Women are powering the travel economy: Nexion survey

Women are shaping the travel industry from both sides of the business, from leading travel agencies to making the majority of travel purchasing decisions, according to a new survey from Nexion Travel Group.

In honour of International Women's Day, Nexion surveyed members of its Circle of Excellence, MillionAir and Advisory Board, representing some of the company's highest-performing travel advisors.

“The results reveal a powerful trend: women are playing a leading role in the travel advisor profession while also driving much of the industry's consumer demand,” the host agency said in a press release.

Ninety percent of respondents identify as women, and the influence extends beyond leadership roles.

Across the group—including male advisors—70 per cent report their travel agencies are at least 76 per cent women, including employees and independent contractors.

The findings highlight how women are building businesses while also creating economic opportunities for other women within their agencies.

For many top advisors, entering the travel industry was a deliberate entrepreneurial decision.

Survey respondents cited three primary reasons for launching their travel businesses: the opportunity to travel, the ability to own their own business and the chance to achieve greater work-life balance.

The results reinforce that becoming a travel advisor is increasingly seen not as a fallback career, but as a pathway to entrepreneurship with relatively low overhead, professional independence and the flexibility to turn a passion for travel into a thriving business, sys Nexion.

But women's influence in travel extends well beyond agency ownership.

When asked about their client base, respondents reported that 64 per cent of their clients are women making travel decisions on behalf of others, underscoring the purchasing power women hold in the travel marketplace.

An additional 15 per cent of bookings come from female group travel, while 11 per cent are solo female travellers, the survey shows.

Taken together, the data reveals a striking reality: “women are among the travel industry's most powerful economic forces, both as the entrepreneurs selling travel and the decision-makers purchasing it,” says Nexion.

"It is not surprising to see so many of our top producers are women or that their agencies are powered by women," said Jackie Friedman, CTC, VTA, President of Nexion Travel Group, in a statement.

"What's especially exciting is how these advisors are building successful businesses while cultivating strong female client bases and creating agencies where women can thrive professionally and economically. As we celebrate International Women's Day, it's clear that travel continues to be powered by women."