At the early age of 14, this luxury travel pioneer turned his passion for the travel industry and drive for customer experience into a leading travel agency. Taking $600 earned through soccer refereeing, Rob Karp purchased the software needed to start Karp Enterprises, LLC back in November 2012. Since then, the company has undergone a rebranding as MilesAhead and in partnership with Valerie Wilson Travel and the luxury travel network, Virtuoso, has sold millions of dollars’ worth of travel.

Today, Rob is a 20-year-old Junior at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, where he has met most of MilesAhead’s dedicated and passionate employees. The youngest travel advisor in the Virtuoso network, he is also a Travel + Leisure Rising Star 2017, awarded for his impressive list of clientele and inspiring talent. One reason why MilesAhead clients return so often is Rob’s dedication to them, many of whom become his friends.

We caught up again with Rob to delve deeper into his fresh perspectives on the future of technology and consumer loyalty within travel as well as the future of his own company.

“At MilesAhead, we are a technologically powered service business. We give our clients what the Internet cannot—our experience and advice. Client trips are planned a variety of ways, from texting to email to Facebook message. We also use our Facebook and Instagram pages to share what’s new and engage with our clients. The technologies we use to guide our business vary from simple tools like Google and Trip Advisor to advanced applications such as the AXUS Travel App. That said, most importantly, we use our first-hand travel experience.

“Over the next five years, new tech will develop that will allow the travel advisor to be more efficient and creative. There are currently so many processes that are menial and take up valuable time from advisors. For example, there is a recent start-up that created a tool for automated rebooking when a flight is delayed; this would be an incredible service to offer travellers.

“From our beginning, MilesAhead’s expertise and passion for point redemption has driven us to be a part of today’s travel advisor reinvention. Loyalty has become a tricky concept—especially since social media has become a platform for customers. One day people love an airline, and the next day they never want to fly with them again. However, this decrease in brand loyalty has provided the opportunity for clients to trust travel advisors in navigating the best experiences for them. They trust us and follow our suggestions; and that’s what this business is all about.

“MilesAhead— the travel business as a whole—is currently in an exciting stage. Our team is powered by college students, who are returning 100% YOY growth. We are in the process of recruiting, training, and building with some extremely talented and passionate students. We want to continue being at the forefront of the changing travel industry and to better our field. We want to continue showing luxury travellers the MilesAhead difference; and with talent and technology, we’re on the path to do just that.”

To hear more from Rob and other experts like him, download Travel’s Bright Future: A Report from the Travel + Leisure & ILTM Rising Stars Roundtable.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

How do you reconnect with yourself, with others and with the world around you? Neil Jacobs, CEO of Six Senses, explains how simple and honest experiences are deeply impacting today’s luxury travellers. “We want guests to leave our properties in a better place than when they arrived,” Jacobs says.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

An industry insider for more than 15 years, Jack Ezon has seen it all. As President of luxury travel agency Ovation Vacations, Jack has witnessed trends come and go. However, one value has always endured: the importance of the human touch and the personalised service that comes with it.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

Meaningful and sustainable tourism is central to Nancy Schumacher’s travel philosophy, so it’s no wonder she’s Head of Travel and Tour Operations for National Geographic. As Nancy shares, “National Geographic is really about protecting our planet so it’s really important to us that our trips embody that.” Here’s how you can travel with a conscience.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

The best decision Matthias Kaesweber says he made was joining the hospitality and travel industry. With more than 20 years’ experience, and rising to Vice President of Sales & Marketing at The Set Hotels, we invited him to share his knowledge in our Leaders with Substance series.

“The most beautiful part of the industry is the people. It’s a human business,” he says to interviewer Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and TV anchor. He explains how he’s passionate about making customers happy through hospitality. People are also why he’s been coming to ILTM North America since day one as he looks forward to meeting people from all around the world.

Watch the interview for Matthias’ thoughts on how the industry and the traveller has changed, the impact of technology, why brands should ask questions and his insights into the Latin American market.

Learn from more luxury travel industry influencers in our Leaders with Substance series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

For anyone in the luxury industry, news of AccorHotel’s aggressive acquisition strategy in recent years is unavoidable. So how do you protect brand integrity in the face of acquisition or investment? Chris Cahill, CEO of Luxury Brands for the AccorHotels Group, explains how in the quest for timeless luxury each brand must maintain its own strong identity.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Luxury travel is in Tania Swasbrook’s DNA. Her mother founded Travelworld of Coronado which Tania is now Vice President of and proud to continue. With over 25 years’ experience under her belt as a travel professional, we sat down with Tania as part of our Leaders with Substance series to share her wisdom.

In the interview with Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and TV anchor, Tania talks about how she fell in love with travel as a lifestyle, rather than a job. She’s passionate about being a Luxury Travel Designer, saying “it’s more than curating experiences, events or travel; it’s putting together a dream.” She finds it crucial to really get to know her clients, what they like to do, having an interactive and dynamic relationship with them, concluding, “that is why it’s such a beautiful industry.”

She also discusses travel misconceptions, why the internet has helped travel agents, changing luxury travel consumption and political impacts in the interview filmed at ILTM North America.

Learn from more luxury travel industry influencers in our Leaders with Substance series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

As Tina Edmundson, Global Brand Officer for Marriott International explains: “travel has become the launch pad for self-actualization.” Connecting with travellers in an experiential way is no longer enough for luxury travel brands. Tapping into the booming trend for transformational travel is key to helping travellers achieve their full potential.

For more information on transformational travel, check out ‘Transformative: the new “authentic”? by Editor in Chief of Travel + Leisure, Nathan Lump.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

A travel industry visionary, Matthew Upchurch has led Virtuoso to become the top luxury travel network in the world; it’s no wonder he won our Mary Gostelow Award 2017. As CEO and founder, Matthew has an unprecedented knowledge of the evolving modern-day traveller. Today, luxury clients are making “more conscious decisions about how their money makes an impact,” focusing on the Return on Life™ as opposed to the return on investment.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

The ecosystems of the luxury travel market are evolving; big brands are getting bigger and online travel agencies are expanding. So how does a niche brand like Taj beat the competition? Here’s how Chinmai Sharma, Chief Revenue Officer of Taj Hotels, responds to both a changing climate and a changing clientele.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

Sustainability has been a buzzword in travel for many years now, but what are luxury brands actually doing to go green? Lindsey Ueberroth, President and CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, shares the inherent value—for both hotels and their guests—of embarking on this truly impactful journey. And, yes, it goes well beyond reusing towels!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

The transportation landscape is evolving. Battery planes and autonomous flying cars are on the horizon, but what does this mean for private jet companies? Equally excited and scared for what the future holds, Alex Wilcox, CEO and Co-Founder of JetSuite, cannot wait to be a part of the new advancements and opportunities.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

Early signature dishes, such as haute cuisine pizzas topped with smoked salmon and caviar, and Sonoma baby lamb with braised greens and rosemary, put famed chef Wolfgang Puck and his flagship restaurant, Spago, on the gourmet map. Now, some thirty years later, food alone is not enough; today, the experience of the guest is shaping fine-dining worldwide.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

From the Four Seasons in Kyoto to the re-imagination of the Grosvenor Hotel in London, Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) create stunning design experiences and breathtaking interiors in the premium accommodation sector. Creating the signature looks of today’s luxury brands, co-CEO René Gross Kaerskov says, “a hotel needs to work from the moment you enter the lobby until you are in your bed.”

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

It’s impossible to think about men’s tailoring without thinking of London’s Savile Row. Sitting at No. 11 is the iconic Huntsman, a 168-year-old tailoring house known for its expert combination of heritage craftsmanship and thoroughly modern menswear. “Finding somewhere where people can take the time for you is very rare,” explains owner Pierre Lagrange.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Mary Gostelow publishes the definitive market intelligence report for the luxury travel sector. Packed to the brim with the latest news, views, gossip and more, Gostelow Reports are a legendary source of business information for GMs, CEOs and senior executives all over the world. 

Reporting live from ILTM 2017 in Cannes, keep up to date with the world’s hot new openings, acquisitions, appointments and influencers right here:

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

Founder of Jessica McCormack jewellery, Jessica is the daughter of an auctioneer and grew up literally surrounded by piles of precious objects in her native New Zealand. From antique Maori carvings to Victorian items of curiosity, she inherited her father’s passion for unusual antiques and thus began her career in jewellery. Here Jessica tells us how she’s creating timeless pieces for the modern woman.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

With over 140 years’ experience, Benetti is one of the world’s oldest builders of luxury motoryachts. Proudly retaining its traditional values of experience, skill and a passion for fine craftsmanship, Benetti has transformed into a forward-looking and innovative brand. Their CEO, Vincenzo Poerio, told us why innovation is so important today.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

While he hails from Lyon, France, it is in New York that Daniel Boulud has truly mastered the dining scene and is today considered one of America’s leading culinary authorities. Holding two Michelin stars, his flagship restaurant Daniel combines humble food with luxurious ingredients and world class technique. Here’s what the chef had to say about his gastronomic “adventure”.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

Embarking on a relentless pursuit of perfection, Feadship is the Michelangelo of the high seas. Setting a new standard in terms of craftsmanship, design, engineering and construction, there are yachts and there are Feadships. Jan-Bart Verkuyl, CEO of Feadship’s Royal Van Lent, explains how collaborating with clients is key to these custom ships.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

Your home is a personal statement. It should reflect a combination of memories, aspirations and a lifetime of unique experiences. This is what distinguishes the exclusive designs of leading architectural figure, Richard Landry. For three decades as President of Landry Design Group, Richard has perfected the hybrid of modern luxury within architectural design.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

From A-list celebrities to royal families to world leaders, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars are the ultimate luxury vehicle. With such noteworthy clientele, it’s no surprise their CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, has some very insightful thoughts on what defines luxury. Is it great to have luxury on Earth? Is luxury part of being human? Torsten certainly thinks so.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands.

180 years after its birth, Hermès of Paris still manages to excite the imagination of its luxury clientele, producing some of the most iconic products in fashion history. For nearly two decades, Robert Chavez has served as the U.S. President and CEO for the Parisian fashion house and now declares that brick and mortar retail is unequivocally not dead; it’s changing.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.

Brought to you by ILTM and Robb Report, the Leaders of Luxury web series explores the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it—the visionaries behind the world’s premiere brands. 

Robert Chavez

180 years after its birth, Hermès of Paris still manages to excite the imagination of its luxury clientele, producing some of the most iconic products in fashion history. For nearly two decades, Robert Chavez has served as the U.S. President and CEO for the Parisian fashion house and now declares that brick and mortar retail is unequivocally not dead; it’s changing.

Watch Video

Torsten Müller-Ötvös

From A-list celebrities to royal families to world leaders, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars are the ultimate luxury vehicle. With such noteworthy clientele, it’s no surprise their CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, has some very insightful thoughts on what defines luxury. Is it great to have luxury on Earth? Is luxury part of being human? Torsten certainly thinks so.

Watch Video

Richard Landry

Your home is a personal statement. It should reflect a combination of memories, aspirations and a lifetime of unique experiences. This is what distinguishes the exclusive designs of leading architectural figure, Richard Landry. For three decades as President of Landry Design Group, Richard has perfected the hybrid of modern luxury within architectural design.

Watch Video

Jan-Bart Verkuyl

Embarking on a relentless pursuit of perfection, Feadship is the Michelangelo of the high seas. Setting a new standard in terms of craftsmanship, design, engineering and construction, there are yachts and there are Feadships. Jan-Bart Verkuyl, CEO of Feadship’s Royal Van Lent, explains how collaborating with clients is key to these custom ships.

Watch Video

Daniel Boulud

While he hails from Lyon, France, it is in New York that Daniel Boulud has truly mastered the dining scene and is today considered one of America’s leading culinary authorities. Holding two Michelin stars, his flagship restaurant Daniel combines humble food with luxurious ingredients and world class technique. Here’s what the chef had to say about his gastronomic “adventure”.

Watch Video

Vincenzo Poerio

With over 140 years’ experience, Benetti is one of the world’s oldest builders of luxury motoryachts. Proudly retaining its traditional values of experience, skill and a passion for fine craftsmanship, Benetti has transformed into a forward-looking and innovative brand. Their CEO, Vincenzo Poerio, told us why innovation is so important today.

Watch Video

Jessica McCormack

The daughter of an auctioneer, Jessica grew up literally surrounded by piles of precious objects in her native New Zealand. From antique Maori carvings to Victorian items of curiosity, she inherited her father’s passion for unusual antiques and thus began her career in jewellery. Here Jessica tells us how she’s creating timeless pieces for the modern woman.

Watch Video

Pierre Lagrange

It’s impossible to think about men’s tailoring without thinking of London’s Savile Row. Sitting at No. 11 is the iconic Huntsman, a 168-year-old tailoring house known for its expert combination of heritage craftsmanship and thoroughly modern menswear. “Finding somewhere where people can take the time for you is very rare,” explains owner Pierre Lagrange.

Watch Video

René Gross Kaerskov

From the Four Seasons in Kyoto to the re-imagination of the Grosvenor Hotel in London, Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) create stunning design experiences and breathtaking interiors in the premium accommodation sector. Creating the signature looks of today’s luxury brands, co-CEO René Gross Kaerskov says, “a hotel needs to work from the moment you enter the lobby until you are in your bed.”

Watch Video

Wolfgang Puck

Early signature dishes, such as haute cuisine pizzas topped with smoked salmon and caviar, and Sonoma baby lamb with braised greens and rosemary, put famed chef Wolfgang Puck and his flagship restaurant, Spago, on the gourmet map. Now, some thirty years later, food alone is not enough; today, the experience of the guest is shaping fine-dining worldwide.

Watch Video

Alex Wilcox

The transportation landscape is evolving. Battery planes and autonomous flying cars are on the horizon, but what does this mean for private jet companies? Equally excited and scared for what the future holds, Alex Wilcox, CEO and Co-Founder of JetSuite, cannot wait to be a part of the new advancements and opportunities.

Watch Video

Lindsey Ueberroth

Sustainability has been a buzzword in travel for many years now, but what are luxury brands actually doing to go green? Lindsey Ueberroth, President and CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, shares the inherent value—for both hotels and their guests—of embarking on this truly impactful journey. And, yes, it goes well beyond reusing towels!

Watch Video

Chinmai Sharma

The ecosystems of the luxury travel market are evolving; big brands are getting bigger and online travel agencies are expanding. So how does a niche brand like Taj beat the competition? Here’s how Chinmai Sharma, Chief Revenue Officer of Taj Hotels, responds to both a changing climate and a changing clientele.

Watch Video

Tina Edmundson

As Tina Edmundson, Global Brand Officer for Marriott International explains: “travel has become the launch pad for self-actualization.” Connecting with travellers in an experiential way is no longer enough for luxury travel brands. Tapping into the booming trend for transformational travel is key to helping travellers achieve their full potential.

Watch Video

Matthew Upchurch

A travel industry visionary, Matthew Upchurch has led Virtuoso to become the top luxury travel network in the world. As CEO and founder, Matthew has an unprecedented knowledge of the evolving modern-day traveller. Today, luxury clients are making “more conscious decisions about how their money makes an impact,” as they focus on the Return on Life™.

Watch Video

Chris Cahill

For anyone in the luxury industry, news of AccorHotel’s aggressive acquisition strategy in recent years is unavoidable. So how do you protect brand integrity in the face of acquisition or investment? Chris Cahill, CEO of Luxury Brands for the AccorHotels Group, explains how in the quest for timeless luxury each brand must maintain its own strong identity.

Watch Video

Nancy Schumacher

Meaningful and sustainable tourism is central to Nancy Schumacher’s travel philosophy, so it’s no wonder she’s Head of Travel and Tour Operations for National Geographic. As Nancy shares, “National Geographic is really about protecting our planet so it’s really important to us that our trips embody that.” Here’s how you can travel with a conscience.

Watch Video

Jack Ezon

An industry insider for more than 15 years, Jack Ezon has seen it all. As President of luxury travel agency Ovation Vacations, Jack has witnessed trends come and go. However, one value has always endured: the importance of the human touch and the personalised service that comes with it.

Watch Video

Neil Jacobs

How do you reconnect with yourself, with others and with the world around you? Neil Jacobs, CEO of Six Senses, explains how simple and honest experiences are deeply impacting today’s luxury travellers. “We want guests to leave our properties in a better place than when they arrived,” Jacobs says.

Watch Video

Thank you to all the movers and shakers in the luxury travel industry that joined us in the Leaders of Luxury Studio at ILTM last year. Want to have your say? Leave us a comment below!

Being fluent in 10 languages isn’t essential when working for Hilton Hotels, but it certainly helps! Meet Philippe Garnier, a French national, Philippe joined Hilton Worldwide in 2003 and has been instrumental in developing its brands, including Conrad and Waldorf Astoria, throughout Asia Pacific and the rest of world.

Prior to joining Hilton Worldwide, Philippe held a number of senior consulting roles with companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG Consulting. Currently VP Global Luxury Sales based in the US, Philippe is married with three children. Here’s what Philippe had to say about the current luxury travel landscape when we caught up with him…

“As recently as 2007 there was only one Waldorf Astoria in the world, in New York, and now we have more than 28, and more than 29 Conrad Hotels, so we really cover the globe from Europe to the Middle East to Americas to Asia Pacific.

10% of world GDP is travel. Among the wealthiest citizens of the world, there has been a huge shift over the last few years from buying ‘stuff’ towards experiencing and creating memories with families and loved ones – and this is where travel has an amazing part to play.

Ignorance breeds conflict and, by contrast, travelling to a certain part of the world gives you a better understanding of what’s going on. Having a more personal connection at our hotels with the people who work there will give you a bit of an insight as to what is going on in a particular country. You will soon make your own judgement about that country’s politics, but you will have a connection at a human level and that is going to make you a world citizen.

The next big thing in travel is about personalisation. It’s not about gimmicks or Apps, it’s really about getting to the core of the reason the guest is staying at the luxury hotel and what they want to get out of it. The more the hotel knows about the guest and the reason for their stay, the more they are able to tailor the guests experience in a way that is really unobtrusive.

The travel sector is one of the largest employers and we do a lot to generate these vocations. We have a very successful programme in the US to hire veterans from the army. Maybe hospitality is not what they wanted as a profession, but, once someone starts, it is very compelling. The typical tenure that you have at one of our properties shows that there is something about this industry that is very attractive.

Travellers are extremely resilient. In my home country of France, despite recent terror attacks, 2017 has been a record year for tourism. There is a tremendous appetite for creating memories and experiences and for enriching ones culture by having encounters with people from different cultures and different backgrounds. In actual fact, back in the 1960’s one of our Founder’s underlying ideas was to open Hilton Hotels in all of the world capitals for precisely that reason.”

What a way to keep the world moving by truly loving and respecting the luxury travel industry.

Kurtz-Ahlers & Associates offer some of the most amazing experiences on earth. Working behind the scenes, their job is to connect select, often very boutique hotels and resorts – many in extremely remote corners of the world – with the very top private travel agents representing billionaires, A List celebrities, politicians and beyond.

JoAnn established the company in 2002, after two decades of experience at Ritz-Carlton. Here’s what JoAnn had to say about life as a leader in luxury travel when we caught up with her this week…

“I worked my way up through the ranks at Ritz-Carlton to become the first woman to ever reach the title of vice president of sales for the company. I oversaw business development worldwide, including new and existing properties in Dubai, Spain, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. Once you have had a taste of working in such mystifying and enigmatic places it is hard to do anything else.

The best business decision I ever made was to open my own business. I really had no evidence that it would work out so I had to have that leap of faith. I loved my years working for companies but deciding to leave all the comfort and security of having a job and start my own business has been the best decision.

Travel is really the thing that opens everybody up. You can hear about an incident somewhere in the world and that whole place becomes that problem in your mind, yet when you go there; all of a sudden the beauty of the place, the people of the place, the culture, the history, the food – everything becomes one big tapestry and that one little incident dissolves.

The travel industry has a huge role to play in supporting local communities. We have an 8 bedroom villa in Boccas del Toros in Panama that supports 55 families. It’s the housekeepers, it’s the growing and getting of the food from the local community, it’s teaching the staff English, it’s teaching them about sustainability and what to do with plastic and garbage and it has had such an impact on that area. The impact on the whole community is bigger than almost anything.

Politics follows the money. When you look at certain destinations in the United States, let’s say Las Vegas; they have a $250m budget so they’ve taken it upon themselves, nobody waits for the government to come in and step in to fund and support, the destinations are aggressive and they see the value and they are promoting travel in their own way. I can see this happening more and more because everybody is travelling no matter what level of travel it is, people are travelling more than ever, so it can’t be ignored.

We will see space travel in our lifetime and I think that people are going to go more and more remote and continue to want to claim very unique experiences. I just got back from Mongolia and, though it’s not a new destination, a lot of people haven’t been there and it’s a beautiful country that’s wide open for tourism. You see people living as they have been living for thousands and thousands of years and the purity of the culture shakes you out of your own world reality. It gives you the space to get clarity and I think that is what people are seeking.

I travel about 75% of the time so I’m always moving. People say sometimes I’m going somewhere and my last night I’m just going to stay in the airport because I only have x amount of time, and I’m like why – you can sleep on the plane – don’t miss anything, just keep seeing whatever you can see and go whenever you can go. By being an example, I think people have taken trips they wouldn’t have taken because they were waiting for the perfect circumstance.”

How do you keep the world moving?

Philip Ho, Leading Hotels of the World’s Senior Vice President of Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, has been a monumental force in shaping the standards of what is arguably the world’s leading collection of independent hotels.   

A Singapore native, Philip is particularly expert at understanding the rapidly changing demands of consumers across the Asia pacific region. Here’s what Philip had to say when we caught up with him this week…

“Travel helps people broaden their horizons by discovering new aspects of the world and different cultures. I value the opportunity to be a part of a traveller’s journey to deliver remarkable uncommon experiences, both at our properties and the destinations which they are found. Our collection of independent luxury hotels is rooted in their locales, offering guests the opportunity to be true travellers rather than just tourists. Being a part of a traveller’s journey is a privilege that The Leading Hotels of the World has enjoyed for nearly 90 years.

The demand for collecting experiences rather than material goods is an ongoing desire. Curious travellers want to take part in activities deeply rooted in a destination and experiences that they wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere. It can be as simple as experiencing a very local neighbourhood in a city where a traveller has historically stuck to the touristy path. At Leading Hotels, we recently developed a series of Destination Experience guides that uncover uncommon ways for guests to immerse themselves in well-known locations through our hoteliers’ deep, personal connections to their destinations.

From a jogging tour through the streets of Barcelona arranged by the Majestic Hotel & Spa Barcelona, to a private tour to meet with local artists at Dublin’s Design Tower curated by The Marker hotel, these guides offer a variety of experiential travel activities crafted by our knowledgeable hoteliers and recommendations from local artisans.

Sustainability is also fast becoming a critical component of all travel and there is certainly an opportunity to bring experiential and sustainable travel elements together. Many travellers appreciate knowing that they won’t be the last to see an untouched piece of nature, a relatively secluded town or remote island. At Leading Hotels, many of our properties combine both elements seamlessly, such as Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort in Costa Rica, Thanda Island in Tanzania, CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa in Anguilla, Hotel La Perla in Italy and Sonnenalp Hotel in Colorado.

What’s more, back in 2015, Leading Hotels welcomed Nihiwatu Resort to its collection. Located on the island of Sumba in Eastern Indonesia, Nihiwatu was developed with the intent to protect and preserve the unique culture of the island and to enable local residents to support themselves and their families. Through The Sumba Foundation, all profits from the resort are fed into various community-based projects, including access to clean water, four malaria clinics and malnutrition and school lunch programmes. The resort also employs ninety percent of its staff from the nearby villages.

I personally keep the world moving by doing what I love: discovering remarkably uncommon experiences at each of 375 Leading Hotels so that we can share them with our curious travellers and travel partners.

My top tip for a successful ILTM is listening. Listen to the needs of the travel advisors’ customers and then craft a remarkably uncommon travel experience that meets those needs.”

Find out why Leading Hotels of the World are joining us at ILTM Asia Pacific next year.

Lucy’s family roots in Asia go way back to 1876 when her great, great grandfather helped finance the expansion of colonial Hong Kong during his tenure as the Chairman of HSBC. Fast forward over 140 years and Lucy is a co-founder and director of Lightfoot Travel, one of Asia and the Middle East’s best loved tour operators. 

With offices in Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong, Lightfoot Travel are an inspiration to all of us. Acknowledged with numerous accolades, including most recently; Best Bespoke Travel Concierge Company as voted by Singapore Tatler, the business is known for its ultra personal approach and highly original itineraries.

When we first met Lucy at ILTM Asia, there was no doubt that she should be added to our Leaders with Substance interview series. Her viewpoint is representative of the kind of ultra modern luxury that is so central to the growth of the market in Hong Kong and we we were fascinated by what she had to say about the role of luxury travel today…

Moving to Asia 8 years ago to set up a tailor-made travel company was the best business decision I’ve ever made. There was no one designing tailor-made holidays with the global scope of product that Lightfoot Travel do today. To keep the world moving, we focus on looking forward, to new products to inspire our guests and increase travel possibilities from our regions.

Absolutely, luxury travel has a part to play in issues of sustainability and environmental impacts. The current climate has deepened the definition of luxury travel, making it much more multi-layered. It has pushed consumers and our discerning guests in particular away from conspicuous consumption, and this means expanding our partnerships with companies who promote sustainable travel, and making increasing inclusions of experiences that involve environmental awareness and social responsibility within our travel itineraries. For example, when arranging a trip we’ll include excursions where guests help within the local community (Nihiwatu in Sumba, Indonesia) or contribute towards animal protection (monitoring rhinos in South Africa).

Travel is important because it enlightens, educates, and transforms us. It has the power to expose us to new cultures, traditions, histories, and ways of life that we may never have contemplated before. Fuelling our curiosity in a way that nothing else can, it shows us love, humility, perspective, patience and acceptance. Ultimately, travel provides an existence that is ‘bigger than ourselves’.

Travel can challenge us in ways that we have never expected, and it can show us sides of ourselves that we didn’t know existed. It can provide opportunities for us to slow down and take a break from mental and physical habits, and it can push us further, showing us the importance of persistence and faith. It can change a person forever, and it can provide stories and memories – both good and bad – that remain with you for the rest of your life. How does it feel to be part of that? Incredible!

Despite global uncertainties people are travelling more. Certainly, due to the likes of Brexit and Trump, there is an element of people travelling while they can as they don’t know what is going to happen. It’s a very YOLO mind-set, which is of course driven by the millennial generation who have used this as a mantra to live life fearlessly. Indeed, we are seeing a growing number of affluent millennials who are now coming to an age where luxury travel is a viable option for them – and of course – they are taking it.

To meet Asia’s best tour operators, join us at ILTM Asia Pacific, in Singapore in May 2018.

For the past 35 years, while we all looked on in awe, our beautiful friend Valeriano Antonioli has been building a truly remarkable career in luxury.

Following in the footsteps of Ferragamo’s famous founder, Salvatore Ferragamo, the Lungarno Collection CEO returned to live and work in Florence following a stint in the US, where he was previously Managing Director of InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa‎, and General Manager of W Los Angeles-Westwood. He has put his multi-lingual skills to good use in managerial positions in Italy, Germany, Russia, and England with leading hotel groups including the Sheraton Diana Majestic and the Dorchester Collection’s Principe di Savoia in Milan, and Belmond’s Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg.

Created in 1995 by Leonardo Ferragamo, the son of Salvatore, Valeriano now presides over Italy’s prestigious Lungarno Collection, including; Hotel Lungarno, Gallery Hotel Art, and Continentale in Florence; Villa Le Rose in Tuscany; Portrait Roma in Rome; Resort Baia Scarlino Yacht Club & Residences and Nautor’s Swan Yacht in Tuscany; three restaurants in Florence – Borgo San Jacopo, Fusion Bar & Restaurant and Caffè dell’Oro; and the newest member of the Lungarno family, Portrait Firenze, which sits on the most romantic stretch of the River Arno in Florence and was launched at ILTM in Cannes in 2014.

Here’s what Valeriano had to say about the current preoccupations of a leader in luxury travel when we caught up with him this week…

“The best decision I ever made was to follow my dreams and became an hotelier. Travel unifies. Travel enables people to understand cultures a bit better, and I feel extremely fortunate to welcome wayfaring strangers to our city with open arms, creating an undeniably fantastic experience that they will hold with them forever.

As one of the world’s largest economic sectors, the Travel & Tourism industry drives exports, generates prosperity across the world, and creates 1 out of every 11 jobs, generating a much higher turnover than – for example – the automotive industry and other industries that are better represented and lobbied on a political level. Our industry is still very segmented and often players in the same city see each other as competitors instead of an allies. If they only think about their individual properties, it becomes difficult to collaborate and promote their common destination. In Florence, we think that dialogue between hotels is extremely important. That’s why we are part of “Firenze, yes Please”, an exclusive partnership between eleven 5-star hotels working together to promote the city to international travellers in a unique way.

It is important that the travel industry works to play a part in issues of sustainability and the environment, when their geographical location permits them to. Currently, all our properties are located in the historical centres of Rome and Florence where, unfortunately, the legislation understandably prefers to protect the historical and artistic values of the buildings rather than – for example – implement solar panels as the new way to produce energy at a low impact. Through our restaurants we can embrace local sustainability.  Local food support and responsible land development will only enhance our environment. By purchasing local, we enrich our social community – we create a more intimate relationship with our neighbourhood suppliers – and permit to always offer fresh and high quality ingredients to our guests.

Globally, the challenge is to keep up with the high level of technology which is reshaping the travel industry. The opportunity for us is the development of the Portrait Brand which represents a very high level of personalisation. We believe that future means “human”; human personalization, human connection, human authenticity.

I keep the world moving by sharing personal experiences on my social networks. I have a lot of fun doing it and, somehow, I feel closer to my friends on the other side of the ocean. We live in uncertain times but the only thing we know for sure is that we will all die one day, meanwhile we should enjoy our life to the fullest and take advantages of all possibilities to travel, experience and share the good moments with others. My tips for a successful ILTM are to maintain a positive attitude and genuinely be happy to meet old friends and make new ones along the way. Always travel with good and funny stories to share. This, I believe, will somehow extend our life.”

For nearly two centuries, five-star hotels have been providing exceptional service to distinguish themselves from competition. But in today’s age of experiences, hotels are under pressure to deliver next-level interactions that go beyond service to create unforgettable memories.

Benoît-Etienne Domenget is the new CEO of Sommet Education, the newly-formed group operating the prestigious Swiss hospitality management schools of Glion Institute of Higher Education and Les Roches Global Hospitality Education, which has campuses in Switzerland, Spain, UK, US, and China. A former Managing Director of Accor Switzerland, Benoit-Etienne was then called to the helm of Michel Reybier Hospitality Group, including luxury hotels such as La Réserve and Victoria-Jungfrau Collection. These days, he’s using that experience to develop the industry’s next wave of talent…

“The term “Experience Industry” was coined by authors Joseph Pine and James Gilmore in an article published in Harvard Business Review in 1998 defining experiences as next-level services, engaging the customer emotionally to create a memorable event while adding value to the interaction. Other industries are now looking towards the hospitality industry to create more customer-centric experiences.

The global luxury industry, accounting for yearly spendings in excess of USD 1 trillion has seen a shift of focus away from the luxury product towards experiencing luxury, as a whole as identified by Boston Consulting Group. This has led to some of the world’s most popular luxury brands foraging into hospitality, opening hotel properties and launching concept stores with F&B operations and event spaces to create experiences for a younger generation.  Due to this increasing demand, Glion Institute of Higher Education has established an undergraduate track combining hospitality and luxury brand management, preparing students to join this aspiring sector and create the personalised experiences of the future.

To be memorable, experiences must be relevant, meaningful and unexpected – only then will they remain in the customer’s mind and stand out from other impressions. When finally the experience is executed in a way that it delivers on a brand’s promise, it becomes invaluable – and its price secondary.

There is indeed a big skills gap in the global hospitality industry that currently supports over 290 million jobs and is expected to create 90 million more over the next ten years (World Travel & Tourism Council). It’s more important than ever for the marketplace to have a constant exchange with educators. Of course, not all of these jobs are in the luxury segment, where the mind-set and soft skills are essential. Today’s luxury travellers expect outstanding service throughout their journey, but it takes empathy and a certain open-mindedness to anticipate their needs and respond in a personalised way. While the right techniques can be acquired, a passion for hospitality, people and service is a prerequisite.

The best piece of advice I can give to someone who serves the hospitality industry is be sincere, genuine and authentic: a guest or a colleague will always recognize and appreciate sincerity and authenticity and it is the first step to create emotion. Stay humble: if you treat everybody around you respectfully, you will in turn gain their respect. Be adventurous: hospitality is an extremely dynamic industry that offers limitless opportunities for people seeking to explore and discover.”

These and other emerging trends on the luxury scene will be discussed at ILTM in Cannes, 4-7 December 2017. To find out how your business can get accreditation to attend ILTM, click here.

Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we’ll be happy. If we can just find that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is actually backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around.

One of the leading researchers in the field is Amy Blankson, an expert on positive psychology, Co-founder of GoodThink Inc., and the special guest who will be delivering the Opening Speech at ILTM Americas 2017. After travelling to more than 50 countries researching positive psychology, spending time with farmers who lost their lands in Zimbabwe, Swiss bankers in the middle of a banking crisis, owners of NBA teams and schoolchildren in South Africa, not to mention working with US Presidents, Google, NASA, Oprah and the US Army, Amy observes that, while the triggers of short-term happiness are different across the world, what sustains long-term happiness, is universal across all cultures.

We asked Amy to explain how to use positive psychology to fuel success, and what it means for the future of happiness travel itineraries…

I am the co-founder of GoodThink, a positive psychology consulting firm that works with companies in over 50 countries to bring the science of positive psychology to life.  My co-founder, Shawn Achor, is also my brother, which always makes for a fun and lively work dynamic. Shawn and I came to positive psychology partially because our father was a Neuroscientist. We grew up with our dad running experiments on us and trying out the latest subliminal messages to get us to do our chores. That was just par for the course as children of a psychologist. Every day that school was out, we wound up hanging out in our dad’s office surrounded by psychology experiments and labs and professors–that seemed normal to us.

Another motivation for working in positive psychology was that both of our parents came out of very difficult childhoods, but were able to make the mental switch to rise above their circumstances and choose happiness. It became a way of life for them.  As Shawn and I have gotten older, we spent a lot of time trying to understand: how does someone come out of a history of intense negativity to become something different, to reach a higher plane of potential? We are continually inspired by individuals who are able to do that. Fast forward a few years and I remember Shawn telling me about the latest research that he’d been doing at Harvard on the science of happiness and this idea of positive psychology. He was really excited about it, and it really made me think a little bit about creating community change in a different way, about being able to offer the chance for people to understand optimism and happiness at a time when they actually really needed it.

Over the next few years, we began sharing the research of positive psychology with companies and organizations in over 50 countries, teaching them the principles of positive psychology and strategies for implementing change in a sustainable way. I believe that this movement took off because organizations realized that telling employees to put their heads down and work harder in periods of uncertainty and change was ineffective; the more that leaders could tap into employee’s innate creativity, kindness, and motivation, the more engaged and effective they became. That is the heart of positive psychology and I look forward to sharing more of the strategies that leads to organization change with you in person very soon!

Understanding this field can really have a significant effect on your business. The latest research from the field of positive psychology reveals that training our brains to be more positive is not only possible, it’s actually essential to striving after your full potential.  Why? Because when your brain is positive, it receives a boost of dopamine, which turns on the learning centres in the brain and makes you able to see more possibilities in your environment.  In fact, a positive brain has been linked to: 37% higher sales, 3x more creativity, 31% higher productivity, 40% increase in likelihood of receiving a promotion, 23% decrease in symptoms of fatigue, 10x increase in the level of engagement at work, a 39% increase in the likelihood of living to age 94, and a 50% decrease in the risk of heart disease.

A good network of social connections is the key to personal success in your chosen industry. Research shows that social support is crucial to personal success, in fact, it is the single greatest predictor of your long-term happiness, success, and longevity.  Recent research reveals that social support is as predictive of how long you will live as obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking!

An understanding of positive psychology is absolutely key for travel brands that want to offer truly transformations experiences. Travel is about so much more than escape; it’s about opportunity for growth.  Research shows that most successful individuals tend to have a growth mindset (rather than a fixed mindset) about new experiences, meaning that they see their capacity for learning as infinite and boundless.  If we can facilitate opportunities for growth through travel, we can help our clients strive after their potential, which is the very definition of happiness.

Amy’s Opening Speech; Strategic Happiness: Creating Meaningful Connections & Sustaining Positive Change, takes place in the Riviera Ballroom, at the Fairmont Mayakoba at 17:00 on 25th September 2017.

As any travel professional will tell you, life is richer when you meet new people and see the world through their eyes. ILTM have been bringing the world’s top travel brands to China, each year, for over 10 years. Giving travel pros a platform to build relationships in the region and strengthening the connection between Asia Pacific’s huge and diverse markets of HNW travellers and the industry that serves them.

But travel pros have never been the type to just sit and watch. So, as the world changes around us, so do ILTM’s collection of events.

This summer, ILTM announced the launch of a new show, ILTM China, dedicated to the Chinese market, plus the relocation of ILTM Asia Pacific to Singapore. We caught up with the force behind ILTM’s growth, our trusty captain, counsellor and shepherd-in-chief, Alison Gilmore, to find out more…

Alison, what was behind the decision to split ILTM Asia?

Our client research highlighted that the Asian luxury outbound market is growing so fast that many companies are now separating their current and future business plans and marketing strategies to focus on China and Asia as two independent opportunities. As a result we will now deliver two dynamic events dedicated to their own audiences: ILTM Asia Pacific in Singapore, 21 – 24 May and ILTM China in Shanghai, 31 October – 2 November 2018.

You mention that the new event, ILTM Asia Pacific (taking place 21 – 24 May, 2018 at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel), will be more like the Cannes event – how so?

ILTM Asia Pacific will be re-positioned to represent the whole of Asia, bringing more international buyers, similar in context to ILTM in Cannes. We will create the show to be as international as Cannes with over 35% of luxury travel suppliers representing Asia Pacific and 65% the rest of the world. 85% of buyers will be from Asia Pacific and 15% from outside the region. No luxury buyer will be attending any other ILTM event in 2018. Last year, Asia Pacific surpassed North America for the first time as the region with the largest amount of high net worth wealth, according to the World Wealth Report. ILTM Asia Pacific will focus on this growth, collectively bringing together international and regional luxury travel suppliers to boost and build their businesses from this dynamic region.

At the same time, Singapore is a beautiful green city, modern and efficient with a multicultural diversity that lends itself to some great venues for networking events, so we expect to deliver a similar ambiance as ILTM Cannes in Singapore reflecting the very best of mixing business with pleasure!

What were the other cities in the running to host the event?

We have had RFP’s from several Asian countries, all of which were keen to collaborate with ILTM, however Singapore delivered not only the best proposal but its significance as the gateway city with one of the world’s award winning airports, that serves more than 100 airlines flying to some 380 cities in about 90 countries worldwide, was a really important part of our decision.

ILTM China will still take place in Shanghai (31 October – 2 November) but will be a more bespoke event with one-to-one pre-scheduled appointments, similar to other ILTM events in Africa and Arabia.

ILTM China will indeed remain in Shanghai and be re-positioned specifically to bring Chinese luxury travel planners and buyers to meet with international exhibitors of luxury products and services. Every year we see a big increase in the number of Chinese luxury travel planners wanting to attend ILTM and with this new style of event we can focus on this market solely. There will be no overlap of Chinese buyers with any other ILTM event so every exhibitor can rely on 100% assurance that their participation will deliver on their business objectives and return on investment.

The appointment system of mutual matching between exhibitor and buyer will remain the same ensuring that every appointment in their diary has been selected as relevant between both parties – a great way to deliver real tangible business opportunities.

Given the incredible growth in the country, is there a chance we may see more than one China event?

For now Shanghai is the venue, but the buyer community will come from every part of China; we have a team dedicated to sourcing those who are relevant and who have clients of the highest net worth. Never say never, China is indeed a huge outbound market, and ILTM China will grow to reflect this.

For further information see www.iltm.com/asiapacific or email Alison at alison.gilmore@reedexpo.co.uk

50% of The Leading Hotels of the World’s Latin American business comes from one country – Brazil. 

At Travelweek Sao Paulo by ILTM 2017, we asked our community why Brazil is such an important player for their business.

João Annibale, CEO of The Leading Hotels of the World in Brazil, shares his love for the Latin American market as well as his excitement for the new ILTM Latin America format.

If you’re looking for some great advice on how to understand and get the most out of this market, start with Annibale!

For more advice on how to make it in the Latin American travel world, please email us at: travel@reedexpo.com.br

You can accomplish a lot in 4 years, right? Since 2013, I’ve moved jobs once, moved house twice and had two kids. Not bad? Edie Rodriguez, CEO of Crystal Cruises, has taken the brand from a 2 ship operation, owned by the world’s largest operator of container ships, and turned it into a fleet of gold standard service (bought by Genting Hong Kong for US$550m), encompassing – astonishingly – river cruises, its own aircraft, yacht cruises, and 144 multi-million dollar on-board residences… thankfully, I was the one asking her the questions…   

“I don’t know if I’m the hardest working but I am a workaholic and i love it. With modern technology connecting us all over the world, you really have to be ready, willing and able to work 24/7, 365 or you will fall behind. But I love what I do.  I was told as a young child: find your passion, get a great education and follow it. This industry has always been my passion, and I followed that advice. I’ve been blessed with a 35-year career and not one day does it ever feel like work.

I really didn’t always want to be a CEO, that wasn’t my goal or the end game. What I did always want was to travel the world, and I wanted to do it in the most luxurious way possible. So that’s really how I said, OK I’m going start out as travel consultant. As of today, I’ve only been to 100 countries and, at the last count, there are 195 countries in the world, so I still have a long way to go.

I am perpetually setting new goals for myself; I have several “mini mantras” that keep me motivated. One of them is, “I wanna grow until I go”. I am fortunate to have accomplished many of my goals, but I will always have 10 more waiting in the wings.

If you don’t love what you are doing get out and do something else, life is too short. I learned that at a young age and it has stuck with me. It’s better to dare to fail than fail to dare. Have I made mistakes and wished I’d done some things differently? Yes. But everything was a blessing in disguise because it led to something else.

I won’t walk through my door until about midnight tonight, and pretty much every day is like that, whether I’m travelling around the world or not. But I always tell my team, just because I send an email at 4 a.m. doesn’t mean I expect a response at 4 a.m. I realise I am not the norm – and I absolutely understand and support the work-life balance of my team. But, for me, at this stage in my career, now that my son is grown and on his own, and mostly because I love my work so much, I am often happiest when I’m working. If I still had a young child at home, my priorities would be different. In fact, I made choices early on… I declined some opportunities because my first priority was my child. I always said, when he goes away to University, if the right opportunity comes along, it will be different then. I don’t regret that I didn’t become President or CEO 10 or 15 years earlier because I raised my son and that was what I wanted to do.

One of my biggest professional challenges is the current global geo-political situation, sadly, with ongoing terrorist activities. We (Crystal) are fortunate to have movable assets, whether it’s our vessels or our aircraft, we can re-assess and recreate itineraries fairly quickly to ensure our guests’ safety for myriad reasons – a natural disaster, a political situation, a terrorist situation. We are not going there, we will not put our guests in any situation of even questionable security.”

Edie Rodriguez is a regular attendee of ILTM, Cannes.

Early in my tenure as Vice President of Global Communications for InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, I was tasked with taking each General Manager, Director of Sales and Marketing and PR Manager through one-on-one crisis communications training.  Together with a crack team of professional trainers which included print and TV reporters who put each person through live interviews, we embarked on a global training roadshow.  Interestingly, this was conducted before social media was even a glimmer in Mark Zuckerberg’s eye.  And while the means by which we communicate, share and gather information have changed dramatically, the foundations of managing communications in the event of a crisis remains the same. 

Here are 6 essential preparation considerations for hotel social media crisis management.

Be Prepared. A full-blown crisis doesn’t happen often, but when it does you’ll want to have your crisis plan ready to go, and the plan must include a detailed action plan for social media. With social media you have even less time to react than with print, online or broadcast news media, and if you do not assess and take action immediately (which typically means join the conversation and engage), the conversation goes on without you, often spiraling out of control quickly.

You must be prepared with specific, detailed protocol in advance for social media management in a crisis. This protocol must include statements/comments prepared, approved and available, as well as a crisis team in place with clearly defined roles. I suggest a contact list with all department heads’ mobile numbers as well as hotel, corporate and regional PR personnel and social media managers, along with password information for all digital/social media accounts to keep saved in a smartphone or printed and laminated in their wallet. Because crisis situations happen at all hours of the day and night in a hotel environment, every manager on duty must have access to this information. If your social media firm or social media manager is not available for any reason, the designated MOD must be able to access your social media accounts, address the issues and handle the situation until someone becomes available. This is why a clear protocol needs to be developed and approved ahead of time.

Monitor and Listen. The most important skill that can be developed for social media crisis management is listening. Setting up your listening tools are your first and foremost step in finding and understanding where and what the crisis is about. The earlier you can find the root problem the quicker you’ll be able to stop the crisis from escalating. Even if you do not have a dedicated social media agency, social media manager or robust social media programme, make certain someone is regularly checking in,  ‘listening’ and monitoring for any issues. This can also mean making sure you have a minimum presence established on appropriate social media channels. It is very difficult to respond to a situation if you are not actively listening, and your response will lack credibility if you don’t already have a professional, regularly-updated presence.

Be polite and respectful. Acknowledge the person on their original choice of communication, asking for a way to contact them offline to find out information. Taking the conversation offline as quickly as possible is key. Try and look at the “crisis” from the eyes of the person in distress.

Communication is key. Once you find out where the crisis has begun, you’ll now need to do a bit of investigation between departments and employees to see what the full story is. Admit your own wrongdoings quickly and honestly when apologies are due. The worst thing you could do here is ignore the problem or attempt to justify an action, it will only amplify the situation.

Try to turn a crisis into a positive with service recovery. Everyone likes free stuff. Everyone wants to be special. Offer what you can and understand where they are coming from and they’ll most likely turn out to be your biggest advocate out there. Remember that social media is a public conversation, and if you can recover the situation, it is likely your swift and gracious response will be broadcast as an example of what to do in a crisis. If the situation is handled negatively, it can spread rapidly and be hard to contain. The hotel industry can learn from some of the very difficult lessons some major airlines have experienced this past year and address issues swiftly, politely and with genuine care for the customer. It is very possible to turn a crisis into a positive or at least stop a bad situation before it escalates further.

Reflect and Advise. Once the crisis has been handled, go back to your teams at the hotel and provide feedback to the appropriate departments, never ignore the problem. Use the crisis as a way to strengthen operations, and use the lessons learned managing the crisis to improve the crisis communications plan for the next situation.

There is never a time when a crisis is welcome, but being prepared and having a team and plans in place can go a long way in managing a situation if it arises. With social media it is literally a matter of minutes before things can begin to escalate, so take the time now to prepare. It will be well worth the effort.

By Melanie Brandman, CEO The Brandman Agency, Founder – Travel Curator

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You already know that in the luxury hospitality business expectations are high and first impressions of your property, promotional materials, or office are crucial. But did you know that the impact you make, personally, in the first 7 seconds of meeting someone is also crucial for making the connections needed to grow your business?

7 seconds is all the time it takes for a potential business partner to assess your confidence, competence, status, likability, warmth, and trustworthiness. First impressions are superficial and often made unconsciously — but first impressions stick because we are psychologically programmed to see what we expect to see.

Once people have labelled you as trustworthy or deceptive, powerful or submissive, friend or foe, they will go through all sorts of mental gymnastics to hang onto their initial judgment. They will take note of behaviours that reinforce that initial opinion and ignore or downplay behaviours that are contradictory.

While you can’t stop people from making snap decisions – the human brain is hardwired in this way – you can understand how to make those decisions work in your favour.

Because you are being assessed in so little time, first impressions are more heavily influenced by nonverbal cues than verbal cues. Here are nine simple but powerful ways to make is a positive impact:

1. Adjust your attitude. People pick up your attitude instantly. A study at the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging discovered it takes the brain just 200 milliseconds to gather most of the information it needs from a facial expression to determine a person’s emotional state. Before you turn to greet someone, or enter the boardroom, or step onstage to make a presentation, think about the situation and make a conscious choice about the attitude you want to embody.
2. Smile slowly. A smile is an invitation, a sign of welcome. It says, “I’m friendly and approachable.” A slow onset smile leads to even more positive reactions. So, begin with a slight smile and let it grow organically. (Also note that when you smile at someone, they almost always smile in return. And, because facial expressions trigger corresponding feelings, the smile you get back actually changes that person’s emotional state in a positive way.)
3. Stand tall. Pull your shoulders back and hold your head high. Good posture affects how people perceive you by sending positive signals of energy, confidence, and self-esteem. Good posture also makes you more resilient. A joint study by the USC Marshall School of Business and J.L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, found that by simply adopting open and expansive postures people felt in control and more able to deal with stressful situations.
4. Make eye contact. Eye contact is most effective when both parties feel its intensity is appropriate for the situation. This may differ with introverts/extroverts, men/women, or between different cultures. But, in general, greater eye contact — especially in intervals lasting four to five seconds — almost always leads to greater liking. Looking at someone’s eyes when you first meet transmits energy and indicates interest and openness. (Try making a practice of gazing long enough to notice the eye colour of everyone you meet.)
5. Raise your eyebrows. Open your eyes slightly more than normal to simulate the “eyebrow flash” that is the universal signal of recognition and acknowledgement.
6. Lower your pitch. You’ll have them at “Hello” if your voice sounds warm and inviting. Don’t let nervousness take your voice into its higher range. Before speaking, take a deep breath and exhale through your mouth. (If you are unobserved, make a soft “ahh” sound.) Doing so releases the tension in your throat and helps to keep your vocal tone relaxed and lower.
7. Shake hands. Touch is the most primitive and powerful nonverbal cue. We are programmed to feel closer to someone who’s touched us. The person who touches also feels more connected. It’s a compelling force and even momentary touching can create a human bond. In fact, research shows it takes an average of three hours of continuous interaction to develop the same level of rapport that you can get with a single handshake.
8. Lean in slightly. Leaning forward shows you’re engaged and interested. But be respectful of the other person’s space. Although there are cultural differences, in most business situations you should stay about two feet away until the relationship has developed and you are invited to move closer.
9. Begin to mirror. Subtly synchronise your body language to mirror your partner’s. Assume their stance, arm position or facial expression. You may not realise it, but you do this naturally with people you genuinely like or agree with. It’s a way of non-verbally signalling that you are connected and engaged.

You’ve got just 7 seconds to make an impact – but if you handle it well, 7 seconds are all you need!

Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D., is an international keynote speaker who addresses business audiences in 25 countries. She is the author of “THE SILENT LANGUAGE OF LEADERS:  How Body Language Can Help – or Hurt – How You Lead.” For more information, contact Carol by phone: +1-510-526-1727, email: Carol@CarolKinseyGoman.com, or through her website: https://CarolKinseyGoman.com

I’ve now attended ILTM in Cannes for several years and always look forward to one of the best luxury travel shows on earth. Of course, it’s nice to be on the South of France every December, reuniting with industry friends and colleagues, but as a travel editor and writer, my mind is focused on news, trends, and business – at least during the day. We attend press briefings, schedule our own meetings, and are constantly eating, drinking, and socializing.

So, how do you stand out? This past year, I wrote 7 Luxury Travel Trends to Know Now – a piece that did phenomenally well on National Geographic, one of the most engaged digital brands in the world.  It took me about 25 hours to pull this piece together. Most of it was pulled from the notes I took during ILTM (and no, I wasn’t texting or checking Instagram, I was scrambling to write notes on my iPhone!). I am always looking for trends that we haven’t seen before. Yes –  health and wellness, multigenerational travel, and food are trends, but what are the new twists? What is new in river cruising?

Here are some tips to get spotted or seen by the international press that descends on ILTM:

1. Schedule meetings before you go. Many hotels, tour operators, and cruise lines at ILTM use PR firms, who set up meetings before ILTM begins. But even if they don’t, it’s possible to find out which media are attending and start getting in touch. The emails start flying about six weeks before the conference starts. My goal is to always have breakfast with key people – execs and managers at top hotels, cruise lines, and more. Then I schedule drinks at night, even if it’s a 20-minute meeting. I keep wanting to stay one extra day to schedule Thursday meetings but I haven’t been able to yet. The point? Try to get on our schedule and tell us why you want to meet.
2. Take online relationships offline. I always say social media has changed my career. It’s because I had a direct line to people I didn’t yet know. But I wanted those online relationships to go offline. If people in the travel industry friend me on Facebook, start interacting with my Instagram or Twitter – I almost always want to meet in person. This is a great tactic before the madness of ILTM begins.
3. Focus on ONE key piece of news. We sit through daily press briefings, which are always helpful but I often want to say – Focus on one thing! What are the one, or two, things you want journalists to take away? If a hotel stands up and says “We want you to leave ILTM knowing about our new property in Bali,” I will remember that. It starts to get repetitive when each hotel group is announcing openings in Morocco and Oman. Of course, that could also be a trend to watch. Send us bullet points of news – 4 or 6 or however many top things I need to know.
4. Tell us your own trends. Some trends in my piece came directly from breakfasts or lunches I attended (Intercontinental, Ritz-Carlton). Even if you don’t host a press lunch or breakfast, please do send trends and statistics you’re seeing our way. It’s extremely helpful and interesting and I personally love seeing how luxury travel brands are growing and changing.
5. Hang out in the hotel lobbies. When I fly to France for ILTM, I just know I’ll average 3 hours of sleep during the conference and I plan my days accordingly. I love hanging out in the lobby where I’m staying (last year, it was the wonderful Carlton) when I have a break – usually around 5-7pm or after midnight. Of course, you see people at the parties as well. But sometimes it’s pure luck who you run into in a hotel lobby – and we all know how magical a glamorous hotel lobby can be. Settle down, order your favorite cocktail or cup of tea, and let the connections happen.

Know that ILTM extends far beyond the few days we are in Cannes. I can’t tell you how many times people I’ve met or stories I’ve heard made it into my stories later in the year.

Good luck and hope to meet you soon!

Feel free to reach out at: annie@anniefitzsimmons.com.

London’s most eagerly awaited opening is here. Standing opposite the Bank of England in London’s financial heartland is The Ned, an alliance between Nick Jones, owner of Soho House, the Sydell Group (NoMad, The Line and Freehand) and Ron Burkle, the billionaire investor who introduced the two.  A genre-defying hybrid of businesses, The Ned is luxury’s latest high-concept hang out. If it didn’t pop-up in your Instagram feed during the soft-opening in April, where were you? The Ned opened for bookings this week and Managing Director, Gareth Banner, is excited. We asked him how he got to lead such a dream project and what he has learnt along the way.

My previous role to this was GM at St Pancras Renaissance, which is a very good example of a large hotel group, but I’ve found where I am most comfortable and that’s in the independent sector. I get a lot of opportunity and freedom to deploy my own creativity, and the success or the failure of what we do is down to the people in my team, rather than the big brand sitting behind us pushing us along. For me, The Ned will be the best example of that; if The Ned is a success or a failure, I will feel extremely proud or extremely disappointed in myself, and I know it will be down to the people I’ve been working with to deliver.

Arguably, what we are trying to achieve has never been done before, so this is a whole new ball game and it does put you in a whole new place, thinking about how you launch a hotel with 9 restaurants, or 3 floors of spa, beauty, grooming and fitness. It shouldn’t be viewed as a hotel, which is what I’m sometimes guilty of; it’s actually 4 or 5 really serious stand-alone businesses. Food and beverage revenue will be more than room revenue in this property, so it’s a completely different perspective.

The most valuable thing I’ve learnt on this project is to constantly challenge whether or not what you believe you are going to deliver is relevant, and whether or not you need to push the boundaries more. The only way The Ned is going to be successful is if it is truly relevant and appropriate for what is current today. So for example, 5 years ago when the project was conceived, one of the restaurants was essentially a sushi restaurant. Today sushi is everywhere. We made a decision in the last 6 months that, after 4.5 years of working towards opening a sushi restaurant, we needed to change our mind and re-concept that restaurant.

We understand that relationships are everything, we cannot rely purely on the likes of the OTAs to drive business through our front door, we want to have really solid relationships with both corporate and leisure agents that understand and can represent us with their clients and understand what we have created here, it’s really, really important that I can have advocates globally that have a relationship with us, that trust us, and that have an opportunity to experience us so they can go away and drive the business into the hotel that we need for it to be successful.

The biggest challenge in building our network is starting from zero. You know, 12 months ago no one had heard of The Ned, so we are establishing a brand and a business absolutely from scratch. Whilst we come from really good stock, The Ned is not a chain so the education process isn’t immediate. Story telling is a big thing that we’re doing a lot at The Ned, and it gives you identity, it gives you a reason to create loyalty, and it rewards customers for being loyal to you.

As far as what makes me happiest I’m hoping that the best is yet to come. I really am extremely excited about this project and I know that this is a once in a career opportunity. I don’t know if I’d have the energy, or the opportunity to do this again, but this is something that genuinely gets me out of bed in the morning with a big smile on my face –  and a little bit of anxiety along the way, I won’t lie –  but I’ve always left a business in better shape than I found it and I’ve always made a point of saying that that is the benchmark for me to feel confident to move onto something bigger or better or different, I’ve always set myself very clear goals and that is what I attribute my success to, and those are my principles that I think I will take with me for the rest of my career.

After its debut at ILTM in Cannes in 2016, more ILTM travel advisors will be able to book appointments with The Ned at this year’s event.

There is one thing that every happy luxury travel professional knows; just be yourself you will connect with people. That is a fact that successful people understand very well, and Caroline Goux of Oetker Collection is a great example of this philosophy. As VP of Sales, Caroline is a masterful business woman and inspirational networker, she’s also one of the most genuine people in the industry. If you’re looking for some great advice on how to get to the top in this business, this is the person to give it.

For more advice on how to make it in travel, check out the other videos in this series on ILTM’s YouTube page.

Canada based tour operator Gray & Co is celebrating. And who can blame them?  They were voted no.1 tour operator in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2016, capping an extraordinary year for the cycling and hiking specialists. Talking to travel manager, Sylvia Pasqualettie, it’s easy to see why their scrupulously researched trips are making waves.  I asked Sylvia what it takes to be the best.

I am from the North of Italy, near Venice? The Prosecco area.  I am 39 years old. When my daughter was very little I studied for a degree in marketing and worked at an outdoor clothing company. It was very small so I could put my hands everywhere and I loved that. After that I quit my job and got my Masters in coaching. My speciality is sports – not the physical but the mental – everything related to the performance and how to overcome emotions.

I got into guiding by chance, my best friend started working for Butterfield & Robinson and at that time I was doing my training and coaching stuff but I was too relaxed. I always wanted to travel and she was like, “why don’t you apply?” and that’s what I did, I applied. The same friend gave me the contact of Cari Gray, they were putting a trip together in Sicily, it was a last minute thing and she needed a guide and I went, that was in 2011!

Guides have a big ego. As a guide, you are in charge of everything so you want to shine and you want to show the best things about a place and make people happy, so you have to have a big ego, you can’t be shy.  It’s not about being arrogant; it’s being willing to do things for others, willing to make them happy. The best satisfaction for us is to see that everything went well and the people are extremely happy, that’s what matters.

The most challenging thing for new operators is that normally people like me are freelance so they are, sort of entrepreneurs. They do what they know. Their biggest difficulty is to scale-up and become a company. I see a lot of guides that have loads of experience and they just say hey, why don’t I start doing my own thing, that’s normal right? I have a lot of friends that have done that and they do a very limited part of what they could do, because they don’t know how to shift from an entrepreneurial mentality to managing a business. It’s very difficult for them to make that step because, as guides, we are very used to being in control. We want to make sure that everything works and so delegating and letting other people have the space to grow to do things? That’s the hardest part.

To choose our partners we focus on food, the hotels, the environment, and what you can find outside of the cycling. It’s a whole combination of different things. In Australia we find a lot of these kinds of combinations. Margaret River, from Perth down is amazing. Also 2/3 hours North West of Melbourne there is a great cycling community, good restaurants and the right accommodation. For the levels that we provide, we need great accommodation and food to support the North American standards.

The best thing about this job is being in contact with so many incredible people. You know, there is a reason why they are extremely successful and that’s a great part of the job for us, that we are in touch with these sorts of people. Recently a client asked me, do you live every day of your life to the fullest? You can do better, everybody can always do better, right? But it came from a person that I know lives their life to the fullest every day and so that it sticks in my mind most of all.

Grey & Co are regular attendees of ILTM in Cannes.

At ILTM we love connecting people and sharing their stories. In this video series, created at ILTM Asia 2016, we introduce you to some of the brightest and best in luxury travel. Here’s Jeffrey Sirota of Small Luxury Hotels of the World on the best piece of advice he’s ever been given.

For more advice on how to make it in travel, check out the other videos in this series on ILTM’s YouTube page.

Ever wondered how to get into the good books of the industry’s top editors? At ILTM each year, over 100 of the world’s most influential journalists gather to explore new brands, experiences and new trends emerging onto the luxury scene.

But how do we grab their attention?  Who and how do they love?  Let us count the ways…

April Hutchinson, ttgluxury

BRAND LOVE:  Aesop – love their products and ethos and I would smell fantastic!

I look for creativity, resonance, corporate social responsibility  – oh and love of travel agents!  As well as Aesop, I love TOMS – for their philosophy of buy-one, give-one and the link between products that work (very comfortable, great for travelling for me) and social good.

When I’m experiencing a brand, I look for space to breathe and enjoy, a chance to understand the product, a connection to useful sources/local stories and ultimately, an understanding of my job at hand and the TTG Luxury audience.

Please don’t: ride the zeitgeist too hard…. If your stories are genuine and have real relevance to our audience, no doubt we’ll find them.

Sarah Miller, Wall Street Journal

BRAND LOVE: Apple Mac, iPhone and iPad – beautiful, useful, compact and efficient

A real love is about a conversation that never ends: I like being in love with brands that last.

To grab my initial attention, a good old-fashioned telephone call is so rare these days they come as a pleasant surprise. You can hear a tone of voice, establish a relationship much more quickly and it cuts out all the email ping-pong!  I want you to know me, my readers and who my publication is aimed at and I also want to know that the same story hasn’t been touted everywhere. Oh and I’m looking for great photography too.

Please don’t: sell me the Emperor’s new clothes.  There are very few truly new brands, but if there is a good narrative with a point of view and a compelling storyline, then that will grab my attention.

Nathan Lump, Travel + Leisure

BRAND LOVE: Brunello Cucinelli – classic, tailored, fresh and committed to craft, an emotional connection to people and a very special place (Umbria).  Also a Rimowa suitcase has recently won me over with its fabulous form and function.

 We aim to look at everything from the perspective of the consumer—what will be relevant to them, what will inspire them, what will meaningfully help them to be smarter and travel better.

To make us notice you – please be nice and concise.  Although we don’t do FAM trips at T+L, when journalists do come and stay, we look for freedom to explore, to meet people, to report out stories rather than a too tightly packed itinerary.

Please don’t: Brands often forget that announcements and details and programmes that essentially tell a business story about themselves are not going to be fundamentally interesting to most consumers, and therefore also not to us.

Jennifer Flowers, AFAR

BRAND LOVE: The Peninsula Hotels – its distinct point of view on hospitality always remains the same

I fell hard for Singita following my recent stay at Singita Lebombo in Kruger National, Park, South Africa – a conservation-driven luxury brand with a soul and a sense of purpose. The lodges have meaningful connections with the people and landscapes where they’re located, and set a great example for the tourism industry, which needs to be sustainable in order to survive.

Today we’re all looking to align ourselves with brands that help us express who we are and what we stand for. Tell me about the compelling story that sets you apart. And make it as personal as possible – why you exist and the personalities who bring your brand to life.

Please don’t: if there isn’t a unique or distinct story or narrative behind your brand, it’s hard to make it come to life.

Rashi Sen, TTN

BRAND LOVE:  Too many amazing ones to choose from

Brands are about people. When you go the extra mile to connect with your audience, they take note and remember you forever. I fell in love with a certain brand of hotels recently when they shipped me a set of bath accessories (embossed with my initials) that I did not take back with me. I fell in love with a brand of luxury chocolates because they remember my birthday every year, and I only purchased sweets from them once, on a short layover in Switzerland.

Every travel editor is on the lookout for new stories, destinations, hotels and concepts. The cherry on the cake would be if you do something new as well. Luxury is about personalisation, Sometimes, sending an email is not enough to get my eye, I still really value anything that comes in the mail.

Please don’t:  Assume I know all about you or send me a brochure or a link. Pin me down over a coffee and share interesting stories about your brand. I am in the job to be inspired!

Andrew Nelson, National Geographic

BRAND LOVE: Airbnb – right now the most innovation in accommodations is stemming from their growth and the hotel industry’s reaction to it.

Grab my attention with humour, delight and a shared glass of Bonal. A friendly hello, in person is always welcome and although I can’t always meet with PR folks, I view them as industry lifelines. The best ones are full of great information – about their sector NOT just about their client. And they have a broad horizon. Spare me the 500-thread-count news. Tell me trends you’re seeing.

I take a long view with PR relationships. Educate me first. Who are you? What are your core values? What do you stand for? Don’t expect me to drop you in a sentence at first meeting.  And on press trips, give me time to post and tag to our platforms – that’s what I’m there for.

Please don’t:  tell me about a brand that doesn’t fit a story.

Rodrigo Vieira, Panrotas

BRAND LOVE: Relais & Châteaux – always pleasantly surprising me, even though my expectations are now very high

Last month, I fell in love with a new brand – a hotel in the Argentine side of Patagonia served a simple lunch with local ingredients and it was extraordinary. The view of the mountains and the atmosphere were perfect. This was pure luxury for me.

Organisation is key for me – I like to understand your news at the outset and on visits, I like to have a defined schedule of what is to come as well as of course free time for my personal impressions – all important for the article.

Please don’t:  Just tell me what you want me to write – please answer my questions.

Maria Pellicer, Travesias

BRAND LOVE:  So many but I love independent hotels with spirit such as Casa Sandra in Holbox, Mexico

A few months ago I travelled with LATAM airlines to Easter Island where we stayed at Explora Hotel. It was my first Explora experience and I just loved it, I was so in love with the philosophy of the brand, the way they connect with the destination, how the most important part of the experience is the surrounding nature.

A travel experience to me is about good content, good stories and the real local experience – I don’t need to be pampered.  Tell me a good story, be direct, and take some time to look at our magazine just to see what we are interested in.

Please don’t: Try to convince – if you have a good story we will write about it, so don’t push it, help us find the story.

Satomi Kurabayashi, CREA Traveller

BRAND LOVE: Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna – a truly exclusive historical experience

All journalists want their own stories in their own style.  Either on a press trip or when pitching me something new in person, giving me time to develop my own personal story angle is vital.

When travelling abroad, my readers are most interested in service that exceeds their expectations. I need to trust the people that are telling me what it is like to stay at their brands, even if I have not experienced it myself.  A fast response to personal requests from high-end travellers is also important which again comes back to  excellent service levels.

Please don’t: tell me the same things you are telling everyone else.

For an opportunity to talk to ILTM hosted media about your brand, join us for the press round-table events that take place at each ILTM event.