According to WeTravel's 2026 Travel Trends Report – built on aggregated data from more than 800,000 bookings across 350,000 trips and 1.3 million travelers, as well as survey responses from over 400 global multi-day travel businesses – 41% of operators cite manual or time-consuming operational processes as a top pressure impacting 2026 tours.
A further 21% cite difficulty finding or vetting reliable local partners as a key operational pressure.
Many operators are trying to build workflows that not only support their current operations but can also scale as trips become more customized and coordination becomes more complex.
That’s why we created this resource – to help you evaluate your current setup, identify one clear area for improvement, and take practical action.
The 2026 Multi-Day Travel Operations Scorecard is a five-minute interactive assessment designed to help you understand where operational or supplier pressures may be slowing you down – and what you can realistically improve next, whether through better technology or small but meaningful workflow changes.
If you’ve read this year’s Travel Trends Report, this tool is the natural next step – a way to translate industry data into concrete improvements inside your own business.
Completion time: 3–5 minutes
How it works: For each statement, select if it is fully true for your business today. Each "Yes" = 1 point. Maximum score = 30. Your results will update automatically.
At the end, you’ll receive a score out of 30 and one clear goal to focus on next based on the score. The aim of this tool isn't to benchmark or highlight inefficiencies; it's to show you where you can make improvements in your business's workflows.
In each category, we’ve included specific examples of what those improvements can look like, so you can take confident action within the next 30 days.
Your results are designed to be practical, not abstract. We’ve divided them into three categories:
Manual Mode suggests that much of your workflow still relies on spreadsheets, inboxes, and disconnected systems. That does not mean your business is behind. It simply means there may be clear opportunities ahead to save time, save money, or improve your team’s daily tasks. Think of these as small changes you can make in your business today – not as an overhaul of your entire system.
Scaling, But Strained indicates that you have structure in place, but some parts of your workflow remain fragmented. Simplifying how information moves between systems may be your next priority.
Built for Growth suggests that your workflows are connected and structured to support more complex trips. Your focus should now be on speed and improving connection.
In every case, the goal is the same: remove one recurring source of friction in the next 30 days. Small improvements can go a long way!
WeTravel’s 2026 report also shows that demand for private and custom trips grows, with 56% of operators reporting increased interest in custom trips. But as customization increases, so does the amount of coordination required behind each trip – from itinerary building and booking management to installment payments and partner vetting.
Many operators are responding to this added complexity with smarter workflows and more efficient tools. For example, 44% now use AI to create itineraries or proposals, reflecting a shift toward leaning on technology to speed up what were previously manual, time-consuming processes.
Added to this, as more information moves between inquiries, itinerary drafting, booking management, payments, and supplier coordination, disconnected workflows can create delays and unnecessary strain.
The scorecard is designed to help you see clearly where that strain may be showing up in your own operations – and to focus on one realistic improvement that will make a meaningful difference.
The 2026 Multi-Day Travel Operations Scorecard reviews how your business operates across six core areas of the trip lifecycle.
With 56% of operators reporting increased interest in custom trips, travelers are sharing more detailed preferences, special requests, and expectations. Custom itineraries often involve more varied rooming variations, dietary needs, activity choices, and additional partner coordination.
Are you capturing structured inquiry information from the start? Is traveler data stored in one place and reused throughout the booking process? Or are you re-entering the same details across proposals, bookings, and follow-ups?
When trips become more personalized, clear and reusable traveler data becomes essential.
Faster trip design is becoming standard across the industry. As 44% of operators are using AI in 2026 to support itinerary creation, response time matters more than ever.
Can you personalize trips using reusable templates or components? Are updates reflected in one live itinerary? Or are you managing multiple versions of documents and email threads?
Reducing duplication here can significantly shorten turnaround time, which in turn leads to higher conversion.
As trips involve more travelers and more moving parts, coordination expands across confirmations, participant details, and availability tracking.
Can travelers book and pay in one clear flow? Is participant information centralized? Are confirmations and follow-ups automated?
Structured booking workflows reduce manual back-and-forth and improve visibility across departures.
WeTravel’s aggregated booking data shows that installment payments are widely used across multi-day travel segments. But when trips are paid in stages rather than in full at booking, tracking deposits, due dates, and outstanding balances becomes an ongoing responsibility.
Are installment payments managed in one system? Can you see balances and payment status at any time? Are reminders automated?
Clear financial visibility reduces payment chasing and administrative load.
Twenty-one percent of operators cite difficulty finding or vetting reliable local partners as a key operational pressure in 2026. As trips become more customized, operators will more often need to source new suppliers to match new, unique experiences.
Can you easily find and vet new suppliers when needed? Are contracts, payment terms, and communications documented clearly? Can you easily pay your partners?
Organized and reliable partner coordination reduces risk and improves your trips for both your travelers and your partners.
Forty-one percent of operators cite manual or time-consuming operational processes as a top pressure impacting 2026 tours. As booking volume grows, repetitive tasks can quickly compound.
Are repetitive tasks automated where possible? Can your team handle increased inquiry volume without adding headcount? Are you using structured templates or AI-supported tools to reduce drafting time?
Reducing duplication is one of the most direct ways to scale sustainably.
Want access to the data? WeTravel’s annual report, Multi-Day Travel Trends: Booking Behaviors in 2026, is available to download today, for free.
You'll gain:
Download your report here – get ahead of the trends driving travel bookings in 2026.