Where to save and splurge on vacation, from a 28-year-old travel agent on track to book $1 million in trips this year

Rebecca Smiley is proof that travel agents are making a comeback, and young people are driving demand.

Smiley, 28, changed careers to become a travel advisor and is on track to book $1 million in trips for her clients this year, up from roughly $800,000 in 2024.

Her trip bookings vary from $1,000 Vegas getaways to $21,000 weekend cruise packages. But regardless of budget, she says some travel expenses are worth splurging on, whereas for others you should save.

If you're going to spend more in one travel category, make it your accommodations, Smiley says.

Hostel or camping trips have their place, but booking a "nicer" hotel closer to your points of interest, where you can sleep soundly and rest in between your activities, can "make or break" your overall vacation experience, she says.

"When you look back, although you might remember the excursions or adventures you had, you will remember a bad stay more than that," Smiley says.

You don't have to resort to a five-star hotel for nicer accommodations, she adds – a boutique hotel can provide a luxurious stay on a smaller budget.

One place to save: your flights. There are a number of ways to find cheaper airfare, like booking at the right time and flying at off-peak hours. Look into using your credit card points or airline loyalty programs to lower the price of your flight, Smiley adds.

Overall, the biggest trend she's seen, based on her 2025 bookings, is travelers who want "something unique that will blow me away" and set them apart, especially on social media, she tells CNBC Make It.

"You hate that it comes down to this, but you're scrolling and you're like, 'Oh, there's another person that's gone to Cancun. Do I want to go to Cancun? Or do I want to go somewhere that nobody's heard of before?'"

For example, many of her clients are planning European honeymoons but want something "off the beaten path" and tailored to their specific interests, like an "LGBTQ honeymoon in Greece, or a Tuscan winery honeymoon," she says.

Younger travelers in their 20s and 30s, who feel shut out of the housing market or from reaching other traditional financial milestones, are prioritizing bucket-list travel, Smiley says.

"They're much more willing to spend their money, their hard-earned money on an experience like a vacation than the the nicest new car, or maybe [because] they can't get a house," she says. "They're going to put in the money to go on this really cool African safari that maybe other people don't do until they have retirement money."

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