On Location: Where is luxury travel headed? Canadian advisors unpack trends at TLN’s Luxury Forum

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—unless you’re at the Luxury Leaders Alliance Forum, where everything travels First Class.

The Luxury Leaders Alliance (LLA), a specialized community within Travel Leaders Network (TLN), recently hosted its Luxury Forum on June 8 at Caesars Palace.

PAX was there to experience the high-level event, which brought together TLN’s top-performing luxury travel advisors and premium suppliers for a day of networking, panel discussions and one-on-one meetings—one day ahead of TLN’s annual EDGE Conference, held June 9–12.

The event also included keynotes from luxury travel leaders, including Shawn Johnson, senior vice president, sales at Abercrombie & Kent and Glen Rothe, vice president of North America trade sales at Crystal.

TLN’s President John Lovell, who, as reported yesterday, will be stepping down from his role at the end of this month, explained the origin of the luxury alliance, which formed in 2019.

“We wanted to identify travel advisors – not agencies, but advisors – that sell qualified luxury business,” Lovell told PAX. “We wanted to get them together so we could talk to them about what their needs are and develop business with them.”

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Since its inception, the LLA has grown significantly. “In its first year we had about 120 people apply,” Lovell noted. “Today, we're at over 500 advisors that produce $600–$700 million in sales. That’s a substantial amount of business.”

(For context, to qualify for the LLA, TLN advisors must demonstrate luxury travel sales of at least $1 million).

The growth is driven by strong market trends and strategic support from TLN, Lovell explained.

“More advisors are niching out in luxury and people are spending more money on travel,” he said, pointing to the ongoing generational transfer of wealth.

TLN enhances advisor success through cruise programs like Distinctive Voyages, the Culinary Collection, and booking tools like SNAP. “It’s really helping luxury advisors redefine how they do business with their clients,” Lovell said.

Beyond the Forum, the LLA provides ongoing value through virtual meetings and access to global luxury events like ILTM and DUCO—ensuring members remain on the leading edge of high-end travel.

Overseeing the LLA’s strategy and growth is Eva Damato, senior director, luxury lifestyle marketing, who joined TLN in January.

TLN’s luxury advisors “continue to produce,” Damato told PAX.

“Advisors are continuing to upgrade their guests from premium to luxury,” she said, noting that TLN’s luxury sales have seen a five per cent year-over-year increase.  “We’re on a good trajectory and not seeing a slowdown.”

Forget thread counts

The Canadian travel advisors at B.C.-based KVI Travel might agree.

Members from the global host agency, which has 150 advisors across 16 countries, sat down with PAX at Luxury Forum to unpack today’s luxury trends.

Led by Vancouver-based owner and CEO Kyle Oram, the discussion included long-time advisor Kathleen Irving from Kelowna, B.C., and Lynne and Jason Coward, a newer advisor duo from Peachland, B.C.

KVI Travel has made a deliberate push into the luxury space in recent years. Oram, who has owned the agency since 1999, noted that while cruise remains central to KVI’s business, the agency is increasingly involved in destination management companies (DMCs) and high-end hotels. “That’s the direction we’re going,” he said.

Veteran advisor Kathleen Irving, with more than 30 years in the industry, focuses on luxury cruises—including river, yacht, and ocean experiences. “Luxury isn't about the thread count, it's about experiences,” she said. “It’s about value and experience.”

More countryside & six-star ships

Across the group, the consensus was clear: travellers are looking for something deeper, more exclusive, and often more remote.

“Luxury clients are looking to go more countryside, custom, bespoke travel and outside of the big centers,” said Oram.

Barcelona and other major cities may still attract attention, but the demand is shifting toward quieter destinations and unique accommodations. “People love Barcelona, but locals don't want tourists there,” he noted, referring to anti-tourism protests that have taken place in the city.

On the water, small ships are booming. “Smaller ships and luxury six-star experiences have taken off,” said Irving. Explora Journeys, in particular, is a top performer, Irving said.

The Cowards, who are focusing heavily on European itineraries, are also seeing clients spending more time abroad.

“They’ll do the pre and the post and they’ll spend a month or three weeks instead of just a ten-day cruise,” Lynne said.

Expedition travel is also becoming a defining feature of modern luxury. “Antarctica, for one, is super hot,” said Jason.

Oram chimed in with one example: Silversea's new luxury hotel, The Cormorant at 55 South, in Puerto Williams, Chile—the southernmost city on Earth—that was built for guests heading to Antarctica.

“Africa is always hot,” Jason added, referring to safaris in South Africa and East Africa.

He also noted a rise in solo travel, particularly among senior clients in their local region of interior British Columbia.

Europe’s hidden gems

While traditional cities always attract visitors, there’s increasing pressure (crowding) on places like Paris, Venice, and Rome.

“It’s about taking deeper dives into smaller towns in Europe,” said Jason. Croatia, said Lynne, is also a trending destination.

Oram pointed to Perugia, an Italian city between Rome and Tuscany. “It’s full of beautiful cities and towns in a little area of Italy that's not as well-known,” he said.

Conscious travel, changing preferences

The conversation turned to sustainability and overtourism. “Ultra-high-net-worth clients have decided that they’re not going to crowded places,” said Oram. He added that the “regular luxury crowd” still needs a bit more education on these topics.

But Irving sees awareness growing quickly. “For most luxury clients, they know what's going on in the world. They want small towns and places to go to. Quaint places,” she said.

The appetite for new destinations is evident. AmaWaterways, for example, has launched a new river cruise product in Colombia. “We’ve already chartered a sailing for next year on the AmaMagdalena for our team to check it out,” said Oram.

Impact of tariffs

The ongoing tariff tensions with the U.S. have had some effect on business – particularly among Canadian travellers.

“We’re seeing Canadians spending more time going to Mexico or Europe, less time going to the U.S.,” said Oram. Still, he expects this trend to fade: “I think it’s going to be short lived.”

Still, despite possible economic and political headwinds, KVI is thriving. “We're up 40 per cent year over,” said Oram.

For Lynne and Jason Coward, one trend is clear: clients are seeking extended travel. “People are spending money and want immersive experiences,” said Jason.

The cruise industry, in particular, is getting ready. “There are so many new luxury ships coming… they’re not just building one or two, but ten years’ worth of orders,” he pointed out.

Domestic luxury travel in Canada remains limited at KVI’s level, though Jason noted a resurgence in regional tourism in B.C.: “Hotels are full and I think that has to do with a lot of people travelling within Canada,” he said.

As for the long-term future of luxury travel, Oram is bullish. “Travel might have been number eight [on a person’s priority list] in 2019. Now, it's like two or three,” he said.

He pointed to the upcoming $73 trillion intergenerational wealth transfer as a game-changer.

“Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z are different creatures. They’re raised to be more experiential… that's $73 trillion changing hands into people who like to spend on travel.”

Money needs to buy great memories

Montreal-based Maria Vannicola of Voyage Regence also added her voice.

After 30 years in the travel industry and 15 years focusing on luxury, Vannicola has witnessed a dramatic shift in what affluent travellers are looking for.

“It’s a post-COVID thing,” she said. “People felt like they were missing the experience. Money needs to buy great memories now.”

Vannicola’s early days in luxury were rooted in corporate travel—think CEOs craving five-star escapes after boardroom marathons. But today’s luxury clients want more than posh accommodations.

They crave purpose, culture, and sustainability, she said.

“Before it was about Instagramming,” Vannicola explained. “Now they want to do something out of this world, like planting trees in a destination hit by wildfires.” Classic hotspots like Rome and Santorini are giving way to lesser-known gems like the Adriatic Coast, Malta, and Turkey.

Even in Italy, travellers are veering off the beaten path to places like Lake Garda instead of Lake Como, she said.

Luxury, today, translates to off-script experiences like farm-to-table dining, fishing with locals, or a museum tour led by a curator, she said.

“Travellers want to get dirty during the day and return to a beautiful hotel and do wellness in the evening,” said Vannicola, citing places like Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland as an example of this balance.

Instagram, four hours a day

The evolution has reshaped Vannicola’s daily routine. “I’ve got to be on Instagram four hours a day, scanning through travel pages to see what's up and coming” she said. “My clients are looking for what’s new.”

And they’re looking beyond the expected. In Portugal, it’s no longer just the Douro Valley—it's Coimbra (a riverfront city in central Portugal), along with wellness-focused retreats, she said.

Events like TLN’s Luxury Forum help Vannicola find hidden gems and dependable DMCs – especially for unique or complex itineraries.

“I need a private yacht in the Galapagos, but I also need those once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” she said.

And not all clients want—or can afford—five-star hotels. For larger family groups or multi-gen trips, four-star boutique properties with around 70 rooms can strike the right balance of comfort and exclusivity, said Vannicola.

Friendlier to Canadians?

The current U.S. tariff climate has nudged Canadian travellers toward Europe and Asia, where their dollars go further, she said.

Amid Canada’s conflict with the U.S.: “The luxury market is being much friendlier to us Canadian travel advisors,” noted Vannicola.

Some hotels, for example, are responding with bonus perks like complimentary breakfasts, extra amenities, and thoughtful touches like gummy bears for kids, she said.

Vannicola has seen this trend play out at hotels in Portugal, Spain and Greece. Italy? Not so much.

Closer to home, interest in Canadian luxury has grown, she added.

From British Columbia’s Sonora Resort to hiking Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland or viewing the Northern Lights in the Northwest Territories, more travellers are discovering luxury without leaving Canada, she said. 

As for cruises? They remain a staple for the 55+ crowd.

“It’s like a cult,” she said. “Once they get on, they don’t want to veer off. They’re tired of packing and unpacking. They want the ‘hotel’ to stay, and they want to move.”

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