Luxury gets a facelift

HOT on the heels of ILTM Japan (March 17 to 19, Kyoto), ILTM Africa (April 28 to 30, Cape Town) is set to be bigger and better than ever before. Alison Gilmore, senior exhibition director, International Luxury Travel Market Portfolio, speaks to TTN about trends and expectations from luxury travel this year.

What inspired a new logo?
We have redesigned our brand to reflect ILTM’s leading market position and support its growing range of events. ILTM’s new logo is simple, clean and timelessly classic – aligning us with contemporary luxury lifestyle brands as well as reflecting ILTM’s market-leading position.

As the ILTM portfolio enters its next exciting phase, the new brand will highlight ILTM’s reliability and influence as well as reflecting the quality and diversity of each stand-alone event.

Can you explain all your different events, contrast and compare their offerings for our readers?
The flagship ILTM each December in Cannes is now in its 13th year – proof that it is the definitive marketplace for buyers from across the world to view, meet and build business with suppliers from all four corners of the world. The buyers who attend our key regional events, ILTM Asia and ILTM Americas, represent culturally different, emerging high net worth clients. By bringing luxury suppliers from our 70 countries together in one place, these buyers are able to develop dedicated itineraries with the very different audiences in mind. ILTM Japan and ILTM Africa invite international trade from key source markets specialising in these destinations. ILTM Spa mirrors this model, focusing on the increasingly popular global spa and wellness industry.

We handpick and fully host global luxury travel agents to attend each specific event. To highlight two examples of our bespoke approach, 56 per cent of buyers and planners attending ILTM Americas 2013 and 37 per cent of those attending ILTM Africa 2013 had never attended an ILTM event before. This means that our exhibitors will always identify the new rising stars of luxury travel at each event, the raison d’etre of all ILTM events.

What do you expect from ILTM Japan?
As I write, ILTM Japan has not yet happened (it took place on March 17-19 in Kyoto). Japan – home to the second largest number of high net worth individuals globally after the US – a figure which is forecast to grow strongly – saw the launch of the first ILTM Japan in March 2013. The only event of its kind in the region, ILTM Japan creates the unique opportunity for international elite brands to truly understand the culture of the Japanese luxury traveller, at the same time, profiling authentic travel experiences within Japan for the invited international audience
of buyers.

We will have welcomed 25 buyers from Japan – 86 per cent of whom are first-time visitors to the event – as well as 25 international buyers from Singapore, South Africa, Argentina, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, China, Malaysia, Canada, the US and UK. 34 per cent of these buyers will also have never visited an ILTM event before. A total of 1,100 appointments will take place throughout this year’s event.

What is new at ILTM Africa? What can visitors and exhibitors expect from the show?
ILTM Africa 2014 will take place from April 28-30 in Cape Town. The list of high-end African properties that will feature on its guest list includes both established elite bush lodges and resorts that took part in the successful launch edition of ILTM Africa last year and a list of new, independent properties from this burgeoning continent.

ILTM’s position as the world’s leading luxury travel event means that only ILTM Africa can guarantee the industry’s foremost luxury travel buyers. Exhibitors at ILTM Africa 2013 in April last year have already seen a return of 12 times their investment and we are forecasting that this will rise by 50 per cent in 2014.

Which ILTM events do buyers from the Middle East prefer?
Middle East buyers are invited to attend ILTM, ILTM Africa and ILTM Spa and their preference would clearly depend on their speciality and indeed their customers’ preferences. Buyers from the region are always in demand – their clients’ are notably high net-worth but their preferred luxury travel choices vary greatly. They are also keen to be first to try something new so their agents need to be one step ahead by attending the right ILTM event for them.

The Middle East’s travel and tourism industry has never been so vibrant. Both inbound and outbound traffic is growing at an exponential rate, giving rise to many opportunities for luxury travel agents to keep pace with the latest developments regionally and internationally.

Despite the negative impact of the socio-political unrest in the Middle East since the beginning of 2011 on tourism flows (inbound and outbound), the medium to long term prospects for the tourism sector remain positive. Over three-quarters of outbound tourist arrivals from the Middle East region are to destinations within the Middle East region.

Define luxury in travel.
The definition of luxury travel is subjective, but it is clear that it is the sense of personal value – such as understanding and supporting local communities, access to places or products that are reserved for the very few. The instant ‘Instagram-able’ experience – is the underlying theme of the future for travellers from all four corners of the world and particularly those from the Arab world.

Arab Millennials are more travelled than the previous generation and therefore have different luxury travel needs. There is a thirst for new experiences and we have seen a trend amongst groups of young male Arabs for activities such as hunting and shooting (Scotland, Eastern Europe, Africa) falconry (UK) and driving experiences, as well as trendy party destinations like LA, Miami and Bangkok. Due to a propensity for group trips, large suites, villas and interconnecting rooms remain popular.

What is the best way to weave sustainability into luxury?
I think sustainability and eco-friendliness are increasingly being weaved into luxury travel experiences globally – we see more and more examples at each ILTM. Latin America leads the way: Peru, in particular, has been pioneering in developing sustainable tourism. Peruvian Amazon cruise, Aqua Expeditions for example, has a strong commitment to identifying and helping to meet the needs of local communities in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. They believe that responsible eco-friendly operations play a crucial role in protecting the health of the Amazonia people, Amazon wildlife and the Amazon rainforest.

At ILTM 2013, we saw the launch of The Brando on the exquisite Polynesian atoll of Tetiaroa and set to open in July 2014. The Brando is unique in concept and scope, combining environmental purity, luxury and Polynesian charm into an exceptional experience. The Brando has set up projects to help achieve carbon neutrality, which includes Sea Water Air Conditioning (SWAC), Solar energy and a biofuel thermal power station.