Why the group travel market matters (for DMOs)
Partnering with the group travel market is a win/win. When a tour group visits your destination, multiple local partners benefit: hotels, restaurants, attractions, and small businesses. Group travel is a resilient, reliable way to generate tourism-related revenue.
A 2025 article in Travel Weekly stated that the global group travel market is expected to grow to $651 billion by 2034. The growth of this market is proof that your destination should stay connected to tour operators now and in the years ahead.
But even beyond the financial benefits of prioritizing the group travel market, there are other benefits as well.
Group travel…
- Brings repeat business through tour operators who will bring groups to your destination year after year (and often multiple times in the same year)
- Increases your year-round revenue because of operators’ flexibility with dates and willingness to visit during non-peak times
- Attracts attention (and potential business) to small, local businesses in your destination, they types of businesses that tour operators often like to visit and support
- Allows you the chance to draw visitors who truly value meaningful travel, since tour operators have a desire to leave a destination better than when they arrived
- Reduces traffic flow and congestion in your destination by having one motorcoach (or van) replace several cars
- Gives you the chance to truly tell your destination’s story as groups immerse themselves in everything you have to offer, instead of simply focusing on a specific meeting or sporting event
- Exposes your destination to a larger audience through tour operators and tour-related media, which increases visibility and attracts more visitors
- Diversifies your visitor base through the variety of travelers who visit with groups
- Means positive word of mouth among tour operators. Earning the loyalty of an NTA tour operator will spread to their colleagues in the NTA community, and your business will grow
Year-round revenue. Repeat business. A diverse visitor base. If you want all that and more, group travel is the market for your destination.