From Hotel Rooms to Cruise Suites, ATC Clients Are Trading Up
ATC reports higher spending across luxury travel as it adds 97 hotels and expands its supplier network.
Nicole Mazza. Photo: Courtesy of Affluent Traveler Collection
The Affluent Traveler Collection reported double-digit sales gains across hotels, cruises, and guided travel at its annual Symposium in San Antonio, Texas, today, while also announcing new partners and a larger hotel portfolio. The results show how clients of its affiliated agencies are spending: more on suites, higher-priced rooms, and tailored trips.
Among ATC’s luxury guided travel partners, spending per guest rose 45% year over year, from $14,300 to $20,800. Luxury ocean cruise sales increased 31%, while river cruise sales rose 12%. Suite bookings on luxury cruises climbed 33%, with revenue from those bookings up 37%.
Hotels posted some of the strongest gains. Luxury room nights increased 44%, and average daily rates rose 20%. ATC also said its advance bookings for 2027 are running ahead of comparable bookings for 2026: luxury land bookings average 23% more per guest, ocean partners are pacing 40% ahead, and river cruise bookings are 84% ahead. Those figures describe business within ATC’s network, rather than the luxury travel market as a whole.
Speaking at the Symposium, ATC’s chief marketing officer Nicole Mazza linked the higher spending to a broader change in what affluent clients seek from a trip. They are traveling more frequently, she said, and looking for experiences built around their interests, from family celebrations to wellness and adventure.
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“Affluent travelers today are looking for more than a vacation. They want experiences that are meaningful, transformative, and tailored to their interests,” Mazza said. “Whether it’s a multigenerational celebration, a once-in-a-lifetime adventure or a journey focused on wellness and rejuvenation, luxury travelers value expert guidance.”
Mazza also pointed to interest in longer journeys and destinations farther from home, including Japan and Africa, with China beginning to draw more attention. In her presentation, she described clients who are planning several trips at once and increasingly treating travel as an ongoing part of their lives rather than an occasional splurge.
ATC is adding inventory to serve that demand: it accepted 97 hotels and resorts into its collection over the past year, bringing the portfolio to more than 1,400 properties in 90 countries, an 11% increase over 2025. According to ATC, clients who book through affiliated advisors receive complimentary hotel amenities averaging $1,000 in value per stay.
“Luxury travel has become synonymous with customization,” Mazza said. “Sophisticated travelers expect more from a hotel than just a place to sleep. They’re looking for a variety of personalized experiences, including relaxation and wellness.”
The network has also broadened its options beyond hotels. Its OnLocation program now comprises 50 destination management companies covering more than 100 countries and regions. ATC highlighted an expanded relationship with Abercrombie & Kent’s destination management companies across Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and the Nordics, along with Live Life Safaris’ coverage of 12 African countries and Indian Ocean islands. Tailor-made tour operator Audley Travel has also joined the network.
For advisors, the additions mean more local partners who can help arrange the specific experiences Mazza says clients increasingly request. They also come as ATC works to bring more consumers to its specialists. The organization said it distributed 5.6 million consumer emails, up 47% from last year, and continues to expand distribution of The Affluent Traveler magazine in bookstores and first-class airport lounges.
The Symposium runs September 22–24 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa and brings together more than 250 agency owners, managers, and advisors, along with preferred partners. Mazza told attendees that ATC now includes 350 agencies. The group remains invitation-only, although all Travelsavers and Nest agencies can market and sell its preferred partners.
