If the past few years have taught the travel industry anything, it’s that change is constant, and understanding who today’s travel advisors are, how they work and what challenges they face has never been more important.
From November 4 to December 18, Travel Weekly and Phocuswright (sister brands of TravelPulse Canada), along with sponsors Ensemble, Princess, and Globus, conducted an exclusive online survey of Canadian travel advisors and travel agency owners.
The survey was fielded through Northstar Travel’s media database and several industry partners. To qualify, respondents had to work for or own a travel agency.
Responses were collected and analyzed to provide a snapshot of the current travel agency landscape in Canada and identify key trends shaping the industry.
For the purposes of the study, advisors were grouped into two main categories:
• Traditional travel advisors: travel agency office/retail storefront employees and home-based retail travel agency employees.
• Home-based independent advisors: home-based hosted independent contractors and home-based fully independent agencies.
Here’s what the research reveals about who Canada’s travel advisors are and what they’re navigating right now.
Advisor Profile: Experienced, Predominantly Female and Largely Home-Based
According to the survey results, the Canadian travel advisor workforce remains overwhelmingly female. Eighty-four percent of respondents identify as women, while 16% identify as male. The profession also skews older: 55% of advisors are over the age of 55.
It’s also an experienced cohort. Nearly six in 10 advisors (58%) have been selling travel for more than 10 years, underscoring the depth of industry knowledge in the Canadian market.
When it comes to employment structure, 44% of advisors identify as traditional agency employees. Home-based fully independent contractors and agencies represent 52% of the advisor population.
Among home-based advisors, the majority operate independently: 71% are independents affiliated with a host, franchisor or consortium. More than four in 10 home-based advisors (42%) have operated from home for over a decade.
The lines between traditional and home-based models continue to blur. More than seven in 10 home-based advisors (73%) are independent contractors or agencies, and notably, 43% of traditional advisors report working from home.
Most advisors work for well-established businesses. Eighty percent say their agency has been in operation for at least 10 years.
58% of Canadian travel advisors have 10+ years’ experience, and 52% are home-based independents, as more embrace the title “travel advisor.” (Photo Credit: NotebookLM)
Income and Work Structure
Earnings remain a key pressure point.
More than six in 10 advisors (62%) earn less than C$50,000 per year from travel sales, while 13% report earning more than C$100,000.
Work profiles differ significantly between traditional and independent advisors. Six in 10 traditional advisors say travel sales are their full-time, primary income source. Among home-based independent advisors, that drops to 43%.
In other words, independent advisors are more likely to work part-time or treat travel as a secondary income stream compared to their counterparts in traditional agencies.
Passion drives the profession despite modest income (Photo Credit: NotebookLM)
The Ideal Client: Mature, Affluent and Relationship-Driven
Today’s core travel advisor client is mature, financially established and motivated by trust over transaction.
According to the survey, 74% of clients are age 40 or older, and half have a household income of at least $100,000.
When it comes to booking decisions, personal relationships and service matter far more than price: 73% of advisors say clients choose to book with them because of the relationship and level of service provided, compared to just 2% who cite price as the primary driver.
Digital Marketing Meets Traditional Communication
While digital tools continue to evolve, traditional communication channels remain dominant among Canadian travel advisors.
An overwhelming 97% say email is their preferred method of communication, followed by 84% who favour the phone.
Social media plays an important, but more segmented, role. Instagram is strongly preferred by 88% of advisors under 55, compared to 46% of those over 55.
Facebook, however, remains the universal platform, with 81% usage across all age groups, making it the most consistent social channel in the market.
Digital marketing meets traditional communication (Photo Credit: NotebookLM)
What Advisors Sell: Specialization Is the Norm
Specialization continues to define the Canadian travel advisor landscape.
Only 9% of advisors say they have no specialization. The vast majority focus on specific niches to build and maintain their client base.
The most common areas of specialization are:
Tours and packages: 65%Ocean cruises: 62%Specific destinations: 51%River cruises: 47%Group travel: 41%Luxury travel: 40%Branded product: 24%Interest- or hobby-based travel: 21%Bespoke travel: 12%Corporate transient travel: 9%MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions): 6%No specialization: 9%
The data reinforces that Canadian advisors typically carve out clear niches rather than attempting to serve all segments equally.
High-yield niches dominate (Photo Credit: NotebookLM)
Consortia and Host Agencies
Affiliation remains common across the market.
Nearly half of advisors (48%) belong to a single consortium, while 42% use a host agency.
These relationships continue to play a central role in how advisors access suppliers, tools and support, particularly for home-based independents.
Most advisors cite multiple reasons for using a host agency, led by access to preferred suppliers (84%) and booking capabilities (79%).
Education and Training
Advisors report finding value in a range of education and training formats.
Forty-five percent say in-office visits or local training events hosted by supplier representatives are extremely valuable. An equal 45% cite conferences held by their consortium or host agency as highly valuable, followed closely by online training tools at 43%.
Professional development remains a clear priority in an increasingly competitive and evolving marketplace.
The Top Challenges Facing Advisors
Inflation tops the list of challenges facing Canadian travel advisors.
Fifty-nine percent cite inflation and the overall cost of trips as their biggest obstacle. Rising prices are impacting both client budgets and the sales process.
Other top challenges include:
Competing with suppliers that encourage direct bookings: 52%Flight cancellations and schedule changes: 45%Finding new clients: 38%Economic uncertainty due to changing government policies: 34%
The combination of higher prices, operational disruptions and broader economic concerns continues to create headwinds for advisors.
Economic pressures outweigh operational hurdles (Photo Credit: NotebookLM)
What’s in a Title?
Even job titles reflect an evolving profession.
Canadian advisors are divided over how they prefer to be described. A growing share — 36% — prefers the term “travel advisor.” Other popular titles include “travel consultant” (27%) and “travel agent” (18%).
The shift in terminology mirrors the broader evolution of the role from transactional booking agent to strategic travel professional.
A Snapshot of Today’s Market
The data paints a picture of a predominantly female, highly experienced workforce that is increasingly home-based, deeply specialized and navigating significant economic and competitive pressures.
This is Part One of a three-part series unpacking the latest Canadian Travel Advisor Study.
Next, we’ll examine sales performance, income drivers and what the most successful advisors are doing differently.
In our final installment, we’ll look ahead at what these findings mean for the future of the travel agency landscape in Canada.
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