More than two-thirds of advisors attend ILTM for the first time
‘The Sail’ makes its ILTM North American debut
#ILTMNorthAmerica / @iltm_events / www.iltm.com/northamerica
28 September – 1 October 2026
Organised by RX Global, ILTM North America 2026 welcomed 560 luxury travel brands from 70 countries to Baha Mar in The Bahamas last week, where they met with 560 of the region’s leading luxury travel advisors. Exhibitor numbers increased by 7% year on year, with advisors travelling from 295 cities across the US, Mexico and Canada, compared with 250 cities in 2025.
"ILTM North America has grown without losing its unchallenged point of difference, which is the quality of the people in the room. It's also the only show in the region where you'll meet American Express Travel advisors, who were here alongside agents from Fora, Global Travel Collection (Internova), McCabe World Travel, SmartFlyer, Travel Edge and some of the best independents in North America," said Event Director Simon Mayle.
More than two-thirds (69%) of this year's advisors attended ILTM for the first time, new to the show but experienced in the industry, bringing fresh client networks to the show floor. Three quarters of attending advisors are based in the United States, with 15% from Mexico and 10% from Canada. 75% are also affiliated with a major travel consortium with the other half affiliated with host agencies, giving suppliers direct access to the networks that serve the continent’s most affluent travellers.
Exhibitor loyalty was equally strong, with two thirds returning from last year and 33% new to the show. The 2026 edition saw growth across every region, with notable increases from Costa Rica, Croatia and Japan, and the return of Italy’s Tourism Board, ENIT.
Following its successful launch at ILTM Cannes 2025, The Sail made its ILTM North American debut this year, bringing 11 luxury ocean, river and yacht travel brands together in a dedicated space at the heart of the convention centre. The launch reflects growing demand from advisors, with one in four buyers seeking more cruise product at ILTM North America.
Randall James, Manager of Trade Operations at Regent Seven Seas commented “I have always loved this show – it brings so many qualified leads, but The Sail means our brand gives us a much stronger presence to all advisors, not just those with whom we have meetings. It has been a refreshing, high positioning point for Regent and I believe The Sail would be a great proposition for all ocean and river cruise brands.”
The advisors accredited to attend were thrilled with their ILTM North America experiences.
Long time ILTM North America supporter Tania Swasbrook, co-founder of Virtuoso member Vgari Lifestyle said: “What has struck me most about this year’s event is how much new product I've discovered here, even after so many years in the business. And not only new product, but fresh takes on properties and experiences that have existed for many years, as well as innovative services that are truly on trend. The suppliers here have taken the time to present the unique aspects of what they do, and it has really grabbed our attention.”
Daniela Harrison, Director of Marketing, Avenues of the World Travel in the USA said:"The quality of suppliers and the genuine one-to-one appointments are why I keep coming back. I've met several new partners I plan to add to my portfolio - one even put together a proposal on the spot for a client who needs last-minute holiday space. I can't wait to get home and start following up."
Kateryna Havrylova, Director, Partner Relations at Ensemble said: "This was my first ILTM North America, and the quality and range of meetings really stood out. In one day I went from learning about Japan's lesser-known Tohoku region to discussing Royal Galapagos' privately owned yachts, and being in Nassau meant I could get to know The Bahamas properly too. It's a relationship driven industry, and nothing beats meeting partners face to face, whether that's in an appointment, over a drink or on the dance floor at the closing party."
Lidia Elizondo, Travel Advisor at Gannet said: "This was my first ILTM North America, and what stood out was the time you get with each exhibitor. It means they can really listen to what we need and explain their properties and services properly. I've discovered some excellent DMCs that weren't on my radar and some incredible destinations I'm excited to start promoting to clients."
The exhibitors were equally delighted, including:
David Woodward, Relais & Châteaux’s International Director of Sales who said: “After an 8 year absence, we have returned because the luxury B2B market has become increasingly important for all our hotels and this event offers an essential razor focus on the North American market. The travel advisors our members have met here will for sure not only be long-term partners, but true extensions of their sales teams. We are looking forward to ILTM 2027 events already.”
Ike High, Director of Leisure & Business Travel at Explore Charleston added:"It's been a while since we last exhibited at ILTM North America in 2018, and this year we wanted to come back with our hotel partners. ILTM does a great job of vetting its buyers, and the quality really shows. Every one of our appointments has been spot on, and we're already submitting for next year."
Gerald Glenno, General Manager at Espacio Waikiki said:"This is our third year at ILTM North America. We attend plenty of shows across the US, and this is the most productive and welcoming. Because it's more intimate, you get proper time with advisors and media, and the conversations go much deeper than they do at the larger events.”
And Stephen Mashall, Vice President Global Sales at Beckons commented:"We've had fantastic, dynamic conversations all week. As we prepare to launch in 2028, there's been huge interest and we've been connecting directly with buyers who are looking for real time opportunities. We've already done some great business on the show floor, which says everything about the quality of the buyers here.’’
ILTM North America 2027 takes place 27th – 30th September at Baha Mar, The Bahamas. For further information, please contact Simon Mayle, simon.mayle@rxglobal.com
The next ILTM event in 2026 is ILTM Cannes: 30 November – 3 December.
ENDS
For further press information, please contact iltmpr@spotlightcoms.com. A selection of images can be found HERE.
About ILTM
ILTM is a global collection of invitation-only events that brings together leading international buyers to meet and discover the most luxurious travel experiences. Each event introduces an unrivalled selection of luxury travel brands to ILTM’s extensive network of hand-picked luxury travel advisors, through bespoke appointment programmes and networking sessions. Alongside the global flagship events in Cannes and Asia Pacific, ILTM has two core local events: ILTM Latin America and ILTM North America.
About RX (Reed Exhibitions)
RX is in the business of building businesses for individuals, communities and organisations. We elevate the power of face-to-face events by combining data and digital products to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at over 400 events in 22 countries across 43 industry sectors. RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.rxglobal.com
About RELX
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs over 33,000 people, of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. The market capitalisation is approximately £33bn, €39bn, $47bn.*
*Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors
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