Whether they’re traveling to attend an exclusive art class with a master painter or going on a safari adventure in Africa, the best luxury travel experiences are able to provide their customers with a sense of grandeur. The modern ‘gold standard’ for luxury travel is no longer about gilt finishes, white gloves or sleek surfaces but rather about offering the 24-carat version of whatever it is that defines happiness for each individual customer.
According to market research, luxury travelers are looking for experiences that allow them to create unique connections with the places they visit. Personalized, co-created luxury experiences offer stories worth sharing and help individuals distinguish themselves from the crowd. This is why many luxury hotel and tour operators are choosing to get personal with their marketing and focusing on customized itineraries, VIP treatment and exclusive access to amazing experiences.
As a result, upscale travelers have become increasingly demanding and are often more concerned with value for money than brand name or celebrity status. Nevertheless, it is important to note that even with these changes, there are still some core elements of the luxury experience that are timeless.
In the future, luxury consumers will continue to seek a deeper connection with the places they visit. They will be looking for genuine and authentic connection points, as well as products and experiences that are both ethical and sustainable. In the end, it is the authenticity of these connections that will define the success of the industry moving forward.