A live poll of Virtuoso’s Australia and New Zealand members at the network’s 2026 ANZ Forum in Auckland has revealed a currently cautious but resilient luxury travel network, with the vast majority of clients changing or postponing plans rather than walking away from them entirely.
“Nervous.” “Frustrated.” “Déjà vu.” “Triggered.” “Chaos.” But also: “Optimistic.” “Hopeful.” “Great.” “Busy.” When Virtuoso asked its Australian and New Zealand members attending the Forum to describe their feelings about 2026 (particularly the last three weeks) in a single word, the responses told the story of an industry pulled in two directions at once.
Virtuoso’s Executive Vice President of Strategic Communications, David Kolner, presented the survey results on the second day of the Virtuoso Australia and New Zealand Forum in Auckland, telling delegates the data was just “two hours old.”
Despite the vibe rollercoaster, the sales outlook remains broadly positive. Only 11 per cent of members reported sales being down for 2026 to date, with a notable uptick in agencies holding steady and a slight downscaling of those forecasting growth compared to 2025.
The majority still reported a growth outlook.
What’s keeping advisors up at night?
Not surprisingly, the Middle East crisis has dramatically reshaped the threat landscape in just over three weeks. Geopolitical conflicts topped the network’s list at 86 per cent, up from 55 per cent in 2025, while political uncertainty dramatically surged to 73 per cent from just 30 per cent a year ago.
Global market forces (54 per cent, up from 15 per cent) and stock market volatility (54 per cent, up from 5 per cent) saw the sharpest climbs. Supply chain issues jumped to 44 per cent from 2 per cent, with Kolner noting members are “suddenly very aware of how long the oil supply is to our region.”
Environmental concerns and natural disasters rose to 44 per cent (from 15 per cent). Labour and staffing held steady at 21 per cent.
The AI picture, however, flipped. Those viewing it as an opportunity dropped to 15 per cent from 25 per cent, while AI as a threat rose to 7 per cent from 2 per cent. Kolner said advisors are feeling the stress of clients second-guessing them with AI, “even when it’s incorrect sometimes.” Viruses and epidemics barely registered at 6 per cent.
Clients changing plans, not cancelling them
Asked about the current Middle East crisis, 71 per cent of respondents said clients are changing to another destination or routing altogether, while 21 per cent are postponing travel to a later date.
Only 7 per cent indicated outright cancellations.
“This is a great sign about people holding on to the business,” Kolner told delegates. “The clients are still going.”
That tracks with what Australian advisors have been reporting to Karryon: rethinking routes and carriers, not scrapping plans.
Are travellers staying closer to home?
63 per cent of members said no, they are not seeing increased interest in domestic destinations.
But the rerouting has clear winners. Asia is the overwhelming beneficiary at 90 per cent, followed by Australia and New Zealand (60 per cent), Africa (44 per cent), South America (36 per cent), and North America (24 per cent). Europe still made the cut at 10 per cent.
What’s trending in 2026?
Travelling to new destinations topped ANZ Virtuoso members’ client behaviour trends in 2026 at 88 per cent, followed by immersive and slower-paced travel (61 per cent), multi-generational itineraries (43 per cent) and solo travel (42 per cent).
Price sensitivity is, however, rising year to date, with 29 per cent of advisors reporting more budget-conscious luxury travellers than in 2025 and 23 per cent noting shorter or adjusted trip lengths.
When budgets do tighten, accommodation type and length of trip are the first to give, both at 56 per cent. Air travel options (36 per cent) and destination choice (33 per cent) follow, with timing of travel (23 per cent) and number of destinations (17 per cent) further down.
Notably, 11 per cent reported no significant changes. “Exciting to see that they’re sticking with their plans,” Kolner said.
Three in four agencies still hiring
Irrespective of the uncertainty, 75 per cent of network members said they planned to hire in 2026, down slightly from last year but still a commanding majority. 10 per cent said they were planning to hire for management roles, up from 4 per cent in 2025.
The Virtuoso Luxe Report 2026 had already flagged robust demand. This live pulse check suggests optimism is bruised but intact, despite the ongoing Middle East crisis.
For more, read ‘Beware the threat of sameness’: Virtuoso opens Auckland ANZ Forum with timely reminder
KARRYON UNPACKS: Clients are reshuffling luxury travel, not walking away from it. Rebooking and rerouting are the priority, not damage control. Asia is the clear beneficiary of Middle East diversions, and with 75 per cent of agencies still hiring, the network is backing itself to grow through the turbulence.
