Alaska is always a hot vacation commodity, but this year it’s more so than ever. “The proof is in our robust sales numbers,” says Craig Pavlus, founder and CEO, Pavlus Travel & Cruise, Albuquerque, NM, one of the U.S.’ largest independent travel agencies with employees spread across the country. The 2026 Alaska summer sailing season just kicked off and, for most lines, continues through September.
“While Alaska has always been a popular summer destination for travelers, by land or sea, our total Alaska vacation sales, both revenue and total number of bookings, are tracking higher this year to date, compared with the same period a year ago,” he reveals. Most notable is that “some clients are interestingly booking much closer in—for Alaska vacations that depart within the next three months!”
Geopolitical Fallout: Some consumers—even frequent global travelers—are looking to avoid certain regions of the world given recent world events and geopolitical fallout. That includes certain (not all) areas of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. “As a result, we’ve also actually noticed an uptick in North American travel of all types across the board this year,” Pavlus stresses.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Luxury Travel Advisor.
