While luxury is important to high-end travellers, sustainability is increasingly influencing how and where people travel in 2026, shows Virtuoso’s 2026 Luxe Report: Australia & New Zealand.
The collective interviewed more than 2400 travel agents worldwide to find out just how conscious travellers are heading into 2026. The results found that 35% of agents say their clients are actively adjusting plans to mitigate the effects of climate change. As for how this 35% is changing plans, 84% are choosing shoulder-season or off-peak travel, while 67% are looking to destinations with more temperate climates and 48% are purchasing insurance as a safeguard against climate-related disruptions. Others are spending more, it adds, with 46% of travellers willing to pay more for companies that benefit local communities and the economy, while 45% would pay more for those that preserve natural and cultural heritage. At the same time, 37% are happy to splash out on businesses that adopt environmentally friendly philosophies and practices. Virtuoso’s vp sustainability Javier Arredondo says travellers are asking smarter questions, seeking deeper connections and expecting their journeys to make a positive impact.
For agents, as interest in sustainability continues to build, he says their role is to meet that momentum with ‘real solutions’. This means, knowing brands that offer sustainable experience, with Aurora Expeditions cited as an example, one of the first expedition cruise companies to become a Certified B Corporation.
