Virtual event featured industry leaders, supplier-led education and practical strategies to help advisors grow group sales and build lasting travel communities
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (August 20, 2026) – As group travel continues to be a powerful driver of revenue, repeat business and client engagement, Dream Vacations and CruiseOne® brought travel advisors together for the 2026 Group Summit, a virtual educational event designed to help attendees build, grow and manage successful group travel programs.
“One of the most valuable parts of the Group Summit is the opportunity for advisors to learn from peers who are already finding success in the group travel space,” said Drew Daly, senior vice president and general manager of Dream Vacations and CruiseOne. “Attendees heard firsthand how franchise owners have built loyal communities around hosted groups and repeat events, while walking away with practical tips and ideas they can put into action right away.”
The focus on group travel comes as Dream Vacations and CruiseOne continue to see strong demand for the segment. The network has experienced roughly 25% growth in cruise groups over the past several years, driven by trends such as multigenerational family vacations, girls’ getaways and advisor-led “come along with me” travel experiences that bring together travelers with shared interests.
The Group Summit featured general sessions, interactive workshops and supplier-led training, giving advisors the opportunity to learn from industry experts, travel supplier partners and franchise owners who have successfully built businesses around group travel.
One of the event’s featured speakers was Vicki Freed, senior vice president, sales and trade support & service for Royal Caribbean who discussed why group travel remains such an important segment of today’s travel industry, how group bookings can increase sales and client loyalty, and the role group business can play in a long-term growth strategy.
Attendees also learned from The Travel Institute, whose educational sessions provided guidance on successfully planning, organizing, scaling and managing groups of any size. Whether advisors are coordinating travel for eight guests or 800, participants gained actionable best practices that support every phase of the group sales process, from planning through execution.
In addition, travel supplier partners lead hands-on reporting workshops that taught advisors how to request and generate reports, identify important data points and verify report accuracy, helping them better manage and support their group business.
Recognizing that group travel experience levels vary widely across the network, the summit offered beginner, intermediate and advanced educational tracks designed to help advisors expand their knowledge and build confidence regardless of where they are in their group travel journey.
Beyond traditional group travel, the summit also explored evolving opportunities such as hosted cruises, affinity travel, themed vacations and advisor-led “travel with me” experiences. These models allow advisors to create communities around shared passions and interests while fostering stronger client engagement and increasing opportunities for repeat travel and referrals.
“Today’s travelers are increasingly looking for experiences that help them connect with other people who share their interests,” said Charity Santiago, vice president of training and events for Dream Vacations and CruiseOne. “We’re seeing advisors successfully create communities through hosted groups, themed sailings and shared-interest travel experiences. The Group Summit was designed to help advisors understand how to leverage those opportunities while building sustainable, long-term business growth.”
According to Alicia Linden, vice president of consumer and recruitment marketing for Dream Vacations and CruiseOne, community-driven travel continues to be an area of growing interest.
“Whether it’s a hosted cruise, special-interest group, annual travel club or a travel-with-me experience, advisors have an opportunity to build something bigger than a single booking,” said Linden.
The 2026 Group Summit is part of Dream Vacations and CruiseOne’s ongoing commitment to providing innovative education, actionable business-building strategies and supplier partnerships that help advisors succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
For more information about Dream Vacations and CruiseOne, visit DreamVacationsFranchise.com.