Goway Survey Reveals What Travel Advisors Really Deal With

Goway’s first “Confessions of a Travel Advisor Survey” polled more than 1,600 advisors across North America and sheds light on the overnight rebookings, hotel-manager favors and rebuilt itineraries that clients rarely see.

Relationships topped the list of what gets a trip done. Half of respondents pointed to their network, and when research skills are counted, roughly three in four credited their contacts, partnerships or sourcing abilities. Asked to weigh trust against the lowest price, advisors chose trust by nearly 9-to-1. Only 28 respondents, fewer than 2 percent, ranked negotiating skills first. Calm and creativity together made up about 70 percent of answers, while humor finished last among the named options with 60 of 1,635 votes.

Few regret the career choice. Just 3.6 percent said they would not encourage others to become travel advisors. 62 percent of respondents named photos of clients enjoying their trips as the most rewarding part of the job, and half said they enjoy working through complex problems.

The workload is heavy. Forty-four percent of advisors work outside regular business hours every day, and only 29 respondents said they never do. Nearly 70 percent believe clients underestimate the time and effort that go into a custom trip. To recharge, 26 percent reach for coffee and 21 percent turn up a favorite playlist. Budget-conscious clients with high expectations proved the hardest to work with, and canceled flights were the client issue advisors fear most, cited in 44 percent of responses.

Artificial intelligence now shows up in the planning process too. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said clients have approached them with research they gathered using AI. Advisors pointed to three flaws. Impossible itineraries drew the most complaints, with geography, travel times and basic logistics often overlooked. One in 10 advisors has come across hotels, attractions or routes that do not exist. Advisors also said the tools misjudge pricing, pairing luxury vacations with budgets that could not cover them.

Of note: Goway indicated that advisors can lean on a dedicated Account Manager, an expert Destination Specialist or 24/7 Customer Support.

Goway Gives Back Bigly—to You

Advisors who book either of Goway’s two summer 2027 launch sailings by Oct. 31, 2026, will earn a $500 GowayPro bonus on top of their standard commission, and clients will save $355 per person. The sailings are the Melodies of the Danube River Cruise, departing July 22, 2027, with pricing based on CA cabin category, and the Classical Rhine River Cruise, departing Aug. 29, 2027, with pricing based on B1 cabin category on the Strauss Deck.

Each booking covers the entire vacation, not just a cabin. It includes two nights in a 4-star hotel before sailing, airport, hotel and port transfers, guided shore excursions, wine and beer with lunch and dinner and port charges.

For more information, visit gowaypro.com.