OTTAWA, Ontario, and NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland — In spite of lingering economic uncertainty and policy concerns, North America’s leading tour operators are optimistic about 2026, according to data released by both NTA and the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) at their annual conferences late last year.
Sixty-eight percent of USTOA tour companies saw sales growth in 2025, the organization announced at its Marketplace event last December in National Harbor. Of those, 52% reported growth of 10% or higher. And 88% of members expect their sales to grow in 2026, according to a member survey conducted in the fall.
Those results largely parallel research announced by NTA a few weeks earlier. At its Travel Exchange event, which took place in November in Ottawa, the association released the results of a recent member survey, in which a majority of members reported sales growth in 2025 and anticipated similar growth in 2026.
The optimism among both groups, however, was tempered by lingering challenges in policy, pricing and consumer confidence.
“The loss of inbound travel from Canada has hurt a lot of businesses, and it has hurt destinations and suppliers more,” said NTA President Catherine Prather.
Beyond the loss of international inbound business, 76% of respondents in the NTA survey identified rising costs as their biggest challenge, and 37% reported grappling with declining consumer confidence and discretionary spending.
USTOA’s research revealed similar trends.
“The economy was top of mind when we asked about the biggest threats to U.S. confidence in travel in 2026,” said Pam Hoffee, president of Avalon Waterways and USTOA’s incoming vice chair. “Seventy-one percent said they see increased hesitancy to commit to travel, and 63% see shorter booking windows. Thirty-nine percent said they saw more last-minute cancellations or changes. It’s a much more cautious traveler, but ultimately still traveling.”
Despite the headwinds, leaders of both organizations were quick to point to strides they had made in sustainability and responsible travel. USTOA’s research showed that nearly two-thirds of members have formal, documented sustainability plans in place, up 6% from 2024.
“We’re pretty dialed in on sustainability,” said USTOA President Terry Dale. “We have done so much in so short a period of time. But we’re going to do some repositioning. I think we’ll shift to something like responsible travel. The commitment is steadfast, but we need to adapt.”
NTA also announced new sustainability resources for its members.
“We have just finished a meaningful travel guide that we have posted to our website,” Prather said. “We know our members are in different places on their journey to sustainability. The guide is step-by-step for wherever they are on their journey. It’s 30 pages, and it really packs a punch in terms of content.”
NTA’s Travel Exchange was attended by more than 600 delegates from 48 states, nine Canadian provinces and 29 other countries. Its 2026 edition will take place November 15–18 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
USTOA Marketplace reached a sold-out capacity of 950 attendees representing 100 countries. Its 2026 event is scheduled for November 30–December 4 in San Francisco.
