Voices of Our Community – Luxury Travel Trends

Personalisation, Sustainability, and Immersive Experiences

Our events are not only a time and place for the world’s finest exhibitors and most sought-after buyers in luxury travel to come together and connect – they’re also about education and keeping up to date with the latest trends in the industry.

At each edition of Private Luxury, we ask our community for their perspectives on the world of luxury travel. During Private Luxury Abu Dhabi last September and Private Luxury Dubai in January, we had the pleasure of speaking to some of our luxury buyers and getting first-hand insight into evolving trends.

Let’s hear what the experts had to say.

Nagsri Sashidhar – NAGSRI – CREATING SPECIAL MEMORIES

We’re seeing that clients are opting more for boutique properties and intimate experiences. They don’t want to be just a number in a hotel – personalistion is very important to them. So boutique properties which have a soul, a real story to share are becoming increasingly popular.

It’s all about immersion, and immersive experiences. So, again, it’s not just about ticking off boxes, seeing monuments, and coming back. It’s about getting immersed in the culture, in the cuisine, in the way of life of a local in the destination they’re traveling to. I think that’s changing big-time as well.

Apart from all of this, they are also veering away from the main cities. Of course, they’ll get in and out of the main cities and spend a couple of nights there, and then they’ll self-drive – that’s another trend that’s picking up big-time. So they’ll drive off to the countryside, spend some time there, indulge in all the local experiences, and come back.

It’s been exciting times and that’s only growing. And it’s something we’re really looking forward to doing. The sky is the limit!

Benjamin Wempe – 365 Luxury Travel

What we’ve seen after the COVID period, and that is so highly in demand, is authenticity and exclusivity. I truly believe that these will be paramount and key factors in delivering the best travel experiences over the coming decade, or in the years to come, at least.

Akram Mohamad – Platinum Concierge

To be frank, nowadays trends are no longer influenced by us as a concierge or travel agency – it’s all about social media. Before, we used to have the upper hand in terms of where the traveller goes, but now we’re receiving either a Reel or a picture from their social media saying, “I want to go there!”.

And we are seeing new destinations. I cater to GCC, which is Arab. And Arabs used to be very typical travellers: Paris, London, Milan. But this summer, I had a request for Bora Bora. I had other requests for Fiji, which I’ve never gotten before. So we’re seeing that social media plays a big role nowadays, as far as trending destinations and where people want to go.

Nadine Jones, Hawthorn Travel

What we’re we’re seeing is that sustainable travel is a really big part of people’s planning and itineraries. So now it’s really important that we’re working with partners that have a sustainable element to them. Trend wise, Australia opened quite late post covid and we’ve seen a lot of things change. We travel longer. People are really looking for those unique experiences and immersing themselves in the destination. It’s not just about staying at a hotel, but really about the story behind the hotel – they really want that history. We’re also seeing apartment stays and multi-generational travel in a big way. The grandparents are taking their kids and their grandchildren on holiday, ‘spending the inheritance’, as I like to put it. So, we’re seeing a lot of that as well as off-the-beaten-track experiences – travellers want to learn about the local culture, go into people’s homes and see how they actually live. Australia is a long-haul market so we stay long as well. These trips to Europe now stretch over four to six weeks, which has been great for us.

Evon Sachdeva – Ember Lifestyle Travel

I do see that personalisation really comes into the picture, whether it’s an itinerary or at the hotel. I’ve seen hotels personalising their pillowcases and in how they welcome their guests, addressing them by their names. So personalisation is definitely one thing that I see moving forward. I do also see sustainability. That is essential, and travellers are moving towards sustainable travel. I feel that digital presence is also an essential element for future generations and future travel. We’ve adopted various CRM systems and itinerary builders. They not only save time but are also very personalised and the traveller has all the information about their plans, and day-to-day activities.

Anton Klymchuk – BSI Lifestyle

The more I’m working with the clients and the more I’m working in the market, I can see that artificial intelligence will hit the market in the future. More and more concierges and companies right now are using ChatGPT – for conversation, for creating new things and new moments. Because whatever you ask, you get a full description of exactly what you’re looking for. So, they’ve been using it with their clients and it’s been working.

Have insights of your own to share? Let us know if you want to be included in a future article by emailing us at plesocial@privateluxuryevents.com.