Virtuoso Luxe Report taps into 2027 Canadian luxury travel trends

So, two things to start.

Canadian travel advisors are pretty darned optimistic about travel demand in 2027, with 23% expecting to see a “significant” increase and a further 50% saying that they anticipate a “slight” increase.

Good so far.

Perhaps even better is the fact that Virtuoso’s intelligence indicates that 79% of luxury/high value travellers said that they were interested in using a travel advisors because of the value that advisors bring to the table in so many different ways.

There’s was certainly lots more in The Virtuoso Luxe Report: Canada that Virtuoso’s Vice President of Global Public Relations, Misty Belles unpacked during the Virtuoso On Tour event in Toronto yesterday. (Virtuoso on Tour will also be making stops in Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary).

Ilana Valo, Founder & CEO of TWIL Travel; Anna Judek, President & Owner of Zebrano Travel and Ashwin Mathur, General Manager of Toronto’s Shangri-La Hotel were part of a panel discussion that covered a range of issues during the afternoon event.

Before that, Belles walked her audience through the highlights of the Canadian-specific findings of the Luxe Report, noting that Canadian sales are up by 13.4%, while globally, every Virtuoso region is up double-digit in sales.

Here in Canada, Virtuoso has 27 member agencies with 1,300 advisors and it tapped into the collective knowledge of those members to discover what to expect in 2027.

Of note, Italy remains Canada’s most requested international destination, but Japan is rising taking the number 2 spot, while Canadians are showing strong interest in Iceland and Antarctica – which Virtuoso sees as a signal that there’s a growing appetite for culture, nature and ambitious adventure among luxury travellers.

Advisors are entering 2027 with their most confident outlook in three years. Half of those surveyed expect leisure travel demand to rise at least slightly in the coming year, while another 23 percent anticipate a significant increase.

That confidence carries through, with 61 percent predicting an increase in spend per trip and another 17 percent forecasting a significant jump.

Only 18 percent expect spending to remain the same, suggesting that luxury travellers are not simply maintaining current levels but accelerating their prioritization of meaningful experiences and investing more in access, quality and time. Even with that enthusiasm, value and safety have become increasingly important considerations in where and how they travel.

As for the trends, the Luxe Report identified five that will shape how Canadians will explore the world in 2027.

They include:

• Air Supply: Personal passions and social media buzz may put a destination on the radar, but access determines whether travellers will take the next step. Expanded air service and continued investment in luxury hotels, knowledgeable guides and elevated service are providing new possibilities for certain markets. In Mexico, convenient airlift and a strong luxury resort offering are driving demand, while visa changes and new nonstop routes are creating more accessible pathways across Asia. What once felt complicated is becoming easier to plan, navigate and recommend, turning longstanding curiosity into meaningful growth. In luxury travel, true momentum begins when all the elements are reliably within reach.
• Fancy-flation: Today’s high-end traveller is shopping the exchange rate and maximizing their purchasing power. Advisors report clients arriving with a budget and asking where it will go the furthest, favouring places that deliver luxury at a friendlier price. That mindset is strengthening the appeal of Vietnam, Argentina and Colombia, each offering rich experiences at a more favourable cost. Notably, nobody is trading down. They are swapping the destination while keeping the suite, private guide and hard-to-get table, on the theory that the same money simply buys more of all three somewhere else. More conversations now start with a number instead of a place, and translating one into the other is where professional travel advisors add real value.
• Multi, May I?: Virtuoso recently dubbed the rise of longer, multicity trips as “city-maxxing.” Now, travellers are taking a more considered approach to how each stop fits together. Itineraries are built around contrast, pairing the intensity of a safari with the ease of the beach, the energy of a city with the quiet of the countryside or deep cultural immersion with time to unwind. The goal is a journey with a natural rhythm, each chapter heightening the next. That requires more than choosing the right stops; it calls for an advisor who knows when to raise the tempo, when to slow it down and how to make the entire itinerary sing. 
• Extreme Relatives: Multigenerational travel rose to the No. 1 trend spot, while expedition cruising sailed from No. 9 to No. 2. Advisors see the two beginning to converge in what Virtuoso calls “Gen-XYZ-peditions,” a far-flung adventure shared across several generations. These high-stakes family trips also lend themselves to the privacy and personalization associated with ultraluxe travel, which 37 percent of advisors say is on the rise. At the highest end, that can mean reserving an entire ship or lodge and tailoring every detail to the group. The family vacation is getting a little more private, a little more elaborate and an invitation increasingly worth scoring. 
• Solitary Refinement: Going solo once meant paying extra for the privilege of joining someone else’s trip. Today, independent guests are travelling with greater intention, designing itineraries around what they hope to achieve rather than where they want to visit. Guided tours remain the leading category, health and wellness rose to No. 2 and women-only solo travel debuted at No. 3, cited by 40 percent of advisors. Together, the findings show a segment coming into its own, with women helping lead the evolution and challenging the notion that going solo means going it alone. Destination choices are maturing in step, with Portugal, Iceland and Croatia all building momentum as the solo set ventures beyond familiar starting points. 

Watch for more on Virtuoso’s 2027 Luxe Report: Canada in an upcoming issue.

For the Canadian findings, CLICK HERE

Go to www.virtuoso.com for more.

In the photo 

Seen here, from l to r, are Virtuoso’s Karen Hardie and Misty Belles with panelists, Ilana Valo, Anna Judek and Ashwin Mathur.