Bucking the trend
Europe is in the grip of the most serious recession since the 1920s, with reports of economic meltdown in national economies almost a daily occurrence while the Middle East is still coming to terms with the effects of the ‘Arab Spring’.
But while these two factors could easily be expected to be having a devastating effect on the luxury travel sector, the reverse seems to be true. For instance, developers are going ahead with major projects from Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island, which will see some of hospitality’s top names coming to the emirate, to the announcement by Russian company Orbital Technologies of plans for a space hotel – for which guests will pay close to a million dollars, including rocket shuttle transfer, for a five-day stay.
A recent study by UK-based Kensington Tours, which arranges high-end travel across the globe, found that wealthy travellers are particularly interested in heritage journeys seeking the old-world elegance of train journeys, classic desert camps and mobile safaris.
And, as has been increasingly evident in recent years, the luxury offering is becoming ever more focused on experiential travel rather than simply over-the-top opulence.
Green travel too is taking its place in the luxury sector, though not for would-be space visitors, with the demand for eco-friendly options increasing rapidly and the travel and tourism industry really taking the challenge seriously.
Luxury travellers are looking to get under the skin of a destination and know that the people they travel with care for their natural environment and local community.
Hotels, from the smallest to the most luxurious and expensive, are looking at ways to reduce their affect on the planet without compromising on service excellence and travel companies are examining at the way they deal with indigenous populations in the areas they visit.
Service too is becoming more of a consideration. While the luxury sector has always prided itself on offering the best, this is, if anything, getting even better with more and more properties offering private butlers, travel companies joining up with private concierge providers and airlines looking to make their high-end customers feel even more special with the likes of limousine transfers and loyalty rewards.
Against this backdrop, the most discerning of tour operators and travel buyers from across the world will gather in Cannes, France, from December 5 to 8 to attend International Luxury Travel Market, the private business to business event for the luxury travel community. Together with luxury travel suppliers to the industry, they will meet to create something individual.
Summing up the way the market is changing, an ILTM spokesman says: The high-end traveller from each and every corner of the world is changing. No longer can they be identified on appearance and no longer do they demand opulence and absolute luxury. Instead, luxury tour operators and buyers look for the authentic, the new, the actual experience as opposed to only the 5-star magnificence traditionally associated with those with large amounts of money to spend.”