Several have told TTG they fear the lucrative margins on these high-end trips could attract so-called "cowboy" agents, leading to negative consequences both for consumers and others working in the industry.
The criticism comes as the sector navigates one of its biggest-ever shifts, with more than three-quarters (78%) of leisure travellers citing having at least one memorable experience as being essential to their holidays.
This trend is even more pronounced in the high-net-worth space, where luxury travellers are 10% more likely than other consumer groups to take an experiential trip.
Hannah Porter, founder of Travel By Hannah, says customers can be scarred from having a negative experience with an agent
Luxury agents are responding to this evolution in traveller behaviour by expanding their knowledge of unique destinations and exclusive product. There's also a financial motivation for them, with experiential holidays now among the highest-margin trips advisors can sell.
“The spend on these experiential bookings is amazing and the markup is so good,” Hannah Porter, Founder of Travel By Hannah, tells TTG.
But while the uptick in experiential trips has been welcomed by the luxury travel community, some of its top advisors have also raised concerns.
‘Entire itineraries fabricated’
By nature, itineraries for experiential travel are more complex, and thereby require the expertise of a professional agent. If the enquiry is mishandled, there can be serious consequences for the client.
“If cowboy agents are planning these types of experiential trips, there is so much risk,” warns Duncan Greenfield-Turk, Founder of Global Travel Moments.
The LGBTQ+ travel specialist argues that, in the worst case scenarios, human life can be endangered – especially if the experiences involve high-stakes activities such as scuba diving, bungee jumping or ice caving.
These itineraries also often involve strict visa rules and medical certifications – paperwork that, if incomplete, can incur huge costs to the client.
Other agents have customers who have had poor experiences with OTAs, where fragmented bookings and rigid cancellation policies often lack the flexibility required for experience-led itineraries.
Ben Eddon-Carruthers, co-founder of Huben Travel, says some of his clients couldn't get hold of anyone after booking with OTAs
“We’ve had situations where clients have previously had disastrous transfers or needed support during the journey and couldn’t get hold of anyone,” Ben Eddon-Carruthers, Co-Founder of Huben Travel, tells TTG.
"With OTAs, everything is lovely until the sale happens. But if you need to change anything, it can be a nightmare. Clients are handed over to sales support that’s typically located offshore. Everything is so transactional.”
Meanwhile, Greenfield-Turk has clients who’ve had issues early in the enquiry stage. “I’ve seen entire itineraries fabricated – the routing doesn’t even make sense,” he says. “The ‘agent’ has come back with a proposal and you can see they don’t know the destination.”
‘It could push people out of business’
As well as posing a safety and financial risk, Greenfield-Turk believes cowboy agents are “detrimental” to the sector’s reputation. “Our industry operates purely on trust, and these cases do so much damage,” he says. “This could put people [reputable agents] out of business.”
He also warns that consumers’ disillusionment could lead to a spike in "DIY" experiential travel. "If anything, I think it will push people to try to do it on their own," he cautions.
Duncan Greenfield-Turk believes rogue agents can have a detrimental effect on the industry
Porter agrees inexperienced agents can undermine the profession and ultimately drive consumers away from booking through the trade.
“It definitely has an impact when people do a bad job as an agent, because then customers just think they can do a better job themselves,” she says. “When someone gets hurt, they’re not open to doing it again. They can be scarred from that one bad experience.”
Sarah Ives of Cartology Travel believes it’svital consumers understand the difference between booking experiential travel and a city break or fly-and-flop.
“In adventure and exploration, the entire experience adds up,” she explains. “Every small detail matters, from who greets you at the airport to the housekeeping at your hotel. That’s why we don’t do things piecemeal – we have on-the-ground contacts who are destination experts and make things run seamlessly.”
Ives, who is also a member of Travel Sisterhood, also believes consumers should research agents’ credentials before proceeding with a booking.
Sarah Ives of Cartology Travel says it’s vital consumers understand the detail involved in planning experiential travel
“Look at reviews and interview them,” she says. “Find out how they work and if they meet your criteria – do you need 24/7 WhatsApp support? Do you need one point of contact throughout? It’s like doing research on your accountant. They need to be the right fit.”
Other advisors, however, believe the only way to protect clients – and the industry’s reputation – is by introducing a statutory licensing and qualification framework for travel agents.
“These programmes should not be optional,” Greenfield-Turk insists. “You need to study to be a dentist – why not a travel advisor? The frustration is real – I have this conversation with every advisor I know trying to run a professional business. The barrier of entry is just too low.”