ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — “Midway through 2026 and heading toward 2027, Pavlus Travel & Cruises is seeing phenomenal luxury travel demand,” says Craig S. Pavlus, founder and CEO, Pavlus Travel & Cruise, one of the U.S.’ largest independent travel agencies and a member of the Travel Leaders Network.
Asia is a popular region for luxury travelers booking a 2027 vacation. Above is the Chureito Pagoda in Fujiyoshida, Japan, and Mount Fuji. Photo by Shutterstock.
“The business outlook for the remainder of 2026 and heading toward 2027 looks quite positive,” says Pavlus, who adds: “It’s shaping up to be a record-breaking year.”
Here is what’s trending this summer for clients’ 2027 vacations and where guests are headed in future years, based on Pavlus’ bookings.
Stepping Up to Luxury: Atop the agency’s trend list, Pavlus’ personal travel planners are seeing loyal clients who previously booked a premium travel experience “step up” to luxury or ultra-luxury for their 2027 vacation. “They’re saying, ‘I deserve it. I’ve worked hard and now it’s my time,'” says Pavlus.
Simultaneously Purchasing Two or Three Future Vacations: Increasingly, this summer, Pavlus’ clients aren’t just calling or emailing their personal travel planner to ask about one 2027 vacation. Instead, many are purchasing two, three or even four future vacations at the same time. One Pavlus client recently booked multiple future vacations totaling nearly $1 million at the same time.
Choosing from a Wider Range of Itineraries: Given the strong 2026 and 2027 demand, “we’re also seeing travel suppliers launch new itineraries for 2028 or even 2029 earlier in timing than what’s usually expected,” explains Janet Anderson, Pavlus’ director of luxury travel development. “That gives travelers a wider range of future options to consider.”
Exploring Asia and Australia: Where are Pavlus’ luxury travelers headed? “Well, I’m seeing lots of Japan bookings for 2027, particularly in spring and fall,” stresses Taylor Bazzoni, a Pavlus personal travel planner. Anderson agrees, pointing to strong sales for Oceania’s new 2028/2029 season launch, particularly the Asia itineraries, as well as good traction for Asia cruises of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn and other luxury brands.
“Beyond Asia, trips to Australia and New Zealand in the fall and winter 2027-2028 are also proving top sellers for 2027 and beyond,” says Pavlus. Also strong are bookings for North America vacations including Alaska, plus demand for Western Europe.
Seeking Adventure on a Luxury Expedition Cruise: Many luxury travelers are now seeking to couple adventure with a pampering luxury experience. So, they’re heading out on an upscale expedition voyage. “Expedition ships can sail to off-the-beaten-path coves, harbors, and destinations where bigger ships can’t go, but the experience is far from roughing it,” explains Pavlus.
Fia Bauer, another Pavlus personal travel planner, recently booked two clients on a 19-day, 2027 Alaska-to-Japan expedition cruise with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions. The guests paid $99,000 or so for an upper category suite, and Bauer says that she often sees such higher category suites sell out quickly.
Spending the Heirs’ Inheritance Now: Multigenerational travel has been on the rise the past few years. But increasingly, the family matriarch or patriarch is choosing to splurge beyond what was done in the past. So, three or four generations of the family aren’t just taking a typical family vacation. Instead, they’re heading out on an unforgettable trip of a lifetime.
“It’s interesting to see more people choosing to spend at least part of their planned inheritance for their children and grandkids now,” emphasizes Kendahl Isbell, another Pavlus personal travel planner. “It’s such a wonderful way to create memories together.”
Clamoring for New Luxury Ships: Robust enthusiasm for new ships is fueling more cruise vacation bookings this summer by both loyal past guests and new-to-cruise or new-to-brand guests, emphasizes Pavlus. This year, for instance, Pavlus Travel & Cruise hosted an Oceania event for customers that specifically focused on the new Oceania Sonata, and many future cruise sales resulted from that. Clients are also inquiring about a future vacation on such new ships as Explora Journeys’ Explora III and Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Prestige, both launching this year, and Four Seasons Yachts’ Four Seasons II, debuting in 2028, among others.
Planning Longer Journeys and Combining Experiences: “We’re also seeing a strong desire by our luxury clients for lengthier vacations, far more than just a week in many cases,” says Pavlus. “For 2027 and beyond, they’re choosing World Cruises, lengthy Grand Voyages, and back-to-back cruises or escorted tours to create a more robust vacation experience.” Increasingly, Pavlus’ clients are also seeking diversity — pairing a luxury river or ocean voyage with an escorted land tour, supplier’s overland journey, or pre-or-post destination stay.
For more information on Pavlus Travel & Cruise, visit https://pavlus.com.
About Pavlus Travel & Cruise, Inc.
Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Pavlus Travel & Cruise is one of America’s largest independently owned luxury travel agencies and the Number 1 Tauck seller worldwide for more than 20 consecutive years. Representing Viking, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Tauck, and more than 90 other luxury cruise and tour partners, Pavlus is known for high quality service and for charging no service fees. The agency is led by Founder and CEO Craig Pavlus, a travel industry veteran of more than 55 years and recipient of the Travel Weekly Lifetime Achievement Award. Learn more at https://pavlus.com or call 800-528-9300.
Craig S. Pavlus, founder and CEO, Pavlus Travel & Cruise, reports strong luxury vacation sales heading toward 2027. Photo by Pavlus Travel.
