AS THE ninth edition of the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) prepares to open doors in Cannes this month, DEBBIE JOSLIN, group exhibition director, speaks to TTN about how the luxury industry has evolved and of luxury travellers on the road to self-discovery.
What can we expect to see at ILTM 2010?
ILTM 2010 will welcome 1,200 VIP buyers representing more than 70 countries and 1,200 luxury travel suppliers representing the breadth of the luxury travel industry. This includes all things private – private jets, islands and villas; boutique and individual hotels; wellness and spa retreats and the world’s leading hotel brands.
Who are the new exhibitors this year?
Of the 1,200 suppliers around 25 per cent are first timers. These include The Oitavos in Portugal, Valriche in Mauritius, Remota in Chile, The Corinthia Hotel, London, Hotel Castello di Casole, Italy, Crans Ambassador in Switzerland, Yak & Yeti Services in France, Jordan Tourism Board, PremiAir Aviation Group Travel in the UK, MSC Cruises, Italy, Kyoto City, Japan, Umhlaba Resort in South Africa and Song Saa Private Island in Cambodia.
How much participation will we see from the Middle East this year?
Luxury travellers are more adventurous than ever before and are interested in venturing further in search of out-of-this-world experiences. The Middle East offers cultural experiences in abundance.
The Middle East has seen exponential growth as a luxury destination and is continuing to evolve. The region offers the luxury traveller a diverse range of experiences.
The region now has some of the world’s newest and best luxury products all showcased at ILTM: Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort, Abu Dhabi and One&Only The Palm, Dubai, as well as Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts – Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Madinat Jumeirah.
Are there any new initiatives at the show?
For the first time there will be a healing lounge sponsored by Healing Hotels of the World in the Global Village. Under the theme ‘Healing Body, Mind and Soul, Healing Beauty’, treatments in the ILTM Healing Lounge will include mini facials onsite, a power nap corner, holistic massages, shoulder, neck and head treatments and Lanserhof Austria will provide 15-minute consultations on men’s health.
The healing lounge represents the crème de la crème of the world’s spas and therefore a high-point for those luxury travel specialists seeking the ultimate in rejuvenation for their elite clients.
How many international luxury travel buyers are you expecting and what can they gain from the show?
Our world’s top luxury travel buyers are hand-picked and come from 70 countries. They are senior decision makers from high-end travel agencies and tour operators.
ILTM is unlike any other event in the world; more than 1,200 of the best luxury travel buyers are hosted at the four day event and each have a bespoke diary of 40-plus appointments. Furthermore exhibitors get to discover all the latest trends in what the luxury travel consumer is searching for as well as the opportunity to network with the world’s luxury travel elite at a number of networking events.
Has the demand for luxury travel suffered over the last two years? What has been the biggest challenge?
Reports from luxury specialists suggest that, while the middle market has severely rationed its travels, the top end has actually increased by a few percentage points.
The growth in luxury travellers from China and India also indicates why deluxe hotel groups, private jet companies and exclusive tour operators are gathering with confidence at this year’s ILTM.
This very interesting debate has undoubtedly focused on the question of values, both in terms of value for money and an individual elite traveller’s personal values. Luxury travellers certainly expect and look for value for money – whilst they don’t mind paying a high price, their experience must still represent good value for money. Aspirations are also changing; people are less in the mindset of ‘self-indulgence’ but more ‘self-discovery’.
What are the new luxury travel trends?
Travel industry professionals have recently predicted a growth in customised and uniquely exotic travel experiences. As a result suppliers have to continuously innovate and find new ideas to satisfy demand. ILTM seeks out these unusual and unique experiences for the benefit of the travel specialists attending.
What can we expect at this year’s Ultratravel Forum?
The ILTM Ultratravel Forum brings together two heavyweight discussion panels comprising the industry’s leading movers and shakers.
‘How have the demands of the luxury traveller changed’ and ‘Finding and satisfying high-yield travellers in today’s market’ are the key themes. The panels will be facilitated by Klara Glowczewska, editor-in-chief of Condé Nast Traveller and Graham Boynton, editor of Ultratravel and group travel editor of the UK’s Telegraph Media Group.
The panels at the ILTM Ultratravel Forum will include Andrew Crawley, sales and marketing director, British Airways, Marc Dardenne, CEO, EMAAR Hotels, Massimo Quarra, executive vice president, American Express and many others.
International tourism magnate and renowned hotelier Sol Kerzner will take part in an exclusive, conversational, one-to-one interview with Graham Boynton to close the Ultratravel Forum.
How would you define a luxury experience?
A luxury travel experience is the result of the ultimate choice. Time is so precious, luxury travel must offer value for money, at the same time as being a unique experience to each personal traveller, be it on a yacht, in a private villa, indulging in the ultimate excitement or a secluded hideaway. Furthermore, it is about unparalleled service, understanding that your customers are not homogenous but still anticipating their every need.
Where would you vote an emerging luxury destination?
A very hard question to answer although I do believe that Europe is back, Asia is in and the Middle East is still hot! That said, South America is number one on my list and we’ll see destinations such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru grow in popularity over the coming years.
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