Tariffs dominated the global conversation this week as the Trump administration enacted several new levies on trade partners on Monday, only to withdraw them a day later. Markets globally seesawed as a result.
Somewhat surprisingly, in a flash study conducted by MMGY Global, more than eight in 10 consumers still said they intend to travel for leisure over the next 12 months. That's down just 4 percent from MMGY’s last “Portrait of American Travelers” study, which was fielded in mid-February. Between a fifth and third of consumers did note, however, they may change the way they travel, including:
- Staying closer to home/switching from international to domestic travel
- Choosing a less expensive method of transportation
- Altering the length of their stay
On the cruise front, top executives at Seatrade Cruise Global this week said the tariffs cannot dictate their long-term financial strategies. Looking back, 2024 saw record cruise sales and passengers, while 2025 is off to a strong start. Carnival Corporation’s Josh Weinstein said that neither consumers nor companies really know what ripple effects the tariffs might have, MSC Group’s Pierfrancesco Vago noted the “value” provided by cruising, saying that one dinner in Miami alone would cost the same as a full day on Explora Journeys, his company's all-inclusive luxury cruise brand.
Caribbean destinations, on the other hand, are urging the U.S. government to reconsider its tariffs and port fees, saying these will significantly increase the cost of imports—raising costs for both land and cruise travelers—and, ultimately, will reduce traveler demand and spending.
Elsewhere in the cruise space, Cruise Lines International Association President and CEO Bud Darr says there is “a sign of great optimism” for the cruise industry. He noted that the intent to cruise, among all consumers, is 82 percent—with Millennials as the most enthusiastic group, surprisingly. In addition, 36 percent of all cruisers, Darr said, are under the age of 40.
Darr acknowledged that there is still work to do, especially on the sustainability and storytelling fronts, but added that those in the cruise industry are doing much more for global economies and the environment than most know about.
Agency Training and Operations
Also on the responsible travel topic, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) has partnered with Tourism Cares, a non-profit dedicated to advancing sustainability for the travel and tourism industry. The new educational offering helps travel advisors absorb the high-level pillars of sustainable travel. Travel advisors will learn the foundations of sustainable travel and the business case for providing meaningful travel products in their suite of offerings.
Tip: The digital course is available complimentary for ASTA members and is also offered as an elective for the continuing educational requirement for those who need to maintain their Verified Travel Advisor certification.
On the social media front, ALG Vacations (ALGV) has introduced its latest educational initiative for travel advisors: ALGVPro Social Media Courses, a dynamic new elective training series designed to help advisors sharpen their digital presence, master content creation and turn followers into bookings. The ALGVPro Social Media Courses include three self-paced platform-specific training courses—one each for Instagram, Facebook and TikTok—that walks advisors through structured modules, delivering a complete social media strategy from setup to selling.
Travefy, separately, has launched its New Travel Agent Program (NTAP)—an initiative designed to help new travel advisors launch and grow successful businesses with the essential tools they need from Day One. The program provides access to Travefy's itinerary management and client communication platform, while additionally offering an integrated custom domain, professional email and website hosting.
In other news, Fora Travel has launched operations in Canada. It’s currently available in Ontario, with expansion across the country coming in the next weeks. “In an industry traditionally characterized by a high barrier to entry and outdated technology, For a,” the company says, “is turning travel advising into an accessible, inclusive and lucrative career path with the flexibility to work part-time or full-time.
The Croatian National Tourist Board has launched the “Croatia Full of Life Specialist” certificate, a new initiative designed to equip travel advisors with in-depth knowledge of Croatia’s diverse tourism offerings. This certification program aims to enhance travel advisors’ knowledge, enabling them to curate experiences for travelers seeking to explore Croatia’s culture, landscapes and hospitality.
Have clients interested in Croatia? Consider Split, a bustling metropolis, serious port city, major transit hub, and top sightseeing destination, all rolled into one. The city has the trappings of a modern city, as well as fourth-century Roman ruins.
Sandals Up for Sale?
It’s a question that pops up every few years, but Sandals Resorts International is reportedly up for sale once again. While major hotel brands like Marriott International, Hilton, Hyatt, Accor and IHG Hotels & Resorts have shown significant interest in expanding their all-inclusive segments in recent years, many of the above have also focused on an asset-light strategy, choosing not to own the hotel real estate.
According to reports, Sandals wants to sell the entire business—name and real estate included. That may scare some companies away. That said, Sandals has one of the strongest brand presences in the U.S. among all-inclusive resort companies, which appears to be the biggest enticement for another company to snap up Sandals.
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