Forward bookings ‘greater than ever’, says AKTG boss

Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group (AKTG) has reported that long-term demand for travel remains strong despite the disruption caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Speaking at AKTG’s 100 Club conference in Chicago, chief trade sales officer Debra Fox said: “While we’re seeing some disruption in 2026, 2027 is forecasting to be our best year again; the forward sales are greater than we’ve seen before.”

Fox attributed this performance to a “resilient” customer base, adding: “There is a small number [of clients] waiting to see what happens before booking, but many of them aren’t holding off on 2027 trips.”

The group reported increased demand for destinations such as Egypt, Europe, Africa and Latin America as the US-Iran conflict continues to influence travel decisions.

Interest in Abercrombie & Kent’s Small Group Journeys and Small Jet Journeys has also surged.

Abercrombie & Kent’s vice-president of global product strategy, Beth Sherer, said: “There is hesitancy for travel short term, but really strong demand long term.

“We launched our Small Group Journeys and Small Jet Journeys for 2027 earlier than ever this year, and they’re selling incredibly well. We are having to add more dates now, so that has moved up our timeline by about three months.”

While Fox remained hopeful that demand for 2026 will rebound, she predicted that challenges with airline capacity would further push bookings into next year.

She said: “I think as soon as things start to settle down, business in 2026 is going to come back with a bang. It’s going to be a short lead-in time, and I think it’s going to be significant, but it will be restricted by flight inventory and what’s available on the ground.

“There will be huge demand, some of which may get pushed into 2027 purely because of limited access.”

Pictured: Debra Fox Credit: Hannah Schweiss photography