking.

In the guided tour space, the most popular destinations are Ireland, Italy, France, Greece, Croatia, Spain and Portugal. The most popular sun destinations are Cancun, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Aruba.

For cruising, the top destinations are Antarctica, the Arctic and Alaska. For FIT travellers, Japan, Vietnam, Colombia and Africa are trending.

As for demographics, multigenerational and skip-gen travel (when grandparents travel with grandchildren) remain popular choices, Mazza said.

Millennials and Generation X, in particular, value multigenerational travel, she added. “83 per cent generally like to spend time together,” she said. “If this is a market you’re not looking at, I highly recommend that you do.”

Mazza also urged attendees to take a closer look at solo travel. “Google is seeing a 300 per cent surge in solo travel requests,” she said.

People are looking to travel solo, but they want to do it in a “safe and secure way,” she said.

Cruising continues be hot, especially as more ships enter the market, Mazza said, and there’s a strong demand for set-jetting – when people travel to places that have been featured in films and television shows.

Popular shows like "Yellowstone” and “The White Lotus” are leading some suppliers to build tours and itineraries, with set-jetting in mind, Mazza said.

Another trend is the term “JOMO,” Mazza said. It’s a play on FOMO (“the fear of missing out”), while JOMO is the “joy of missing out.”

“There are folks who want to go away and get away from it all,” Mazza explained. “They want to unplug. They don’t want to be Instagramming. They don’t want to be found.”

PAX on location

What is the vibe at this year’s Travel Market? 

Are U.S. tariffs impacting TRAVELSAVERS’ bottom line in Canada? 

What strategies are being put in place to navigate the ever-changing landscape?

Watch our video interview with Jane Clementino, senior vice-president and general manager of TRAVELSAVERS Canada, and Kathryn Mazza-Burney, chief sales officer, TRAVELSAVERS, at Travel Market in Orlando, Florida.

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