TORONTO — Following a record-setting year, Goway GroupsOnly is doubling down on growth with an expanded leadership team and a new sweepstakes designed to reward travel advisors throughout February.
The custom group travel specialist closed out 2025 with a 25% increase in sales, capped by 100 group bookings made in December alone. The strong performance reflects continued momentum across the group travel segment, as travellers increasingly seek curated experiences that balance value, access and flexibility.
According to Goway GroupsOnly, several trends are shaping demand heading into 2026, including longer booking lead times to secure space in high-demand destinations such as Japan and Italy, alongside a rise in last-minute group bookings driven by timely deals and availability. The company is also seeing sustained growth in women-only group travel, a segment that continues to gain traction while fostering repeat business and loyalty.
“It’s a dynamic time for custom group travel,” says Shirley Rourke, VP Goway GroupsOnly. “People are responding to market forces such as overtourism and affordability by joining like-minded travellers to embark on custom group vacations. Group travel is affordable and provides a lot of convenient perks, such as access to behind-the-scenes experiences, so it’s only growing more appealing in a world where it’s sometimes hard to make travel dreams a reality.”
EXPANDED LEADERSHIP TEAM
To support ongoing demand, Goway GroupsOnly has expanded its leadership team. Jennifer Murray has been promoted to Director of Groups Sales & Reservations, following four years of contributing to the division’s record sales performance. In her new role, she will focus on scaling operations for continued growth while maintaining consistency across destinations.
The company has also added Ali Rizvi as Groups Sales & Reservation Manager for Asia and the Americas, along with Patrick Corriveau as Groups Sales & Reservation Manager for Europe, further strengthening regional expertise and sales support.
“We’re thrilled to grow the GroupsOnly team,” says Rourke. “The interest in custom group travel shows no signs of slowing down. By promoting Jennifer Murray and bringing Ali Rizvi and Patrick Corriveau onto the team, we’re setting ourselves up for success in the years to come and ensuring we’re equipped to ride this wave of popularity for custom group travel.”
FEBRUARY SWEEPSTAKES
In addition to expanding its internal team, Goway GroupsOnly is launching a February sweepstakes aimed at rewarding travel advisors who book new group business. For every new group booking made between Feb. 1–28, 2026, advisors will receive five entries into the contest, with the chance to earn up to $1,000 on a GowayPro Virtual Rewards Card.
Three prizes will be awarded, including a $1,000 first prize, a $500 second prize and a $250 third prize. Winners will be randomly selected from eligible entries in early March. Full details are available here.
Lead image caption: From l-r: Jennifer Murray, Ali Rizvi and Patrick Corriveau
