Download the full Ultra 2026 Panel Insights report to discover what’s shaping the future of ultra-luxury travel.
Luxury travel is entering a period of significant change. As global wealth continues to grow, a new generation of travellers is seeking journeys that feel transformational and create a lasting imprint.
Today’s UHNW individuals are looking beyond traditional markers of luxury. They are increasingly drawn to authenticity, meaning, and deeper human connection. The most powerful journeys are defined by their ability to create connection – with people, places, and purpose.
Hosted at Atlantis The Royal, Dubai, Ultra 2026 brought together a global collective of luxury travel leaders – from hoteliers and travel designers to Family Offices, private client advisors, and industry innovators. Through a curated programme of meetings, experiences, and discussions, the event explored how expectations are evolving and what lies ahead for ultra-luxury travel.
Summary & Key Findings
At Ultra 2026, industry leaders came together across two defining discussions – Beyond Luxury: What Comes Next and In Conversation: Space for the Curious – offering a clear perspective on how ultra-luxury travel is evolving.
The new language of luxury
Luxury is no longer defined by excess, but by meaning, relevance, and personal enrichment. Travellers are seeking experiences that feel authentic, culturally grounded, and emotionally resonant.
Service as emotional intelligence
Exceptional service is increasingly rooted in emotional intelligence – anticipating needs, creating seamless experiences, and delivering with authenticity rather than performance.
The expectations shift
As expectations continue to rise, travellers are placing greater value on thoughtful details, genuine care, and meaningful engagement over traditional markers of luxury.
Technology and the human touch
While technology enhances efficiency and personalisation, human connection remains central. The balance between innovation and human interaction is key to delivering truly elevated experiences.
Beyond Luxury: What Comes Next
PANEL SPEAKERS
MODERATOR
Mary Gostelow
Founder, Gostelow Report & Girlahead
Panel moderator Mary Gostelow is a globally respected authority in luxury travel. As Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Gostelow Report, a trusted market intelligence resource for the world’s top hoteliers, as well as Founder of Girlahead, a platform dedicated to luxury travel experiences, she has left her mark on the industry worldwide.
MODERATOR
Mary Gostelow
Founder, Gostelow Report & Girlahead
Panel moderator Mary Gostelow is a globally respected authority in luxury travel. As Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Gostelow Report, a trusted market intelligence resource for the world’s top hoteliers, as well as Founder of Girlahead, a platform dedicated to luxury travel experiences, she has left her mark on the industry worldwide.
PANELLIST
Divia Thani
Global Editorial Director, Condé Nast Traveller
As Global Editorial Director of Condé Nast Traveller, Divia Thani oversees one of the world’s most influential voices in luxury travel across multiple international editions.
Across her career, she has led conversations that define how destinations, experiences, and ideas are presented to a global audience.
PANELLIST
Divia Thani
Global Editorial Director, Condé Nast Traveller
As Global Editorial Director of Condé Nast Traveller, Divia Thani oversees one of the world’s most influential voices in luxury travel across multiple international editions.
Across her career, she has led conversations that define how destinations, experiences, and ideas are presented to a global audience.
PANELLIST
Filip Boyen
Co-Founder, Hotelworld AI & Global Ambassador, Forbes Travel Guide
Filip Boyen is a leading authority in luxury hospitality, with a career spanning more than four decades across some of the world’s most iconic destinations.
Throughout his career, he has worked with many of the industry’s most prestigious hotels and travel brands, helping shape the standards of modern luxury hospitality.
PANELLIST
Filip Boyen
Co-Founder, Hotelworld AI & Global Ambassador, Forbes Travel Guide
Filip Boyen is a leading authority in luxury hospitality, with a career spanning more than four decades across some of the world’s most iconic destinations.
Throughout his career, he has worked with many of the industry’s most prestigious hotels and travel brands, helping shape the standards of modern luxury hospitality.
Key Findings
Luxury travel is evolving into something more purposeful and experiential. Travellers are prioritising journeys that offer transformation, connection to nature, and deeper cultural immersion.
There is a clear shift away from traditional markers of luxury towards experiences that feel more personal and intentional. Authenticity has become a defining characteristic of modern luxury, embedded across every touchpoint of the journey.
A defining thread throughout the discussion was the growing importance of depth and authenticity. Experiences are no longer valued for their scale alone, but for how they resonate – shaped through genuine human interaction, cultural understanding, and a sense of place. The most impactful journeys are those that leave a lasting emotional imprint.
Service plays a central role in delivering this new form of luxury. Emotional intelligence is essential in understanding guests, anticipating their needs, and creating moments that feel both natural and considered.
“Formality is dying. It’s about informality. It’s about fun dining rather than fine dining.”
– Filip Boyen
“When I think of luxury, I think of things that make me feel alive, excited, pampered and connected.”
– Divia Thani
Destinations are also evolving. Travellers are increasingly drawn to places that feel undiscovered or less conventional, where they can engage more deeply with local culture and environment. The focus is shifting from where you go to how it makes you feel.
In Conversation: Space for the Curious
PANEL SPEAKERS
Speaker
Michael Colglazier
Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Galactic
Michael Colglazier is Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic, the pioneering aerospace company developing commercial human spaceflight.
At Virgin Galactic, Colglazier is guiding the company through the next phase of commercial space travel, overseeing the development of spacecraft, operations, and the long-term vision of making spaceflight an accessible and transformative experience.
SPEAKER
Michael Colglazier
Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Galactic
Michael Colglazier is Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic, the pioneering aerospace company developing commercial human spaceflight.
At Virgin Galactic, Colglazier is guiding the company through the next phase of commercial space travel, overseeing the development of spacecraft, operations, and the long-term vision of making spaceflight an accessible and transformative experience.
Speaker
Christy Kuplic
Managing Director, Private Luxury Events
With over a decade of experience leading Private Luxury Events, Christy Kuplic has built a reputation for redefining the landscape of luxury travel. Under her direction, the company has launched and established pioneering events – including Amour, TFest, Private Luxury, and Ultra – reshaping how the industry connects.
Respected as a connector and thought leader, Christy continues to elevate standards and champion new ideas that shape the next era of luxury travel.
SPEAKER
Christy Kuplic
Managing Director, Private Luxury Events
With over a decade of experience leading Private Luxury Events, Christy Kuplic has built a reputation for redefining the landscape of luxury travel. Under her direction, the company has launched and established pioneering events – including Amour, TFest, Private Luxury, and Ultra – reshaping how the industry connects.
Respected as a connector and thought leader, Christy continues to elevate standards and champion new ideas that shape the next era of luxury travel.
Key Findings
The discussion explored how space travel and pioneering experiences are beginning to shape the future of ultra-luxury. While still in its early stages, commercial space travel represents a profound shift in how we define travel itself.
A central theme was perspective. These journeys are not only about exclusivity but about fundamentally changing how individuals see the world and their place within it.
“You’re not a future astronaut. You’re an astronaut.”
– Michael Colglazier
Preparation, training, and the emotional build-up become integral to the experience, adding depth and meaning far beyond the moment of travel.
This reflects a broader shift towards participation and immersion, where travellers are no longer passive observers but active participants in defining their experiences.
Craftsmanship and innovation play a critical role in shaping these journeys. From advanced engineering to personalised preparation, they represent the intersection of technology, expertise, and human ambition.
“We want to bring people and have such value in the system for them that all they can do is be a missionary for us as we go forward.”
– Michael Colglazier
The Future of Ultra-Luxury
Looking ahead, ultra-luxury travel is entering a more considered and intentional era. As expectations continue to evolve, travellers are placing greater emphasis on experiences that feel purposeful, personal, and emotionally resonant.
This shift is redefining how luxury is delivered. Emotional intelligence is becoming central to service – not as an added layer, but as the foundation of truly exceptional experiences. The ability to anticipate needs, adapt intuitively, and create moments that feel effortless will distinguish the most successful brands.
At the same time, technology will continue to shape the landscape, enabling greater precision and personalisation. Yet its role remains complementary. The essence of luxury will continue to be defined by human connection, judgement, and taste.
As new frontiers emerge – from remote and lesser-travelled destinations to entirely new categories of experience such as space travel – the boundaries of luxury are expanding. What remains constant is the desire for experiences that shift perspective and leave a lasting impact.
Ultra exists at the centre of this evolution, bringing together the people, ideas, and perspectives shaping what comes next.
About Ultra
Ultra 2027 | 17-21 January | Atlantis The Royal
Ultra is an invite-only gathering of the world’s most influential figures in luxury travel. Each year, it brings together leading luxury travel brands with an exceptional community of UHNW travel designers, Family Offices, and trusted advisors who design journeys for the world’s most discerning travellers.
Through a carefully curated programme of meetings, experiences, and discussions, Ultra creates an environment where meaningful relationships are formed and new perspectives emerge.
As expectations around luxury continue to evolve, Ultra remains a platform for those defining the next chapter of ultra-luxury travel.
