Over the past three years, global travel has been challenged by a succession of exceptional circumstances, and the luxury travel industry has had to show tenacity and resourcefulness to ride out this uncertain period. And while many of these issues are likely to be with us for some time, there is now cause for real optimism as we move into a new era of luxury travel.

To help understand what trend’s are growing, what’s staying and what’s slowing, ILTM and American Express Travel commissioned their own proprietary research from the affluent research specialist, Altiant, to get to the reality of the luxury travel consumer’s mindset today.

This global edition of ‘Buzz vs Reality’ is a unique and comprehensive representation of what luxury global travel looks like today; packed full of insights and trends that reflect luxury travel behaviours across the globe – helping you understand your customers’ needs now, and in the year ahead.

Download your copy of A Global View: Decoding the luxury travel consumer’s mindset.

Tired of sifting through predictions, buzz and counter claims, ILTM commissioned its own proprietary research from the affluent research specialist, Altiant to get to the reality of the luxury travel consumer’s mindset in September 2022.

It’s been a long two and a half years, and whilst we expect the consequences of the pandemic to be felt for some time yet, there is room for genuine optimism for luxury travel brands around the world with APAC wealthy travellers.

Our findings show that many affluent individuals are looking to make up for lost time and resume travelling in style with a staggering half planning to spend more on holidays than pre-Covid trips.

And these welcome findings extend to agents with 92% saying they will be using them to book luxury trips in 2023, the extra layer of bureaucracy and relieving the stress make agents more important than ever.

Launching the dedicated research about the region at ILTM Asia Pacific on September 5^th, entitled “Decoding the luxury travel consumer mindset”, Alison Gilmore portfolio director ILTM said, “The pandemic has had a fundamental impact on traveller behaviour with some trends accelerating, some slowing down and others stabilising.  The research surveyed almost 500 validated wealthy APAC travellers from 6 countries, a reliable barometer of luxury sentiment and habits in 2022”.

Here’s a flavour of the key findings from the report which you can download here:

What behaviour is staying

Flying less often, but staying for longer

Travelling with family and multi-generational trips

Slow, recuperative travel

Experiences over goods

Health & safety concerns

Wellness as a key driver in travel planning

 

What behaviour is growing

Revenge travel, making up for lost time

Rising confidence and ready to mix again, pointing to a return to a more social way of travelling.

Interest in sustainable, eco friendly trips with building back better after COVID is now resonating with many wealthy travellers

Planning well in advance rather than last minute

Travel agents becoming more important in holiday planning

 

What behaviour is slowing

Privacy & seclusion as the only travel choices

Superficial jumping from one place to another

Local or regional trips only

More active and high intensity breaks

Familiar locations, where travelled before

We see how the pandemic has accelerated trends well under way into mainstream expectations:  health & wellness and sustainability being the key ones.

For hotels, minimising water usage and eliminating single-use plastics are now the very least many travellers expect. Instead, strategies such as using renewable energy, growing food on-site and partnering with local conservation organisations will be enthusiastically received.

 

Most encouraging findings come from China, the future engine of the world’s luxury travel market.

Chinese travellers’ demand for mental wellness trips (+16 percentage points), Singaporeans’ desire for cultural trips (+18 points) and the Japanese desire for more activity and beach holidays (+15 points).

Chinese travellers expect to spend more in the year ahead, and they are also notably more likely than average to be planning celebratory trips such as milestone birthdays (70% vs 45% overall), more extravagant trips (59% vs 37%) and more travel in general to make up for lost time (56% vs 44%).

And the demand for mental wellness trips is also up a strong 16 percentage points for Chinese travellers.

They are also strongly guided by sustainability and environmental protection. 81% are planning to take more sustainable/ eco-friendly holidays in the future.

Good news for agents

There is a growing preference for planning holidays well in advance something which ideally suits the expertise of the travel agents. And the fact that two-thirds (65%) say that an agent will be influential when booking holidays over the next 12 months, 86% plan to use them the same or more since the start of the pandemic underlines their enduring importance.

What’s next?

As we move towards the biggest ILTM Cannes ever in December 2022, we will be unveiling the 2^nd edition of the global report on the luxury traveller’s mindset. Comparing and contrasting behaviour across APAC to key markets in Europe to Americas, this is hotly anticipated as the industry grapples for certainty and consistency going forward.

Fittingly, 2021 marks the 11th anniversary of ILTM Latin America and the beginning of a new decade in travel.

Instead of looking backwards, I want to take this opportunity to look ahead and contemplate what’s next for luxury travel. How can travel address some of the world’s biggest challenges, and – hey, why not? – how can travel shape the new pathways we all want to take. A fresh and much-needed restart to get the world moving again, here are 11 trends to set the tone and swing us towards the passionate, sustainable, inspiring, and exciting experiences that await us all.

Ready? Let’s go!

1. Conscious travel

Connect with yourself + others + destination

The mantra “Live Full. Travel Conscious.” has been hovering around the industry’s best minds for an important reason. It addresses the present need for the traveller to become a pivotal agent and actor in the positive transformation of the world we explore. Choosing with purpose is key. Enough of over-tourism and lack of awareness. We cannot expect to dive deeply into a country just by being bystanders. We need to connect with its people and start conversations that could lead to cultural discoveries and experiences. We want to be immersed while doing good, therefore transforming ourselves and others along the journey. Our trips should combine sustainability and wellness, cultural immersion and exploration, adventure and involvement with the destination, as well as the supporting of conservation and environmental projects, empowerment of artisans, producers and local businesses. We have the ability to positively impact the spots we visit by injecting revenue into local economies and establishing links with local communities. The paradigm shift affects the entire market and is the result of the choices we make. A trip is meant to entertain, amaze, educate and have an emotional impact, taking us into the present moment while remaining sustainable. Purpose, partnership, positive contributions. It’s all about evolution and consciousness. Don’t you want to be part of this shift?

2. TA Hype

The rise of travel agencies & advisors

We all know how it goes. The traveller plans a trip thinking everything is under control just to discover that it’s not. During the first wave of Covid, there were so many cancellations and postponements, no flights, mass evacuations, delayed plans. And who was there to save the day? The travel advisor. The one with the knowledge, the connections, the professional service, and the best intentions to excel at their job.

Covid has given us all new perspectives, and this is especially true for the travel industry. End clients and luxury travellers have gained a new appreciation and respect for agencies and advisors. The quintessential travel agent is the one who will not only know their clientele but their providers, their products and all the logistics/documentation required in the ever-changing post-pandemic scenario. It’s not simply about planning a dream vacation; it’s about navigating what seems to be a million options and selecting the best ones, customising for each client, curating their experiences, and monitoring the new travel protocols, requirements – and last minutes changes make it all the more difficult.

I believe travel agents are the hype in the luxury travel market right now. Accordingly so and well-deserved, indeed.

3. Off the Grid

Escaping mass tourism and overcrowding

Due to the social distancing required, escaping the crowds is a must these days. But its benefits are way greater than just our little bubbles. Overcrowding is not only unsatisfying and undesirable now, but it can also reverberate into economic, social, and environmental issues. Beloved cities have suffered the downsides of chronic mass tourism – think Rome or Venice. Remember the cruise ship that crashed into a dock in 2019? Thankfully that lead to the city’s decision of banning large ships from entering the Venice lagoon this August… after years of warnings of irreparable damage to Venice’s ecosystem. Nepal also reported a traffic jam of people waiting to summit Mount Everest in 2019, which lead to the perishing of climbers. We often take the risk of jeopardising the very places we are fond of when we should be doing the exact opposite.

So, instead of being surrounded by loads of people in crowded destinations – escalating the problems – how about getting off the beaten track and opting for alternative destinations? You can join the next wave of awareness travel and choose under-visited or remote locations.

Think about a wellness retreat at the foothills of the Himalayas, fuelled by Ananda, with a wonderful set of tools that will rejuvenate and empower your body, mind, and soul. Choose a pristine, beautiful place – such as the Icelandic, Patagonian, or Scandinavian outdoors – to enjoy a week of nature-fuelled adventure, with paddling or kayaking along the way. Companies like Nordic Luxury and Eleven Experience challenge your limits, with physical adventures and mental resilience. Brands like Six Senses and Aman have also nailed the concept with its trademark basis of wellness, sustainability, and organic luxury, in hotels, resorts and spas amidst spectacular sceneries around the world. There are even “Mystery Trips” where you spend a week alone in the wilderness after being dropped by helicopter in an undisclosed setting (a guide will be tracking you from a distance), concocted to get you to tap into your inner resources and confront your fears and anxieties to move forward. Black Tomato creates adventurous tailor-made expeditions to wilderness destinations like Mongolia or the Arctic that are kept entirely a secret from you. Going off-grid is the utmost travel experience, a way of reconnecting with yourself and sorting out what matters in life. It is a fascinating and powerful way to gain a fresh perspective.

Sometimes getting lost and disconnecting is the only way to change toxic habits and reconnect with yourself.

4. The Staycation

Exploring your own city and country

I often catch myself serendipitously discovering alternative sides of São Paulo, the city I call home. To unleash the potential of a staycation you must view your city with a fresh perspective and curiosity. Mini breaks and stays at the city’s fabulous hotels paired with wellness treatments, exploring art galleries and hip boutiques, visiting museums or new restaurants and bars while strolling around, all add an extra edge to this combination of vacationing and staying home in days of pure indulgence. It’s hassle-free, with no airport queues and travel time, just a decadent experience within the city. By the end of this escape, you’ll come away refreshed and – if you desire – luxuriously pampered. It can be surprising to look at your city as a visitor and not as a resident. As I always say: Travel in your city? Shouldn’t you try it!

5. Positive Luxury

Offsetting your carbon footprint

We all take aeroplanes to zip around the world to perform our globetrotting tasks. But taking to the skies is taking its toll; roughly 2 to 2.4% (some sources even say up to 5%) of global CO2 emissions come from aviation. While extremely pertinent, it doesn’t compare to the impact of road transportation which is responsible for 44%. Our routine actions such as driving, flying, and heating burns energy that is highly pollutant. Controlling and offsetting is an effort that has become a prominent question given climate change impacts. So, the question is what can we do to offset our travel emissions? We need to find a way to compensate, either by calculating emissions and then purchasing the equivalent balance or by travelling more efficiently. How? Planning better, staying longer, and exploring a destination by other means (taking the train, for example). Airlines that fly internationally should think of offsetting any extra emissions under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation. You can also discover ways to counterbalance by eating locally grown foods (the so-called localvore), using energy wisely and choosing companies that take a responsible approach to the environment by providing employment, reforestation, and social benefits to communities. You can also choose an offsetting program to donate to. This all can lead to the so desired zero carbon footprint. It’s our world, our house… and we’re all together in this.

6. Long & Slow

Slowly discovering, for longer

It’s quite common to hear of those coming back from a dream vacation on the verge of burnout after having taken the extra mile in search of additional highs, only to tick things off an ambitious list that includes interminable selfies and photos. It’s almost as if you haven’t travelled if not picturing, posting, and frenetically trying to capture everything. It’s all so exhausting and almost depleted of meaning. We need a mindset change to fully understand why we travel. After all, who cares about how many countries or famed places you have been to? Only you can take away the pleasure and value of your trip. Doesn’t it make more sense to account for how much you’ve enjoyed, learned, and experienced in your travels? The new era of slow travel is here to bring us back to its original purpose: tapping into the unknown, discovering, enjoying, reuniting, and living joyful moments. So how can we have all that? Through real immersions, long trips, days of flânerie, slowly discovering local pleasures, hidden treasures, and destinations as well as people. The celebrated Tao Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu perfectly sums up slow travel: “A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” I couldn’t agree more. We all, in our timeframes and possibilities, should engage in it. After all, time is the ultimate luxury; enjoying your time the best way possible is living life to its fullest.

7. Sustainable Luxury

Sustainable development through travel

One of the most transformative experiences I’ve had is making a difference through community work in countries like Bangladesh, India, or Kenya, feeling the profound impact of these contributions on the people around you as well as within yourself.

Today, companies (such as ME to WE) design trips based on sustainable development and work towards strengthening communities and individuals by making them active partners in positive change. When altering the self-centred mindset to an us-centred one, we open ourselves to real situations and enlarge the purpose and reach of our travel by opting to protect our planet’s most vulnerable destinations. By transforming tourism’s impact on nature and people, we can truly influence the planet’s future. It goes beyond the environment; you can be a part of the social and economic transformations that responsible tourism can bring to the lives of local people. Examples? You can support countries that suffered devastating problems and need tourists to come back to boost their economy — by visiting non-affected spots within the destination — such as Australia after the fires, or St. Barth, St. Martin, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas after the Hurricanes Irma and Maria, or Sri Lanka after the 2019 Easter bombings.

But now, it’s the whole world who needs and wants us back with all the care and safety measures in place.

The impact of travel can be so lasting and powerful that it now attracts more and more travellers who wish to go that extra mile to support actions that address sustainability, the protection, development and preservation of communities, the environment and wildlife – while making them key players instead of mere spectators. How rewarding is that? And isn’t this one of the most important lessons we’ve all learnt during all these months locked in and wishing to go out?

8. Lifestyle Brands

A new chapter in hotel life & aviation travel

What started as the boutique hotel trend at the beginning of the 1980s (think Kimpton, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell (co-owners of the mythic Studio 54), and the legendary hôtelier and Aman Resorts founder Adrian Zecha) has evolved into the lifestyle hotels of today with their intimate, design-oriented, and customer-centric features. The players have evolved and partnerships between established brands and creators of cool – like Ian Schrager and Marriot International – are changing the scenery with a fresh set of lifestyle hotels collections, such as the W, Edition and Public hotels. Together they are upping the game by employing hyping additions such as award-winning architects (for instance, Herzog & de Meuron in Public Time Square), thus creating fun and inspiring public spaces, incredible views, innovative design, youthful mood, and unique panache that combine the perfect mix of luxury and lifestyle. Other brands thrive in the confluence of high fashion meet boho laid-back culture, such as The Slow, in Canggu Bali or First Cabin in Japan, a mix between airline-inspired hotels and ryokans. These are a few examples of the transformation of lodging into lifestyle experiences.

The fleet revitalization has re-emerged with the introduction of Airbus A350s, A380s and Boeings 787-10s, while first class and executive suites are the standouts of the new innovative flights – with additions that deliver top-notch safety and sanitary measures while delivering lifestyle experiences to frequent flyers. Examples? Singapore Airlines’ new First Class Suite is ahead of the game, whereas Qatar Airways with its QSuite sets a new standard of private seating. Air France and Swiss Airlines go above and beyond to keep their luxurious services and very chic first and executive classes cabins in which their savoir-faire and elegant styles are presented in form of comfort and exclusivity. There is also the return of Virgin Atlantic’s innovation The Loft – a social area featuring comfortable seats and a large screen for watching movies in the Upper-Class section of its Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. Emirates already had its individual Private Suites cabins in their A380s, and the famous Onboard Bars are back as we move towards the inflight swanky social spaces that were conceived for super-long-haul flights and were to include areas for yoga and communal dining. In other words, prolonging the in-flight experience through exclusive lounges of state-of-the-art architecture coupled with lifestyle services. The heights of the airline lifestyle know no boundaries.

9. Hybrid Experiences

Blending adventure, immersion, and wellness

It’s a brand-new world out there, travellers! One that sets a frontier between wellness, adventure and reset. I could feel it coming, and so could you, right? Expeditions entrenched in rugged landscapes that are deep-rooted in luxuries such as tented camps with in-suite bathtubs and torch-lit four-course dinners can also offer nomadic expeditions aboard 4×4 jeeps, well-crafted vessels, horse or camelback and, why not, on foot. Each is led by super experts and field guides that pour knowledge into exotic itineraries that transform travellers into explorers while tuning their perspectives on cultures, people, wildlife, and the mind-blowing settings encountered along the journey. It can be on the outskirts of the Saara or the Atlas, the gorges of Oman or the Gobi Desert, maybe the red canyons of Utah, the waters of the Mighty Zambezi or the unparalleled safari camps such as Matetsi, Stretch Ferreira, Bumi Hill or Deteema of Zimbabwe. You can also go for a tiger-filled national park in Ranthambore, Rajasthan, the tropical rainforests of the Amazon or the breath-taking peaks of Bhutan, crisscrossing lanes of Ladakh – wherever your preference is, you will find fleeting hotels in ultra-exclusive locations that combine hedonism and humanism in spectacular settings.

And then, there is the rise of wellness – one of the most powerful trends of our times. In such a troubled world, the sense of well-being is imperative, and travelling in search of this reset is essential. A whole new wave of accommodations, with special-designed rooms, carefully calibrated programs, experiences, and activities aiming to shape the next level of good living is being conveyed by high-end hospitality brands like Aman and Six Senses and retreats such as Canyon Ranch, Ananda in the Himalayas and SHA. Luxury hotel groups as Rosewood, Como, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Marriot, Mandarin Oriental, to mention a few, are equally aboard the wellness lifestyle trend. Even fitness brands are migrating to hospitality: the first Equinox Hotel will be opening this year in the Hudson Yard, NYC, with interiors designed by David Rockwell. The idea is to embark on an invigorating journey that will take you on a new path. In times where health is considered the new wealth, who wouldn’t want that?

This blend of remote immersion, luxury lodging, fully charged natural wellness treatments and spiritually elevating experiences – conducted by exceptionally well-prepared locals – steer the travellers towards adrenaline-fuelled adventures, peaceful retreats, transformative journeys culminating into life-changing experiences that redefine our worldview.

10. To Infinity…

Beyond Earth, space travel and tourism

Space travel has long been on the wish list of humanity. From Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, it’s the space battle of billionaires. In late April, Virgin Orbit announced they will launch flights from the Alcântara Launch Center (CLA) on Brazil’s northern coast. It seems everyone wants a slice of space. Curious? Here’s some highlights!

It looks like Orion and Axiom Space are currently ahead of the pack. Axiom Space CEO Michael Suffredini announced the launch of his first space tourism program, which will feature a floating hotel designed by none other than the ubiquitous Philippe Starck. At a cost of US$ 55 million (included are 15 weeks of prior preparation on Earth), space tourists will be able to enjoy 10 days of orbital travel in accommodations beyond hi-tech. Made up of several capsules, the Axiom Space hotel aims to accommodate eight people, including a professional astronaut. The idea is to send the hotel into space or anchor it in the current International Space Station (ISS), which floats 408 km from the Earth’s surface. But those in a hurry might even get there sooner.

In the busy match of the race, Orion Span, led by Frank Bunger, is developing Aurora Station, a fully modular space station and a luxury hotel that will accommodate six guests at a time (including two crew) for a 12-day journey – at a modest US$ 9.5 million – where they will live as true astronauts (following three months of training). And Bezos’ Blue Origin is following the suit; his company has been developing an infrastructure for spaceflight capabilities since 2011 for the lucky few aficionados. The price of those short sightseeing trips to suborbital space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket is likely to cost around US$ 250-300K, while Virgin Galactic’s 90-min flight would cost US$ 250K. There is already a steady waiting list for future travellers.

In 2019, NASA announced its plan to allow private astronauts to go on the ISS, with SpaceX’s spacecraft Crew Dragon and Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The price? Around US$ 35K per day, per person. Those astronauts would be permitted to travel to the ISS for up to 30 days, travelling on the US spacecraft. Everything indicates that the reward for so much effort will be amazing: views of your home city from space, the ability to participate in research experiments (like growing food in orbit) and sharing the experience live with friends and family on Earth via the Internet. Such great exploits require Ditto investments and travelling orbits in the millions of dollars, nothing that discourages wealthy adventurers and space cowboys going onto the final frontier of civilization.

Science fiction travel is a reality in 2021, with NASA finally launching astronauts aboard capsules built by SpaceX and Boeing. Maybe travellers dreaming of intergalactic luxury capsules will be following soon. I can hardly wait to report from the edge of space.

11. JOMO

The joy of missing out

It may be time to take a step back and think about the reasons behind your desire to travel and how much of it is genuine. Fact: social media has drastically transformed the way we interact in the world, while increasingly dictating consumer choices. Studies have shown that most people were more likely to travel somewhere if they thought it would increase their social media following and engagement. But that comes at a price: anxiety, frustration, jealousy, and even missing out on ‘the essence of the now’ in that coveted place you decided as a destination. Within a trip filled with posts, messages, DMs, and stress, how much time is left for actual enjoyment? Very little. So-called FOMO (fear of missing out) leaves us plugged into the digital world to the point of exhaustion, trapped in a cycle of taking that popular stunning selfie to tick of your virtual bucket list, only to move on to the next hyped destination. The real question is: what is the most productive way to spend your time abroad? JOMO could be the answer.

The opposite of FOMO, it stands for “joy of missing out” and is what the coolest folks are already doing with the pleasure of freedom. The new trend of hotels where wi-fi connection is limited to some areas, or even non-existent, is a blessing for busy travellers and those in need to reset and disconnect to recharge and enjoy. Living in the here and now instead of broadcasting on social media is pure JOMO. This new approach to travel emphasises connection: to yourself, to locals, to foreign cultures, to the environment that surrounds you. Brilliantly simple, highly recommended, and very much needed. So, next time you plan a trip, think about the reasons why that destination is important to you, and stay longer, enjoying it to the fullest, relaxing amidst all that wanderlust. And remember, you can always post about it later if you choose to, but you cannot regain moments lost. So, it all comes down to what matters most: live the moment or just pass by it? There’s nothing sexier than a person who lives in the moment. Haven’t we all learnt that by now?

Be present, enjoy life to its fullest, that’s living!

Juliana A. Saad is a writer, editor, and curator specialised in travel, culture, lifestyle, and luxury. In other words, Ju travels the world looking for incredible stories. A regular ILTM media attendee, you can catch them next at ILTM Latin America this October. This year, we’re at the Tivoli Mofarrej São Paulo Hotel from Tuesday 26 October to Friday 29 October, see you there!

Last month, we shared the first snippets from our exclusive ILTM x Altiant research into the changing mindset of the luxury traveller, their intentions going forward and the expanded role of the travel agent. Now, following the release of our latest report, we’re broadcasting brand new Data Digests created by ILTM’s resident consumer analyst, Meryam Schneider.*

The New Fundamentals of Travel

What do wealthy APAC individuals now want from travel?

The New Luxury Travel Wishlist

A focus on wellness, sustainability and privacy.

A New Era for Travel Agents

Renewed value and evolving responsibilities.

To download your own copy of the report discussed in these digests, please click here.

*For those who don’t know, Altiant is a fieldwork specialist that empowers insight experts and marketers working within the luxury goods and wealth management industries to gain a deeper understanding of their audience. It is drawn from a unique HNW sample-set collected through Altiant’s highly selective proprietary panel, LuxuryOpinions®.

Back in May, ILTM caught up with the ever-enlightening Dr Parag Khanna, Managing Partner of FutureMap, seasoned ILTM speaker and authority on globalization, before his debut at an ILTM virtual offering. That article was a segue into Parag’s exclusive talk at ILTM Asia Pacific, a digital edition for 2021 in response to the world’s travel restrictions. 

So, without further ado, released publically for the first time, please join Parag as he explores how the Asia Pacific region will be the first to reopen borders and deploy new technologies in a post-pandemic world.

For more data-driven Asia Pacific content, check out our latest report A New World for Luxury Travel and Travel Advisors available to download now!

Download your copy now:

With ILTM Asia Pacific Virtual opening in just a few weeks, we decided to share the first snippet from our exclusive ILTM x Altiant research* into the changing mindset of the luxury traveller, their intentions going forward and the expanded role of the travel agent.

High levels of trust towards taking the vaccine and covid passports amongst wealthy travellers

The use of Covid ‘passports’, which enable people to show their vaccination status, has seen much discussion. We know there is much debate and many opinions on this, and we have no political opinion either way. However, our research shows that across all countries in APAC, approval rates to carrying a covid passport surpass 80%, and fewer than one in five are opposed to carrying them.

For some hotels, this could mean showing these passports on check-in to lower risk factors and to encourage future visitors that their Covid protocols are comprehensive. Ongoing testing may be another option as just under half of respondents say they would be willing to take a test every 48 hours while travelling domestically and internationally. These findings point towards a responsible and conscientious affluent traveller, many of whom are looking to protect themselves and others.

What does this mean for the future of luxury travel and for travel agents?

Despite the many challenges facing the luxury travel industry, there are clear grounds for optimism that many travellers accept the necessary bureaucracy required to travel safely, at least in the short term.

Travel agents play a key role here. At ILTM Asia Pacific Virtual, we will be exploring the growing importance of travel agents and the expanding expectations that travellers have of them.

Don’t miss the brand new, exclusive ILTM Asia Pacific research in the form of daily Data Digests open to all attendees from July 20 to July 22, 2021.

This time last year, ILTM caught up with the ever-enlightening Dr Parag Khanna, Managing Partner of FutureMap, seasoned ILTM speaker and authority on globalization, about the impact of COVID-19 on APAC destinations. One year on, as we sat down again, the lucrative countries from the region are showing signs of emerging from hibernation. Here’s what Parag is witnessing in 2021 and beyond…

Asia represents the largest share of domestic and international travellers. The region will also be the first to reopen borders and deploy new technologies. 

The coming years will witness trends in travel reinforce those in trade: Regionalization will outpace globalization. Before the pandemic, the number of outbound Asian travellers had doubled over the previous decade—but it had tripled within Asia itself. Post-pandemic, we can expect more and more Asian travellers to remain domestic or within the region. This has already been a strong contributing factor to China’s domestic consumption rebound, and as wealthy Chinese travellers venture abroad again, Asian nations are working hardest to woo them.

Many Asia-based travellers will play it safe and head to well-governed “islands of immunity” whether Japan or Australia, Taiwan or Singapore, where they know they can enjoy the cultural, culinary, or natural offerings. These countries have moved past lockdowns, and even elevated restrictions don’t dampen freedom of mobility. They also have the upscale facilities from resorts to service apartments to enable comfortable long-stays for those who have devised new schedules around dividing time across multiple locations. In essence, such travellers are looking for “home-tels” from which to conduct remote work while building new relationships.

Asian nations will also step up cooperation around harmonizing and digitizing new standards for cross-border mobility, such as immunity passports and blockchain based health certifications. Prior to the pandemic, visa restrictions had eased dramatically and Asian passports such as Japan, South Korea, and Singapore had become three of the five “most powerful” passports in the world. Asians’ embrace of technology will allow them to quickly rebuild cross-border trust into their immigration policies.

Such policies are also underway in Europe, emanating from both the UK as well as the Schengen area. This could be a positive sign for restoring travel between Europe and Asia, especially as Europeans seek tropical holidays and Asians look to beat the heat. Currently, however, this thicket of regional and industry efforts has yet to be reconciled.

Asia will also reinforce the global trend towards longer stays and multi-generational family travel, creating novel opportunities for hospitality brands. This includes the hybridization of business and leisure travel that emphasizes maintaining professional connectivity and elevating consciousness around wellness and sustainability. Youth, in particular, have driven the trend away from material consumption towards authentic experiences, with an emphasis on environmental and cultural conservation. As Asian nations step up vaccinations, the winter season of 2021/22 presents many opportunities for families to criss-cross Asia to immerse in mega-events such as the Dubai World Expo.

It’s never been so clear that capturing the APAC market is an essential element of our industry’s global road to recovery. If you would like to join ILTM Asia Pacific Virtual to do just that, please enquire here.

In this latest report, created with Barton and powered by Wealth-X data, it has been revealed that Asia Pacific remains a key area of interest for the travel industry and will be an essential element of the global road to recovery which is now thankfully in sight.

APAC’s HNW population, known already to be prolific travellers, contribute a huge $363bn to the luxury travel universe and despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, their wealth-growth trend has only paused, rather than ceased altogether. With the financial resource, desire and inherent ability to pivot during incredible disruption, APAC travellers should be seen as pioneers of the new luxury travel landscape, providing the much needed economic injection the industry has been waiting for.

Download the full report here:

Recently, ILTM’s Portfolio Director, Alison Gilmore was invited to a panel talk hosted by Hyatt to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the luxury travel landscape. Making up the panel was Matthew Upchurch, Chairman, and CEO of Virtuoso, Jack Horne, the Global Head of Sales and Revenue for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, and the host, Tristan Dowell, the Global Vice President of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

Together, these key names in luxury discussed the impact of COVID-19 on luxury, the trends that have surfaced in its wake, the importance of wellbeing in these tumultuous times, and the likely shape of recovery. For all that and more, watch the conversation right here:

This week’s Global Heatmap looks at how COVID-19 will continue to shape HNW individuals travel intentions for the year ahead, and what this means for the luxury travel industry.

A Little Bit About Altiant and the Global Heatmap

ILTM’s Global Heatmap is a new monthly series created by ILTM’s resident consumer analyst, Meryam Schneider of Altiant. Altiant is a fieldwork specialist that empowers insight experts and marketers working within the luxury goods and wealth management industries to gain a deeper understanding of their audience. Each month, Meryam will be drawing insights from a unique HNW sample-set collected through Altiant’s highly-selective proprietary panel, LuxuryOpinions®. In this piece, Meryam will be looking at new data from Q3 2020 taken from Altiant’s quarterly Global Luxury & Asset Management Monitor (GLAM).

A Heavily Impacted Industry

As expected, COVID-19 has led to a noticeable fall in the share of wealthy respondents saying that they had travelled within the past 12 months. From an average of around 86% in 2018 and 2019, this share dropped to 80% in Q2 2020, where it stayed for the past quarter. This figure is likely to drop a little further in the next quarter, and potentially also into early 2021. While some travellers used the relaxing of lockdown rules to make some trips over summer, others are remaining cautious, and are likely to continue doing so in the coming months:

“My family will be renting a yacht for an extended family vacation late summer, so we can limit exposure. But other than that, we won’t be travelling a lot like past summers.” [US, Over-40]

Some Signs of Travel Confidence Returning

COVID-19 has also led to a stark and immediate shift in spending intentions on travel for the year ahead. Pre-2020, the share of wealthy consumers saying they planned to spend more on travel in the year ahead averaged around 45%, with only around 10% saying they planned to cut back. As the virus proliferated in the first half of 2020, the share of global respondents expecting to increase their travel spending fell to 28%, while those planning to cut back jumped to 45%.

Encouragingly, however, there are signs from the Q3 data that optimism might be slowly returning. The share of those cutting back on travel spending fell back to 40%, dropping most among Europeans to just 34%. Meanwhile, 35% of the sample expect to spend more, driven most significantly by Asian respondents (41%). This is a likely reflection of many Asian countries passing through their peak infection periods earlier in the year, and with lockdown restrictions now being more relaxed than in many European countries and American states.

There remains considerable uncertainty as different areas see spikes in COVID-19 cases and are subject to being added to quarantine lists. The prospect of having to self-isolate for two weeks remains a deterrent for many to board a plane. This uncertainty is leading many travellers to holiday domestically, or to a well-connected or short distance of their home. Longer-haul holidays are likely to continue to be hampered until quicker testing, for example at airports, or until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes viable.

“I still want to travel internationally and also go on a cruise. But I may choose a different kind of vacation before those just to be safe.” [US, Over-40]

Green Travelling to Forge Further Ahead

Sustainability is becoming more important for many wealthy consumers. Over the past three quarters, there has been a three percentage point rise in the share of respondents saying that it is ‘very important’ to them that luxury brands commit to sustainable luxury policies. In Q3 2020, 56% stated this, with a further 31% saying it is somewhat important to them. And despite the economic uncertainty following COVID-19, many consumers are still prepared to pay for sustainable luxury. In Q3 2020, 35% of our global sample said they would pay 10% extra for sustainable brands and services, with men the more likely of the two genders to show this willingness (40% vs 30%).

For travel companies, there are opportunities to tap into this green mindset with compelling and credible actions. For hotels, for example, there are many ways of doing this. Some are relatively straightforward and already widely implemented, such as reducing water usage and reusing towels. Others could involve more significant changes such as carbon offsetting, using green fuel to power the venue, or by using food and drink ingredients sourced within close proximity (or on-site).

“I will research carefully if a company acts in a sustainable way and will avoid purchasing services or goods from those that don’t.” [UK respondent, over-40]

An Acceleration of Some Travel Trends

COVID-19 has accelerated certain trends within the travel industry, some of which were already evolving pre-COVID. For example, the concept of flygskam or flight-shaming had been gaining traction prior to the necessary halting of most flights to combat the spread of the virus. In February 2020 – just prior to the global spread – Altiant asked 200 UK and US members of our affluent/HNW panel (100 in each country) about how often they fly. Just over half (51%) of the sample told us that they had not tried to reduce how often I fly and would probably not do so in the future. This figure rose to 63% among the American response (vs 39% in the UK), suggesting that wealthy US travellers were more resistant to cutting back on how often they fly.

However, 30% said that they had not tried to reduce how often they were flying, but would probably try to do so soon (34% UK vs 27% US). For these wealthy travellers, who already appeared to be considering the impact of their flights, COVID-19 could have been a further nudge towards eschewing flights whenever possible. The remaining 19% said that they were already flying less and had adapted their travelling habits, for example using video conferences (27% UK vs 10% US). For these latter two groups, there is a need for travel companies to assuage travel concerns, such as health and impact upon the environment.

The same survey from February 2020 also told us that 25% of our affluent/HNW sample in the UK and US said that they always considered the environment when choosing where to holiday. A further 53% said they sometimes made this consideration. Increasingly, environmental and sustainability factors will evolve from peripheral considerations to fundamentals. The brands which are best positioned, and most credible, in delivering on these factors are particularly well-placed to secure the patronage of wealthy travellers.

How Will This Shape Luxury Travel in the Next Quarters?

Cautious optimism remains a good position for travel operators to adopt in the current climate. There remains a great deal of uncertainty about the duration and virulence of COVID-19, something which will understandably hinder many wealthy individuals’ intentions to travel. Local and shorter-haul destinations are therefore likely to benefit most in the coming quarters. City breaks, particularly those in busy hotspots, may also be shunned as travellers instead seek out more remote locations and privacy, which have become luxuries in themselves.

Rapid testing, for example, having results within 30 minutes, or a vaccine would represent significant progress and provide wealthy travellers with the security and confidence to travel safely again. Nevertheless, the onus remains on travel operators to also play their part, ensuring the highest of standards from a health perspective, but also tapping into considerations such as sustainability and environmentalism.

The sample-set in question is taken from Quarter 3 2020 of Altiant’s GLAM tracker. The sample in Q3 comprised 450+ wealthy consumers from Europe, North America and Asia, with a median household income of $285K.

For today’s Leading The Way interview, we speak to Amanda Elder of Kempinski Hotels about her challenges working as Chief Commercial Officer and how sustainability and flexibility are now more important than ever. 

Since becoming Chief Commercial Officer of Kempinski what has been your biggest discovery or challenge?

The biggest challenge and most exciting aspect of the role is certainly managing its complexity. It does not only entail shaping the company’s profile and brand, driving customer relationship management, developing business and sales, internal and external communications, but also deals with digital marketing and technology investment strategies. Leading constant change in response to evolving consumer behaviour with more diverse target markets and segments, you have to be a strategic activist. In addition, I am a member of the Kempinski Management Board and this gives me the opportunity to influence major decisions in paving the way for our company. It’s a very demanding but rewarding role.

What have you come to appreciate this year?

We have the most incredible talent around the globe, both in our business development teams and in the operations teams around the world. Ensuring that we communicate actively and appropriately to all, expressing cultural empathy and understanding has been a key. I have truly appreciated the global mindset that our teams have adopted, helping each other across time zones. With some colleagues in lockdown and others on short work hours, the teams not affected rose to the challenge and lent their talent and time.

Do you think 2020 is the year that will mark a change for our industry and if so, what do you think will change?

I think our industry is forever changing and evolving for the better. This year certainly took a completely different turn, and we have all needed to be agile and quick on our feet to meet the new challenges. I think we all have a completely different attitude and acceptance level to flexibility. Virtual appearances are now as accepted as in-person meetings for our team members while flexibility in terms of booking terms and cancellation policies has also become the norm. If we show flexibility in everything we do for our guests, owners, and staff members, we will all thrive.

Did you or do you have anyone you would consider a mentor? If so, who, and how have they helped you realise your potential?

In the past, I grew from being exposed to many great leaders as informal mentors. Having worked in so many different cultures during my travels in my career has allowed me to draw inspiration from several great people along the way. The team of people reporting directly to me at present, mentor, and guide me every day without even realising it. Their trust and confidence empower me and I believe it is a 360-degree circle which is feeding our positivity. We are inspired by those around us which in turn allows us to emerge as strong leaders in a crisis such as this. Our mentors are all around us, it’s in the books we read, it’s in the conversations we engage in.

What’s your top tip to people working in luxury travel?

Continue to be authentic to who you are, care about your guests and customers, stay in contact, never stop networking, be available – don’t forget where you came from! Educate yourself at every opportunity, what is new, what is emerging, how can you broaden your knowledge of the experiences that are out there!

It’s clear that one of the main aspects of your company ethos is around sustainability, do you feel that the pandemic and subsequent restrictions have affected or changed the demand for this type of travel experience?

I am very sure that our guests care even more about this incredibly important topic than ever before – they want to know that we are truly working towards sustainable solutions and wish to understand how luxury can embrace these solutions. With health, well-being, wellness, self-reflection, privacy, reevaluation of what’s important being key topics during the pandemic, it’s even more important to lead the company towards a sustainable travel experience.

What do you see as the key responsibilities of the luxury travel industry to the communities they operate within?

I see respect, understanding, empathy, job creation, equity, and diversity as being key responsibilities for all of us within or outside the luxury travel industry.

What can and should luxury travel brands be doing to help replenish lost revenue in 2021?

We all need to be extremely innovative, creative, and receptive to ensure we develop and launch new revenue streams in the future. I believe this starts with strong partnerships with like-minded brands. We have to assess our food and beverage offerings to meet the mobile consumer and once again flexibility is the key. By continuing to build trust with our guests we can rebuild occupancies. Constant communication is the key, giving the customers control, empowering them to change their bookings, and being as flexible as possible is the way forward.

For this week’s Leading The Way interview, we speak to Craig Reid, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Auberge Resorts Collection about how 2020 has changed the travel industry, and the new demand for bespoke road trips.

Do you think 2020 is the year that will mark a change for our industry and if so, what do you think will change?

I believe change is constant but mostly gradual. A year like 2020 will no doubt accelerate the pace of change, and in the leisure segment, we believe that the traveller will shift to more meaningful, deliberate travel, with travellers making considered choices about not only how and where they travel but also why. The journey and experience will be just as important as the destination. People are also becoming more responsible and conscientious travellers they want to feel a greater connection to the places they visit by engaging with the local community, delving deeper into local experiences, and supporting travel brands like Auberge that prioritize all things local.

What have you come to appreciate this year?

2020 has been a year of growth, learning, and rediscovering life’s simple pleasures. I, like so many, missed the joys of travel during the lockdown. However, I cherish the extra time it gave me to be at home in Dallas with my wife, daughters, and grandchildren. I’ve also found a new love and appreciation for road trips, which have allowed me to see all of the spectacular destinations that lie in our own backyard in the U.S. this summer.

What would you say are the core characteristics needed to be successful in the luxury travel industry now?

Authenticity, transparency, intuitive service, and one-of-a-kind, personalized experiences. My conversations with Auberge guests have been very positive -people want to travel again, but they are only traveling for truly exceptional experiences. After being cooped up for so many months, they want to experience bucket list items they had previously put off, learn new hobbies, and experience the world in a way they hadn’t before.  We just had a guest book a two-month stay at our hotel in Telluride so he and his family can learn how to ski. It’s something they have always wanted to do, but they could never commit to the amount of time required to learn how to become truly exceptional skiers. They will now spend every day for the next two months working in the morning and skiing in the afternoon. 

With wellness, sustainability and conscious travel becoming increasingly mainstream, is it becoming more difficult to set yourself apart from the rest of the market?

In the last two years, social awareness has shifted in guests around the world. Even in destinations, you wouldn’t expect, people want to know what a hotel or hotel group is doing to give back to the local community, how they are being socially conscious and the ways in which they are contributing to the environment in a positive way, even at the top end of the luxury sector. We are seeing guests choose destinations because of what we are doing in this space.  All of our properties continue to be laser-focused on connecting with their local communities, which is something guests increasingly want.

Separately these three topics are merely labels if not adopted with passion and sincerity. We are confident that the discerning traveler and or travel partner will seek out exceptional operators, who are delivering on their promise.

With private travel and domestic travel both heightened during this time, it seems your recent launch of bespoke road trip itineraries are meeting a key consumer demand, have you noticed any particular patterns in what people are looking for?

It’s all about space, convenience, and unique experiences right now. People are looking for unique destinations that are close to home, yet still, feel a world away. Our road trip itineraries have been incredibly successful because our guests want to explore multiple iconic U.S. destinations like the coast of New England or the Rocky Mountains. We’ve also seen a lot of family buyouts. Our resorts tend to be quite boutique in nature, so a hotel like Mayflower Inn & Spa in the Connecticut countryside is the perfect destination for families to take over for the week.

What can and should luxury travel brands be doing to help replenish lost revenue in 2021?

We are seeing great demand for long-term stays and tremendous on-property experiences. Guests want a change of scenery, and they are making our properties their home away from home. In fact, our long term stays are up by over 1000% year on year. We just unveiled Remote with Auberge, which is a program that allows guests to work, learn, and play seamlessly from Auberge properties. It’s the ultimate escape for parents seeking to balance the evolving demands of their careers and their kids’ educations, or for any professional looking for a change of scenery. Whether it’s for a week or for a month, it’s a great opportunity to get out of your day-to-day environment, boost productivity and leave your everyday cares to us, all while enjoying unrivaled space and knowing your kids are getting an edge with best-in-class tutors in naturally rich learning environments.

Image Reference: Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection

The smartest brands know you need more than customers – you need advocates. The perfect arrangement for a business is to have paying customers who are happy to tell others how wonderful you are, entreating them to become customers also. It works best because it is authentic – these customers are, after all, not paid “influencers” – and it also works because most consumers have a natural instinct to trust in things that others trust.

Of course, when it comes to luxury, many consumers can be more wary of trusting the crowd. How much experience have these consumers with luxury generally? What level of comfort or luxury are they used to? Do they even have the same taste? It’s why qualified, expert reviews still matter – even if consumers know the reviewer might have received something for free, their experience in that sector matters more.

It’s the same with personal recommendations. With luxury goods and services, people often seek the advice of an acquaintance who has greater experience with the category, rather than one who merely seems to know a lot but couldn’t be considered a typical customer. In luxury travel, for example, the advice of a seasoned luxury nomad can have equal weight as that of an industry expert or even an agent.    

All this produces a temptation to consider luxury as a sort of club, only permitting likeminded ‘members’ who are all experienced customers and who only share their experiences with other ‘members’, but the reality is luxury works on a far more democratic basis.

Of course, luxury does need to appeal to its core clientele of wealthy individuals. For one thing, its price point dictates that. In our collaborative report with ILTM launched last December at Cannes – ‘The Global Luxury Travel Ecosystem’ – we focused on the High Net Worth ($1m+) audience, the top 0.3% of the population, who each spend on average around $30,000 a year on travel. These are the individuals that all luxury travel companies are chasing, and with good reason, given that they contribute well over a quarter of the total global travel spend.

However, with just 22.8m HNWs around the world, they make for a relatively small tribe of advocates. Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Gucci all have more Instagram followers than this HNW population, which also highlights an important factor in other luxury sectors – that ‘aspirational’ customers can often feel that they are as much a part of a brand as its core clientele. And whilst this core clientele should still be considered as being of vital importance to both the brand’s image and its product targeting, this does not mean that the aspirational luxury consumer should be ignored.

In luxury travel, these aspirational customers can often be under appreciated. They tend not to spend as much as higher end HNW customers, staying in standard rooms and often staying for shorter periods. They can also be much more modest when it comes to pursuing activities and extra services. However, there are four huge advantages to attracting these travellers and making them feel welcome.

The first one is an obvious one but easily overlooked – there are simply far more of these aspirational luxury travellers than there are core HNW travellers. Typically, aspirational travellers are those with above average household income but lower levels of capital. They are often younger too, in contrast to HNW individuals who are typically over 60 years of age. In the USA alone – the wealthiest country in the world – 30.4% of households earn over $100,000; this accounts for 38.9m households (2018, IRS SOI data). The HNW population of the USA by comparison -despite being the largest of all countries – is around one fifth of the size at 8.67m individuals (Wealth-X HNW Handbook).  

The first main advantage of this is that there is a greater market from which to acquire customers but also, there is a greater potential for advocacy from this audience who, through personal recommendations and social media channels particularly, inspire others to pursue similar experiences and with the same brands.

The second advantage is that aspirational luxury travellers are often less experienced with luxury travel than core, wealthy consumers. Why is this an advantage? Well, for one thing, it means that many of them are in a virginal discovery mode which often results in them drawing more positives than negatives from their experiences, given that their perspective is different. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are easier to please, but it does mean that certain aspects and rituals of luxury travel that are commonplace for core customers are simply more exciting for those for whom this is rarer or newer.

This also means they are more likely to be enthusiastic about sharing their experiences with others, becoming unpaid evangelists for not only experiences but the brands that provide them. This is connected to the third key advantage of aspirational luxury travellers in that they are – in these situations – highly likely to use social media, particularly visual social media channels like Instagram as well as Facebook, which document their journeys and interaction with luxury experiences.

Again, the greater likelihood of using social media in this scenario is connected to their wish to showcase their luxury travel experiences to those in their online social networks. The desire to share in this way captures a permanent value from the experience in a way that more experienced travellers have less need for. Aspirational travellers can therefore be far greater sirens for these luxury havens in their prolific production of online content.

The final advantage of aspirational travellers is that they are, on average, younger than the wealthy core. There are two elements to this. Firstly, early involvement in luxury experiences tends to produce a longer lasting attachment to it. Aspirational travellers are often pre-family, travelling as couples and friends, and experiencing genuine luxury travel experiences can often begin a tradition which they follow throughout their lives. The second element is that the presence of younger individuals revitalises the experience overall. Not only does it produce an exciting and diverse mix of guests who are at different life stages, with different perspectives on life and travel, it also helps bring a contemporary edge to the image of brands in the luxury travel world, which can at times – with their older core clients – become too traditional. 

There are of course limits to the value of the aspirational traveller and in their great hunger for exceptional, bucket-list luxury experiences, they may not necessarily be the most brand-loyal in the short term. However, the vast majority of those who are HNW become so through their own means*, not by inheriting the wealth from the previous generation. And often, these are the individuals that do so with a deep-seated determination to attain wealth that affords the great luxuries in life, a major one of which is travelling well. And so in attracting and looking after aspirational travellers, you aren’t just bringing attention and advocacy, a youthful vitality and the power of sharing experiences by those who appreciate them the most, you’re also looking after your future core clientele.    

*Data revealed in the Wealth-X High Net Worth Handbook 2019

Continuing with ILTM’s Leading The Way series, this week we speak to Dino Michael, the Senior Vice President and Global Category Head of Luxury Brands for the Hilton Portfolio. Today the topics include how to succeed in the travel industry and how brands might recover revenue for 2021.

Do you think 2020 is the year that will mark a change for our industry and if so, what do you think will change?

Guest expectations about travel are changing, and we need to continue to innovate to find unique solutions for today’s unprecedented challenges. 2020 is all about flexibility and adaptability in every sense. While we are all striving to strike the right balance in work and life, I think meetings and events are an area where we have the greatest opportunity to creatively adapt to the current environment. We need to make efforts to create unique and seamless experiences that have hybrid elements of both physical and virtual presence – leading with safe practices to give consumers peace of mind from the onset.

I think we will also see a continued blurring of business and leisure travel as some may be traveling a bit less, or leveraging the ‘flexcation’ trend that has become increasingly popular. In terms of unique solutions in the current environment, one such opportunity is finding alternative uses for our hotel guest rooms and spaces for things like remote work or extended stays. For example, our Conrad Punta de Mita resort, which opens this month, is offering a Work From Paradise package that allows guests to leverage technology to take their work abroad while reconnecting with family in a beautiful setting.

What have you come to appreciate this year?

The appreciation for one’s own country and exploring what is close to home has been a gift for many during this period. I have discovered parts of London that I never knew existed which is surprising given I was born here. Personally, given that my travel schedule pre-COVID kept me away from my family for up to three weeks a month, the extra time spent with them has been wonderful. I have especially enjoyed this stretch with my eldest son who leaves for University soon. Overall, this year has underscored the need to stay connected with family and colleagues, and will not be something I take for granted in the future.   

What would you say are the core characteristics needed to be successful in the luxury travel industry now?

Listening to and understanding consumers is critical to success. While we have always been laser-focused on service, in a post-COVID world, being able to read a guest and provide truly intuitive service will be more paramount than ever. Some will be more comfortable travelling than others, and we need to determine how to best accommodate all types of travellers with great flexibility. Having the ability to adapt quickly to situations that can change in a matter of hours or days will remain key, as will be maintaining a strong ecosystem to support travellers as plans alter. Our customer feedback is critical and we are responding to their needs more quickly than ever – creating innovative programs and making adjustments to our policies to provide customers with maximum flexibility while travel remains restricted in many parts of the world.

With wellness, sustainability and conscious travel becoming increasingly mainstream, is it becoming more difficult to set yourself apart from the rest of the market?

We have always tried to maintain a unique selling proposition in our industry, whether it’s our service ethos, our footprint in the world or our initiatives as an enterprise. One of the great things about our luxury brands is being a part of Hilton and the leading Corporate Responsibility program that defines us. Loyalty isn’t about introducing the latest trend, but more about ensuring you continue to understand the guest on multiple levels. As stewards of the destinations in which we operate, we must remain committed to investing our skills and support to build our communities’ resilience and growth. As part of this commitment, we invest in a wide range of programs, and last year we established the Hilton Effect Foundation, which now serves as our international philanthropic arm. We have also set aggressive goals which commit us to double our social impact investments and cut our environmental footprint in half by 2030. We believe efforts like these help set us apart and generate guest loyalty.

What project or venture are you currently most excited about?

We are fortunate to have an exciting and robust pipeline making it difficult to name just one. Our development shows no signs of slowing down with several key signings across the luxury portfolio where over the next 18 months we will add 15 hotels and resorts, including the aforementioned Conrad Punta Mita, a resort in Mexico, and a new project we are announcing in the East Indian Ocean as part of our LXR collection brand. I suppose if I had to highlight one project, the re-opening of the iconic Waldorf Astoria New York following a full restoration tops the list. It is a privilege to be a part of such a significant piece of New York’s history and so many people have a story from this hotel.

Did you or do you have anyone you would consider a mentor? If so, who and how have they helped you realise your potential?

I’ve been a part of Hilton for over a decade and have been fortunate to work with so many talented individuals who have supported my career throughout, but I take significant inspiration from our executive committee. Despite the size of our organisation, the direct engagement we have with our leaders is unique and the way we have responded to the current crisis, the speed of implementing new initiatives such as Hilton CleanStay and EventReady is amazing. Chris Nassetta needs no introduction and his impact on Hilton has been transformative. And there are two people in particular I would consider mentors – the first is our Chief Brand Officer, Martin Rinck, who always puts the guests at the forefront of any discussion. The second is one of my oldest friends who works in a very different type of organisation – it’s great to have opposing viewpoints, particularly from someone who has no insight into the world of hotels and travel.

What can and should luxury travel brands be doing to help replenish lost revenue in 2021?

Luxury brands should continue to focus on service and personalisation. This will be something many will struggle to deliver on, with reduced headcount and cost overhead pressures, but is critical to maintaining the unique luxury experience for guests. Also key will be leveraging strategic partnerships with complementary industries to look at broadening appeal and customer base, and leveraging multiple activities on-site to encourage locals to enjoy a staycation with wellness, F&B and other experiences. I won’t give away all of our plans, but expect continued creative efforts to maintain safe and special experiences!

The Covid-19 pandemic has completely changed our lives. Take something as mundane as the adjective close: geographically, we’ve been socially distancing and domestically travelling, and metaphorically, we’ve been looking within and discovering ourselves. Transparency and truth have never been so important, and for brands, that means authenticity could accelerate your recovery.

In today’s world, the power of perception reigns. Brands can no longer get away with simply chasing profits and staying neutral. Under the ever-increasing spotlight, supporting your staff, contributing to society, and serving the planet are all up for debate. With Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movements exposing the world’s disparities, consumers are more ‘woke’ than ever. Discussing this new level of awareness on the inaugural episode of PROUD Experiences’ podcast, On the Mic, Black transgender activist, Raquel Willis, explains:

“It feels like in a lot of ways that the rest of the world is catching up to where we’ve been for so long. Honestly, this feeling of discomfort is not new for black people; it really just feels like a lot of white people are catching up to it. In that regard, it’s a promising time; folks are uncovering things that have always existed and are finding new ways and new solutions for tackling them.”

With many brands engaging in woke-washing—trying to cash in on social injustice—consumers are relying on an age-old proverb: actions speak louder than words. Those responsible for brand campaigns are tasked with the tricky business of keeping up with our fast-paced world, where winning strategies can become obsolete plans in weeks. So what questions do brands need to ask themselves? Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World, shared her advice during On the Mic’s latest episode:

“We are acutely aware of the brands that are authentic in their support of and engagement with the LGBTQ+ community and those that are pandering. We look beyond the rainbow logo. What are they doing for their employees? What are they doing for their communities? How are they investing in LGBTQ+ charities and causes? This is, quite frankly, what our community values.”

As marketers and advertisers, that’s what we’re all aiming for, right? Strengthening our brand equity. Making sure the opinions, beliefs and feelings surrounding our brand are positive. Those doing it right, such as avoiding negative stereotypes and monolithic constructs, will always come out on top. Joining Raquel for On the Mic’s launch, Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride Festival, echoed the dangers of narrow-mindedness:

“I use the term ‘communities’. I think one of the big myths of being an LGBTQ+ person is that we’re all part of this exclusive membership. For me, there are many different communities within a group of people. I’m really proud of the work I’ve been able to achieve in platforming black queer artists. Or making visibility key for BAME people in our marketing channels. How can you be if you can’t see yourself?”

Being accepted, seen, and understood is no more important than in the hospitality industry, whose backbone is comprised of first-class customer service. Moreover, today’s clientele is more diverse than ever with 31% of Centennials (those born in 1996 and after) identifying as LGBTQ+. If you’re not speaking their language, you’re potentially missing out on a third of future business. As a brand, being authentic is crucial. Simon Mayle, PROUD Experiences’ Event Director, highlights how some companies can struggle to do so:

“The personalised experience level for the LGBTQ+ traveller is not as good as it should be, certainly not at a premium or a luxury level. We spend day in, day out in the luxury travel world talking about micro-personalised experiences—how to really make the traveller or the guest feel like an individual—and whilst succeeding on so many levels, it is not filtering down.”

So, how can brands authentically reach and service people from top to bottom? Here are five key takeaways:

1. Vocal over silent.

People appreciate brands that take a stand and do so transparently; in fact, 94% of consumers would be more loyal to brands that practice transparency.[1]

2. Actions over words.

Consumers are demanding that brands act differently during the pandemic; one in three have already stopped using a brand that was not acting appropriately in response.[2]

3. Diverse over similar.

Diverse workforces aren’t just good for brand perception, they also increase your profit margins: ethnically/culturally diverse executive teams outperform their peers by 33%.[3]

4. Informed over ignorant.

Cultural intelligence shouldn’t only be appreciated, staff should be trained in it: 66% of Black and 53% of Latino Americans say they feel their ethnic identity is portrayed stereotypically.[4]

5. Seen over hidden.

Never underestimate the power of representation, your marketing needs to be inclusive: 64% of allies are more likely to consider a brand after seeing LGBTQ-inclusive advertising.[5]

For more lessons on authenticity, join PROUD Experiences for their third edition in June 2021, and in the meantime, check out their amazing podcast, On the Mic.

[1] Label Insight Transparency ROI Study

[2] Special edition of Edelman Trust Barometer

[3] PSLA: Diversity & Inclusion Made Simple

[4] Adobe Digital Insights: Diversity in Advertising

[5] Ogilvy Pride Survey (LGBTQ Inclusive)

We made it to 2020 and it’s not only a new year, but a new decade. The last 10 years brought about a lot of change for those of us in high-end travel. The concept of luxury became less prescribed and more personal, destinations once considered off the beaten path instead offered coveted stories, time was dubbed the new luxury… and for those of us in the business of offering experiences, Instagram changed it all.

The world is undergoing a significant economic transformation, and as the luxury market continues to grow, there has been a fundamental shift in luxury consumer values. It is a move that prioritizes experiences over goods… in other words, a week in the Maldives is the new Hermès handbag. This is great news for all of us in luxury travel as we play an outsized role in this space. This evolution ladders up to the buzzworthy concept of transformative travel, which I see as travel motivated and defined by a shift in perspective, self-reflection and development, and a deeper communion with nature and culture. While there are many aspects to transformative travel, the one I am focused on and intrigued by for the years ahead, is the idea of purposeful travel. It is giving way to a new breed of traveler, which we have dubbed the new purposeful luxurian. They look at travel as a means to affect personal growth, connect with new people and passions, and affect positive change – all while still delighting in the indulgence of global exploration. In order for us to stay relevant, it means that we need to constantly elevate and evolve our approach to speak to this guest who is more global, skews younger, and has a different idea of what luxury looks like.

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Chloé Reuter is Founding Partner of Reuter Communications, Asia’s go-to digital and communications agency for connecting luxury businesses and brands with Asia’s affluent consumers. 

Travel in Asia is closely intertwined with mindfulness and yoga, after all, certain forms of all three things aim for the same goals – self-reflection, being in the present, and in general, reducing stress. But who is innovating in the space of hospitality, and who can the broader industry turn to and learn from?

Mental health issue rates vary from 4 percent in Singapore to 20 percent in Vietnam, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. And with rising diagnoses of mental health problems in China, India, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Malaysia, mental health will remain a concern for many in the region.² The Willis Tower Watson 2017/2018 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey found 56 percent of close to 9,500 workers across Asia-Pacific’s largest 1,141 employers suffered from elevated stress.³ Globally, Apple’s top-ranking smartphone applications in 2018 were those related to self-care and mental well-being, such as South Korea’s Mabo.

Belmond may have been one of the earliest global luxury groups to offer mindfulness cruises on board the Belmond Road to Mandalay in Myanmar in 2017 with morning and evening yoga, meditation sessions on- and off-board the ship, as well as coaching on top healthy spa cuisine to encourage healthy food choices.

Alila Manggis in Bali conducts frequent 6D5N Signature Yoga Retreats with yoga practice three times a day, workshops, daily spa treatments, and a curated wellness menu.

Ananda in the Himalayas offers a suite of mental and physical health programs, including Dhana meditation to become more self-aware, stress management to help make positive changes to life, and yoga retreats combining posture, yogic breathing and meditation to centre oneself.

Nobody is the same and so, Santani in Sri Lanka offers fully personalised curated packages based on guest’s body composition, lifestyle, emotional state and future goals.

Balinese wellness resort Revivo opened in 2018 offers ten types of yoga depending on client needs from more traditional pranayama breathing, hatha, vinyasa and asthanga to more recently developed aerial flow yoga, aqua yoga fitmat, and hammock yoga.

For further regional insights, download our report, created in partnership with Reuter: Intelligence, here.

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Sources
1. https://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent
2. https://social.eyeforpharma.com/column/out-shadows-mental-health-asia-pacific
3. https://www.willistowerswatson.com/en/insights/2018/05/Asia-employers-take-a-strategic-approach-to-improve-employee-health-and-well-being-programs

Cathy Feliciano-Chon is the Founder & Managing Director of Hong Kong’s award-winning brand & marketing agency, CatchOn. No one is more in tune with the Asian luxury traveller, so we asked her, just who is driving luxury travel growth in the region?   

There’s never been a better time to grow old in Asia. With the combined factors of longer life expectancy and having the means to pursue wellness at a younger age, Asians who are approaching mid-life are recontextualizing aging as aspirational.

They’re not postponing living well after retirement, but are embracing a life-well-lived mindset in their ‘40s because they can afford it.

These Affluent New Agers are younger and changing the notion of age from a chronological construct to biological and mental mindset – “65 is the new 45.” They want to achieve and maintain quality of not only life but also lifestyle.

Instagram or WeChat addicts, pursuing wellness for self-care and health improvement, these New Agers are travel experts that live very differently from previous generations and consider ‘middle age’ as the prime of their lives. It’s the period when they have the resources and time to take on new adventures and explore the world. They’re willing to spend on travel and wellness with the goal of indulging in bucket-list activities while they can. That’s not to say that they are not value conscious. When pursuing luxury travel, these Affluent New Agers are more demanding in ensuring they get the very best for their money, from accommodations to exclusivity of experiences.

Several luxury tour operators agree. At Lightfoot Travel, New Agers are spending upwards of US$200,000 per trip and there’s been an increase year on year of 20% in these bucket list activities. A typical itinerary? Hop on a helicopter and fly around Everest before enjoying breakfast at 14,000 ft. Walk up an appetite by hiking to see gorillas in Rwanda. Affluent New Agers’ idea of wellness isn’t just spa treatments but physical activity such as hiking and trekking. So much so, that Scott Dunn have designed a number of ‘Gourmet Hiking” tours to destinations such as Slovenia, the Spanish Pyrenees, Provence and the Kumano Kodo Trail in Japan.

“We see a lot of enquiries where the emphasis of ‘adventure’ is on the destination itself, such as Central Asia, Bhutan or Israel,” says Theng Hwee Chang, CEO of Scott Dunn Asia, where 70% of their Asian market comprises silver set travellers.

LGBTQ+ Affluent New Agers are also an area of enormous potential. Acceptance for LGBTQ+ travellers have been growing in Asia with recent changes in legislation in India, Australia, Thailand and Taiwan. Affluent New Agers are less likely to have children and therefore have a higher disposable income to pursue luxury travel. The Tourism Authority of Thailand launched #GoThaiBeFree in Jan 2019 to target these travellers. Why? Tourism revenue from the LGBTQ+ community contributes 1.15% to Thailand’s economy, the highest in the countries or regions surveyed by LGBT Capital, followed closely by Hong Kong at 1.11%.

Want to know more? Discover the top 10 “bucket list” destinations for these New Agers (and more!) by downloading Asia: The Future of  Global Wellness Tourism.

We spent 2018 filling our therapeutic colouring books, counting calories with the ketogenic diet and wearing our Fitbits around the world, but what are the key wellness trends for the year ahead and which hospitality brands are on top form?

When the Romans marched through the town of Spa in Belgium they named it Aquae Spadanae and the art of “balneotherapy” – the method of benefiting the body through bathing – was soon exported across the ancient empire. They certainly weren’t the first to enjoy hot springs but did a fine job in monetising a spa concept that still exists centuries later. Yet so much has changed. The global wellness industry is reportedly worth around US$4.2 trillion, according to The Global Wellness Institute, with tourism contributing to approximately $639 billion of that total.

1. Making sense of it

One of the leading innovators in the industry is the aptly named Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, which launched its sextuplet of Spa Sensory Suites in Downtown Dubai this summer, providing a lavish range of all-encompassing therapies within a five-star hotel. “In Six Senses, we are not just limited to personalised spa journeys for our guests,” explains Rosalin Lau, Director of Spa and Wellness at Six Senses Spa Dubai. “We provide complete spa sensory experiences after spa treatments and offer high-touch, high-tech spa and wellness therapies with each sense of the six senses, which we reflect in our six treatment suites.”

From the therapeutic healing vibroacoustic lounger in the Sound Suite to the medley of herbs, spices and essential oils in the Smell Suite, each treatment area is designed and decorated differently instead the ‘brick and mortar’ uniform set-up of a spa treatment room throughout the premises. But what is the sixth sense? The Beyond Suite is the place to set your mind at rest with guided yoga, stretching and breathing techniques. Singing bowl therapy is also offered to treat a range of ailments. “Today, affluent travellers are looking for authentic experiences, stories to tell and share their envy inducing picture images to their social circles,” she added.

2. Less is more

We’ve had the minimalism movement, the KonMari method, decluttering, and various other fads, but it all comes down to clear spaces aiding clear minds. There’s a reason that Feng Shui remains in the zeitgeist, despite dating back thousands of years. Though not many of us are likely to understand the interior design philosophy in any great detail, modern environmental psychology explains why we believe that “cleanliness is next to Godliness” and in our cluttered, consumerist culture, minimalism is heralded as a tonic for anxiety. The concept is not only ideal for spatial organization, but can minimise stress, according to Psychology Today.

3. Slumber smartly

Most of us feel inclined to perform a thorough mattress test when we stay in a five-star suite – surely the most crucial item of furniture in any hotel – but some properties go the extra mile when it comes to promoting rest. The consensus is clearer than ever that slumber is just as important to our health as what we eat and Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is at the forefront when it comes to getting a quality 40 winks, thanks to the brand’s In-Villa Slumber Guru Experience, provided at properties across the portfolio.

Taking the importance of a good night’s rest to a whole new level, the evening ritual begins with a soak in an essential oil bath surrounded by candles, easing tension with a “Deep Sleep Massage” using ylang ylang or lavender oils. Guests are then invited to unwind with a choice of tranquil music throughout the evening before plunging into fresh 1,000 thread count sheets. Other sleep therapy packages include 60-minute mindful meditation sessions, complimentary access to fitness classes & wellness facilities and more.

4. Wellness you can wear

Between the aforementioned Fitbit and smartwatch functionality, we’re already well accustomed to technology augmenting our health – and shaming us into taking the stairs. However, wearable tech is still tipped to be the top fitness trend for 2019, according to Science Daily. The return of wearables as the number one fitness trend “may be the result of manufacturers correcting some monitoring inaccuracies of the past,” according to the report’s author, Dr. Walter R. Thompson of Georgia State University, Atlanta.

The prediction is based on an annual survey of health and fitness professionals, and also notes that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) will continue to be one of the most favoured workout methods, with people handing over yet more cash to hire certified fitness professionals as personal trainers. When it comes to wearables for ladies, emerging brands like Oura and bellabeat are now producing super-high-tech items of jewellery that allow you to track sleep, body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and more.

5. Organic interiors

We should also expect to see more emphasis on biophilic design in the coming years, patching up the disconnect between our urban lifestyles and our innate desire to connect with nature. Organic elements like large plants, wood and stone are likely to be at the fore, with room sizes decreasing to make way for larger balconies and verandas. According to a recent study, data showed that hotel guests had a 36% higher dwell rate in hotel lobbies that had biophilic elements. Taking the concept to the next level – quite literally – is the soaring Oasia Hotel Downtown in Singapore, which bucks the trend of a sealed skyscraper. The architecture allows guests to acclimate and experience the city’s tropical surroundings with internal breezeways and atria, multiple sheltered terraces, sky gardens and vertical greening – achieving an overall greenery replacement of more than 10 times the site area.

How is health and wellness going to impact your life and business this year? Find out about ILTM’s new journey for 2019.

What is your purpose in life? If you don’t quite know how to answer that question, you are not alone. But you are statistically less likely to live a happy life. Alarmed? Don’t be. The global luxury travel industry is here for you. Come closer…

As the headline speaker at the ILTM Global Forum, Dan Buettner, pointed out in Cannes, “finding your purpose” is the single most effective short cut to health and wellbeing. It therefore comes as no surprise that the quest for self-actualisation – or in other words, wellness – might just be THE mega-trend to end all mega-trends in the global luxury travel economy.

Time for a history lesson – remember a few years ago when you first heard the words “experiential travel”? Yes! We cried. That’s the word we’ve been searching for, experiential is the way! So you updated all your marketing materials and some hipsters came by the office and delivered a super cool workshop. Then, a couple of years later, you were getting a coffee at ILTM and someone started talking to you about “transformational travel”. Of course! It’s bigger than experiential, it’s transformational. Cool.

Well, guess what? As with every new idea – the iPod for example – it gradually gets streamlined until what you’re left with seems so unbelievably obvious, you simply can’t imagine how you didn’t come up with it in the first place. Welcome to wellness – the luxury travel version of the iPod.

Let me explain. For decades, we, the luxury travel industry, have been talking about the unique healing nature of travel and its other-worldly influence on the psyche, giving perspective where it had gradually worn away, and giving the ultimate luxuries of ‘time’ and ‘space’ in which to relax, reflect and refocus. Travel, we said, is the antidote to the frenetic, fast moving roller coaster of the digitised 20^th century. Travel makes us sit down and engage. It forces us to take something to a deeper level.

Fast forward and today’s travel brands exist at the very epicentre of an exciting new eco system. No other industry is better placed to capture this explosion of need. The wellness industry today is worth an estimated $4.2tn dollars, of which “wellness tourism” currently equates to $639bn. What’s more, wellness tourism is growing twice as quickly as tourism expenditure in general, that’s an annual growth of 14%!

ILTM 2018 marked the launch of ILTM’s Year of Health and Wellness, the year when yesterday’s shifts towards experiential experiences and transformative travel settle softly into a wider, more permanent focus on enhanced quality of life and optimum wellbeing. Kicking off in Cannes, ILTM launched research and gathered a community of wellness experts that all draw the same conclusion; in the future, all travel is wellness travel, every trip is expected to enhance the physical, mental and social wellbeing of the traveller, transformation is the very promise of travel, and today’s travel brands are the solution to one of the biggest problems of our age. The future travel economy is based on a lifelong, personal and emotional quest for longevity, where travel is the short cut to the end goal of wellness.

This year, through learning and experiences, we aim to provide practical advice for travel brands about how to bridge the gap between promise and delivery. To provide opportunities for travel brands to fully immerse themselves in the world our luxury consumers now inhabit, to reimagine traditional ‘spa and wellness’ offerings breaking out of venues and disjointed piecemeal treatments, and learning how to fully integrate a message of wellness into our brands. It’s time to take the first step into the future, where hotel brands not only provide a break from the pressures of modern life, but design experiences where the journey undertaken is a journey into oneself, and where travel and travel brands partner with the traveller to prevent disease, improve health, enhance quality of life and bring a person to increasingly optimum levels of wellbeing.

Join us on our journey and find your purpose in business, and more importantly, life.

It is estimated that in the UK alone, at least 4.4 billion straws are thrown away annually¹ and it has been predicted that the weight of plastic in the ocean will outweigh fish by 2050,²  if nothing is done to tackle this issue. This is just one of the reasons why many luxury hotels have committed to eliminating single-use plastics from their properties in the near future. 

EDITION Hotels have been pioneering the plastic-free movement in the hospitality industry as they’ve made it their mission to eliminate single-use plastics from all of their properties by the end of 2018.³  Leading the campaign is Vice President of Brand Experiences, Ben Pundole, who has made it his mission to find high-quality alternatives to common plastic hotel amenities. Pundole says that the plastic-free movement is no longer considered inconvenient, as it is increasingly aligned with the new definition of luxury that EDITION guests expect.⁴ 

In the second instalment of our plastic-free mini-series, we spoke to Kellee Griffith, Operations Project Specialist from EDITION Hotels, about their commitment towards the initiative.

For those unaware, what is EDITION doing to reduce the use of single-use plastics?

EDITION has banned plastic straws in all food and beverage outlets across the brand, switched from plastic water bottles to cans and glass bottles, implanted staff water fountains in the back of house and provided each employee with their own stainless steel bottle. We are looking to move to keyless entry by the end of 2018 and we are looking for a solution to bathroom amenity bottles.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”The hotel and travel industry are big plastic polluters. We at EDITION are trying to do our part by removing all single-use plastics from our hotels with the aim to become an industry leader and hopefully inspire and influence other brands to do the same.”[/perfectpullquote]

Have your customers supported your commitment to reducing single-use plastics?

We are starting to see that consumers are making choices based on impact, whether it be fashion or hotels, consumers want to know that they are not creating a negative impact. The response from our guests has been incredible.

How have you ensured that quality is not compromised when sourcing single-use plastic alternatives?

The quality of our product isn’t compromised because we choose to be plastic-free. We just find creative alternatives that are just as good, if not better, and we work with the best vendors who share our passion and are committed to the campaign.

Why is reducing the amount of single-use plastics important to your brand?

The hotel and travel industry are big plastic polluters. We at EDITION are trying to do our part by removing all single-use plastics from our hotels with the aim to become an industry leader and hopefully inspire and influence other brands to do the same.

Don’t forget to look out for the rest of our plastic-free mini-series. We’ll be catching up with EDITION Hotels at ILTM Cannes this year. To meet them, join us in Cannes, 3-6 December, 2018.

Sources

1. The Death of the Plastic Straw
2. By 2050, the oceans could have more plastic than fish
3. Edition Hotels Gets Serious About Going Plastic-Free
4. A Luxury Hotel Chain is Making it Hip to Ditch Single Use Plastic

It is estimated that in the UK alone, at least 4.4 billion straws are thrown away annually¹ and it has been predicted that the weight of plastic in the ocean will outweigh fish by 2050,²  if nothing is done to tackle this issue. This is just one of the reasons why luxury hotels have committed to eliminating single-use plastics from their properties in the near future. 

In the first instalment of our plastic-free mini-series, we spoke to Megan O’Beirne, Sustainability Manager for Six Senses Laamu, about their commitment towards the initiative.

For those unaware, what are you doing to reduce your use of single-use plastics?

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas as a global company is leading the tourism industry by taking a stance against plastic: Plastic Free 2022. All properties are taking inventory of the plastics being used, sourcing alternatives, and eliminating the plastic items so that we are tackling the issue at the source, and not resting on the inadequate recycling systems currently in place worldwide. We have eliminated single-use plastic water bottles by filtering and bottling our own drinking water in reusable glass bottles.

We have banned single-use plastic bags, and switch guests’ duty free bags at the airport with paper ones. Straws are only given on request and are made from biodegradable paper. All shower amenities are provided in refillable ceramic pumps, and toothbrushes are made from bamboo instead of plastic. Cling film in the kitchens has been reduced by using stainless steel containers with lids instead. Purchase orders are made in bulk wherever possible to reduce packaging, and suppliers are requested to reduce packaging or use biodegradable paper instead of plastic.

[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”The foundations of the Six Senses brand are in sustainability and wellness. Plastic pollution is a global environmental issue, but especially in the Maldives where there are very limited recycling facilities, the amount of waste that is created by single-use plastic is unsustainable.”[/perfectpullquote]

Have your customers supported your commitment to reducing single-use plastics?

Yes, I would say 50% of guests I speak to are already aware of the Six Senses brand concept, and they booked Six Senses Laamu because they agree with our sustainability philosophy. The other 50% may have booked their stay without knowing about our ethos, but when they come to learn about why we bottle our own water, or why we ask them to take their shampoo bottles home with them, they are eager to participate and learn more about what they can do to reduce their environmental impact. A big part of the Six Senses experience is learning about how you can better your lifestyle after your stay, whether that is eating a healthier diet, getting a better night’s sleep, or adopting more environmentally-friendly habits. If a guest can see that at the resort we are trying to reduce our use of single-use plastics and understand why it is important, hopefully they will go home and analyse their own consumption and they too will eliminate single-use plastics from their own daily life.

Why is reducing the amount of single-use plastics important to your brand?

The foundations of the Six Senses brand are in sustainability and wellness. Plastic pollution is a global environmental issue, but especially in the Maldives where there are limited recycling facilities, the amount of waste that is created by single-use plastic is unsustainable and difficult to responsibly dispose of. If plastic ends up in the ocean, it never biodegrades, so just breaks down into tiny microplastics that enter the food chain and kill marine life. This relates to wellness because we don’t want to expose our guests to the toxic chemicals that build up in our seafood, or the plastic packaging with which our food comes into contact. It is important for Six Senses Laamu to reduce the use of single-use plastics as not creating the waste is a lot easier than trying to transport and recycle it from such a remote location.

How have you ensured that quality is not compromised when sourcing single-use plastic alternatives?

There are plenty of high quality and reasonable alternatives to single-use plastics, and in many ways, it is about getting back to the traditional ways of doing things. Before plastic was invented, one drank milk from glass bottles and returned them to be refilled. The concept of single-use plastic entered society with the notion of convenience and on-the-go lifestyles. The solutions to our problems of waste are often simply found in how things were done in the good ol’ days! At Six Senses Laamu, we try to source items that are either reusable and long-lasting, or if they must be short-term use, they are biodegradable. Glass water bottles with a metal clamp are both longer lasting and more elegant than plastic water bottles, so actually better achieve the luxury standard Six Senses is aiming for. Toothbrushes, however, must be disposable, so the ones provided in the villa are made of bamboo and are wrapped in corn starch packaging, which is 100% biodegradable.

Don’t forget to look out for the rest of our plastic-free mini-series. We’ll be catching up with Six Senses at ILTM Cannes this year. To meet them, join us in Cannes, 3-6 December, 2018.

Sources

1. The Death of the Plastic Straw
2. By 2050, the oceans could have more plastic than fish

Cruise travel is booming with luxury travellers increasingly choosing to spend their holiday on-board ultra-luxury cruise liners. The cruise industry has been growing y-o-y since 2007, and according to Royal Caribbean Cruises CEO Richard Fain, the ultra-luxury and expedition segments are growing at twice the rate of any other segment in the industry.¹

Growth in the cruise industry is expected to continue, with CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association, Inc.) predicting 27.2 million cruise passengers in 2018, a 5% increase from 2017.² The major drivers in the market are both seasoned cruise passengers and affluent travellers who are yet to experience an ultra-luxury cruise, however, still expect to receive the very best service. This recent increase in bookings has led to a surge in the number of ultra-luxury cruise ships being created.

Virtuoso’s 2018 Luxe Report found that seeking authentic experiences is the third highest travel motivation for luxury travellers.³ Supporting this trend, Chris Austin, SVP of Global Marketing & Sales for ultra-luxury cruise line, Seabourn, told ILTM that “today’s affluent consumer is placing an even greater emphasis on seeking truly authentic, memorable experiences whereas in years past they would spend more on luxury goods. They are seeking new, bolder places to discover that are perceived for only a few to access. They are travellers – not tourists.” Seabourn have responded to this growing demand by announcing that they will be introducing two new ultra-luxury expedition ships to their offering in 2021 and 2022; giving passengers the chance to experience a “unique combination of thrilling, immersive adventures with generous, ultra-luxury amenities.”

Seabourn’s latest additions will sail amongst some of the most remote locations, including Antarctica and Patagonia, giving travellers the chance to experience ultra-luxury in some of the farthest places on earth. Passengers will be able to experience these unique destinations by submarine, kayak and Zodiac; “just imagine cruising in a Zodiac past flocks of porpoising penguins, watching a breaching humpback whale, or paddling alongside immense blue-white icebergs,” says Chris Austin. Passengers will also have the chance to immerse themselves in unparalleled on and off-shore experiences, without compromising on any of the luxury amenities that they would expect to receive at a five star plus hotel. Including everything from Michelin-starred cuisine by Chef Thomas Keller to a hot-stone massage in Seabourn’s world-class spa; there really is something for everyone.

But what differentiates an expedition ship from a regular cruise ship? Chris tells us the first difference is its size, “since expedition ships will usually be smaller to gain greater access so guests can get up close to highly desirable scenery and wildlife in locations that just can’t be accessed by larger ships.” However, this is not to say that these ships aren’t spacious, in fact the opposite is true. As Chris notes the second most important difference is “luxury”, with Seabourn fostering “a private, club-like atmosphere that discerning luxury travellers seek, along with highly intuitive personalized service.” Personalized service is an increasingly important factor for affluent travellers, particularly within the ultra-luxury cruise market, whether this be personalized itineraries and tailor-made experiences or bespoke dining packages and personalized excursions. Seabourn offers the complete package for discerning travellers who seek ultra-luxury, unique and customised experiences.

We’ll be catching up with Seabourn and other luxury cruise lines at ILTM Cannes this year. To meet them too, join us in Cannes, 3-6 December, 2018.

Sources

1. Skift – Seabourn is building expedition ships as demand for luxury adventure grows
2. Cruise Lines International Association, Inc. – 2018 Cruise Industry Outlook
3. Virtuoso’s 2018 Luxe Report