A New Virtuoso Survey Suggests Luxury Travelers Are Reconsidering When—and How—They Travel
New Virtuoso survey data suggests luxury travelers are increasingly choosing shoulder-season trips and less crowded destinations over peak-summer hotspots.
Photo: Alexey Marchenko / Unsplash
Luxury travelers may not be giving up Europe this summer, but many are becoming more thoughtful about how they experience it.
New survey data from Virtuoso suggest that sustainability concerns are increasingly shaping luxury travel decisions, particularly regarding overtourism, seasonality, and local impact. According to the network’s March 2026 survey of more than 250 U.S.-based travel advisors, avoiding overcrowded destinations has become the most influential sustainability factor for clients, with 57% of respondents citing it. Another 25% said travelers are prioritizing experiences that better support local communities and economies.
The clearest behavioral shift may be timing. Nearly 80% of advisors said clients are now more regularly choosing off-peak travel periods, with most citing crowd avoidance and overtourism concerns as the primary motivator rather than price alone. Advisors also noted that shoulder-season travel is increasingly being framed less as a compromise and more as a better overall luxury experience—fewer crowds, greater flexibility, and, often, stronger service levels.
That aligns with what many advisors have already been seeing across Europe and other high-demand destinations: clients remain eager to travel, but are becoming more receptive to alternatives that feel calmer and more intentional. For advisors, the findings also reinforce the growing role of education in the sales process. Virtuoso found that lack of clear information—not cost—is now the bigger barrier to booking sustainable options, with only 10% of advisors saying price is a major deterrent.
“Many travelers want to make more thoughtful decisions about when and where they travel, but they need clear guidance to do so with confidence,” said Jessica Hall Upchurch, Virtuoso’s vice chair and sustainability strategist. “Advisors play a critical role in turning that intent into action, helping clients understand that through their choices, they can ease pressure on destinations and have an even better experience than they expected.”
The survey also points to an opportunity for suppliers. Nearly half of advisors said that firsthand sustainability experiences—such as educational trips and site visits—are the most effective way for travel companies to communicate their sustainability efforts credibly.
