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 2019 in Cannes, keep up to date with the region’s hot new openings, appointments and influencers right here:
This report, powered by Wealth-X data and in partnership with Barton: Defining the Global Luxury Travel Ecosystem, is an in-depth analysis of the size and significance of the global experience economy.
This is the first report to size the global ecosystem of businesses closely connected to luxury travel, comprised of a complex mixture of food & drink, cultural activities, wellness, sporting events, performing arts and outdoor pursuits.
If this Ecosystem were a country, it would rank in the world’s top fifteen economies. This report details how to capture a greater share of that wealth, and how working in unison with advisors and travel consultants is key to moving the hotel further in playing a major role in creating memories that last a lifetime.
Download your copy now:
Today’s young brands are often crudely split roughly into two camps – those that are synonymous with timeless luxury, and those that are achingly cool and cutting edge. It is a rare kind of brand that manages to achieve the double feat of being both at the same time. Meet Capella…
Capella sits in the travel world’s imagination as a by-word for elegance and sophistication, yet, to the casual onlooker, it still manages to resemble a modish tented commune, where an ethos of environmental consciousness does more to move guests into posting on Instagram than the view. Nicholas Clayton is the man behind one of luxury’s most talked about brands…
Bill Bensley spoke at ILTM Asia Pacific recently about Capella Ubud and the superhuman lengths you went to to respect the local environment. How important is this for Capella?
Working with and supporting the local community is at the core of what we do. Capella Ubud is a fantastic example: In the design of this property minimal invasive site preparation was decided from the beginning, and all trees and local plants were left untouched and protected throughout the construction process. Not a single tree was cut during the camp’s creation, and as such, several trees are intercepting the property’s accommodation, restaurants and the spa tents. This is true of the way we work with all our hotels; recognising the importance of culture and the local context, each property sits in harmony with its environment.
We recruit colleagues and our leader base from the local communities in which we operate and collaborate with great architects, like Bill Bensley, interior designers, chefs and artists who embrace and champion our way of working.
Capella’s locations are predominantly in Asia, why are you focusing your expansion here?
Our roots are in Asia as Capella Singapore was the first property in the region. We intentionally set out to provide a new level of personalised service where the guests were engaged as ‘co-creators’ to curate experiences they desire and we would do everything to facilitate. After more than ten years of having just one Capella hotel on the continent, we set a milestone goal to undertake an aggressive expansion across the Asia-Pacific region. We will soon have a Capella hotel in Bangkok, the Maldives and Sydney, in addition to the ones now open in Sanya, Ubud, Shanghai and Singapore – each in their own right unique and successful. Opening these properties in the biggest populous centre of the world, Asia, is a gamechanger in amplifying the Capella brand and make us a very sought-after hotel group.
Our journey to grow the prominence of the brand doesn’t stop here, there are many opportunities we are looking into. On the radar are Beijing and Hong Kong and countries such as the Taipei, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, plus emerging tourism markets like Bhutan and Tibet. We are fairly young in our development and it is feasible to see 25 hotels under the Capella brand in the next 5 years, the challenge is finding the right locations where our vision of properties sitting in harmony with environment and curation of culture through meaningful experience can be fully realised.
Capella is a brand that often comes up in conversation when talking about ‘new luxury’, what does that mean to you?
An emergent type of traveller is coming to the fore; one who desires self-reflection and enrichment in their travels, to connect with humanity through the local community and the natural kingdom through conservation efforts, ultimately with the goal to return home more enlightened. The response to this is today’s hospitality brands look less like a way of travel and more like a way of life. And the market is shifting where experiences and knowledge are more significant than material or superficial manifestations of luxury.
What’s the most important issue in luxury hospitality now and what can we expect from the future?
The most important issue in luxury hospitality for travellers now is sustainability. More and more customers are aware of sustainability issues concerning the travel industry. As the Capella brand continues its expansion, we have sharpened our commitment to sustainability with several initiatives in place to ensure environmental protection. An example is Capella Ubud which has an onsite organic garden, crayfish farm, and beehives – in addition to the garden being used for menu preparations within the camp, there are plans to expand the garden to enable the local villagers to sell goods and benefit from the proceeds. In line with their dedication to supporting local village residents, the property also has a scholarship programme whereby they teach children a hospitality-related skill and offer English classes, and instead of monetary repayment, Capella Ubud asks students to “pay” by bringing a bag of empty plastic bottles to each class. The team recycles the plastic bottles with all proceeds reinvested in the village.
What do you think about the rise of conscious travel and whether the role of the travel industry is changing in the lives of the people we serve?
The travel industry is rising to fill the need of mindful travellers who want more conscious travel experiences that enrich their lives and those of the people in the locales they travel. No longer satisfied with a typical luxury hotel experience, luxury travellers are now looking to give back as much as they get out of travel. According to research from OnePoll on behalf of Exodus Travels: 78% of travellers define themselves as more “ethically conscious” than they were a decade ago. Conscious travel has lit a fire under multiple travel brands to go beyond the everyday and see travel as more than a form of escape – by moving away from the humdrum experiences of substance can be created which have a positive impact on the world we live.
We’re publishing a new trend report, in partnership with Reuter Intelligence: Elevating Emotion in Digital China. The report investigates the evolving tech trends of China’s wealthy digital natives.
Connecting with Chinese consumers – the leaders in luxury travel globally – is a must for luxury brand strategists. Focusing on how to engage, this report uses campaign case studies from China’s most successful digital campaigns, analysis of the strategies used by your luxury hospitality competitors, and includes a guide to China’s most important platforms.
We hope that this resource will give you plenty of ideas and analysis on how travel brands must move to inspire emotion, but we recommend giving this report to any member of your sales or marketing team who wants to learn about a digital landscape that is two years ahead of any other!
To join 220 luxury travel brands creating exceptional experiences for this market, inquire about exhibiting at ILTM China 2020.
The idea that nature can restore health is age-old but how does it work? Recent advances in neuroscience and other scientific disciplines are revealing how nature influences everything from our minds to our micro-biome.
Dr. Tierney Thys is a National Geographic Explorer, biologist, filmmaker and just about the most fascinating conversationalist we’ve met. In her keynote speech at ILTM North America, she will explore some of nature’s hidden powers and share how well-being programmes can light the way to a brighter future for humanity and all biodiversity.
When did your love of nature start?
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love being outdoors exploring the natural world. When I was two, if you’d asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have said “OUTDOORS”. I was born in California, in the SF Bay Area and my parents would take me and my sisters to the beaches of Santa Cruz on the weekends when we were little. We’d go rafting and hiking during the holidays. Later I moved to a tiny town in Vermont and lived next to a beautiful brook where I spent many hours having fish nibble on my toes and watching dragonflies.
This love of biology fueled my research interests in college where I had the chance to visit Catalina Island and conduct research in the kelp forests, do internships for the Smithsonian in the Chesapeake Bay and also explore Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. All these experiences whetted my desire to pursue marine sciences in graduate school and for my career.
Why is nature so important to our well-being?
Our species evolved through intimate and inextricable relationships with the nonhuman world. The natural world, the wilderness, is deeply embedded in who we are as a species. We naturally affiliate with other forms of life. To separate ourselves from the natural world and live strictly within the confines of our built environments places us in peril of losing a large part of our identity, and with it, our mental sanity and physical health.
Americans spend 90% of their time indoors. What three tips would you give to city dwellers and office workers to change this?
All of us already have a lifelong relationship with the natural world. We need to acknowledge and nurture that hugely vital bond by regularly going outdoors.
Exploring outside, visiting parks, getting the sand or soil under our feet and into our hands, swimming in the sea, smelling the lupin blooming in the mountains, watching clouds skirt across the sky and feeling sunlight on our skin, listening to frogs at night or the dawn chorus of birds at sunrise—all these activities can recalibrate our minds, reignite our deepest joys and remind us what it means to be human; one species on this planet of millions.
We are part of an epic four billion-year-old story of life. We are only here because of all the intrepid fantastic life that came before us and we can only write our next exciting chapter with nature by our side. All lasting, meaningful relationships are built on the premise of love and respect. The forces of nature have graced us with our precious existence. Let’s return the favor. As poet Mary Oliver once wrote, “What will you do with your one wild and precious life?”
1 / I’ve got two words of advice: get outdoors. Look at your meeting schedule and see if there is a way to shift some of your meetings to happen while you walk together with your office mates in the park.
2 / Bring plants into your office space and take care of them. See if you can grow some food or spices even in a large pot—you’d be surprised what fun that can be. Their silent green living presence does more good than you can imagine and can remind you of the beauty and calming effect of natural organisms.
3 / Try to walk outdoors on your way to and from work. You don’t need to park right next to the entrance of your job. Try parking a couple of blocks away and get in a little walk before you need to be indoors all day. At break time, go outside and walk around too if you can.
Follow the all the latest news from ILTM North America on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #journeydeeper…
The latest article by Annie Fitzsimmons explores how travel's meteoric rise is having a profound effect on the way people live and work;
“The impacts of this shift are far-reaching, well beyond the boom in the travel industry. (According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the global travel and tourism sector grew at 3.9 percent in 2018, capping off many years of continuous growth.) Not only do we spend our money on travel, but the desire for travel also impacts how we make money. Job seekers are asking for more time off as a negotiation tactic, and more companies are offering unlimited time off or flexibility in working remote"
Check out the full article here 
ILTM's Simon Mayle, who is quoted in the article, agrees...
"Travel is more accessible than ever, and transformational experiences are driving people to question their sense of values: 'What do I stand for in this world? Do I want to just think about myself?' Travel is the way that people answer these questions now and that is why we're seeing year after year of growth in the luxury travel economy and that is why we will continue to see the most innovation around activities and around deep immersive experiences.”
ILTM North America & ILTM Latin America
By now, we all know China is the largest travel market and biggest opportunity for luxury brands, but what do the biggest consumer base in the world actually want? Lee from Reuter: Intelligence shares some of the latest emerging trends in Chinese luxury travel.
With reports of Chinese outbound travellers expected to reach anywhere between 200 and 240 million by 2020 and tourism revenue within China growing at more than double the rate of GDP growth, the country represents the leading market for hospitality brands. This is particularly true for luxury, with any key report from Bain & Co to McKinsey charting China to be responsible for 45-50 percent of global luxury consumption by 2045.1
Chinese cities are ultra-competitive environments with relentless construction, traffic and transport hubbub, and little green-space. This has given rise to a huge trend in consumers looking back to nature, craving countryside escapes, beach retreats and fresh air, while in the city, the fitness industry grows so rapidly that new gym brands pop up on a weekly basis and social media posts make it seem as though affluent consumers live in the yoga studio.
Culturally, China has long been a foundation for the health & wellness mindstyle.
For a closer look at Chinese luxury consumers, download our insight report MindStyle: The New Generation of Health & Wellness Travel, produced in partnership with Reuter Communications.
Sources
1. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/china/how-chinas-largest-online-travel-agencyconnects-the-world-an-interview-with-ctrip-ceo-jane-sun
2. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201803/17/WS5aac6222a3106e7dcc14233a.html
3. http://www.xinhuanet.com//english/2017-02/18/c_136065281.htm
4. https://news.gallup.com/poll/189077/worry-stress-rise-china.aspx
Chloé Reuter is Founding Partner of Reuter Communications, Asia’s go-to digital and communications agency for connecting luxury businesses and brands with Asia’s affluent consumers.
Travel in Asia is closely intertwined with mindfulness and yoga, after all, certain forms of all three things aim for the same goals – self-reflection, being in the present, and in general, reducing stress. But who is innovating in the space of hospitality, and who can the broader industry turn to and learn from?
Mental health issue rates vary from 4 percent in Singapore to 20 percent in Vietnam, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. And with rising diagnoses of mental health problems in China, India, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Malaysia, mental health will remain a concern for many in the region.2 The Willis Tower Watson 2017/2018 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey found 56 percent of close to 9,500 workers across Asia-Pacific’s largest 1,141 employers suffered from elevated stress.3 Globally, Apple’s top-ranking smartphone applications in 2018 were those related to self-care and mental well-being, such as South Korea’s Mabo.
Belmond may have been one of the earliest global luxury groups to offer mindfulness cruises on board the Belmond Road to Mandalay in Myanmar in 2017 with morning and evening yoga, meditation sessions on- and off-board the ship, as well as coaching on top healthy spa cuisine to encourage healthy food choices.
Alila Manggis in Bali conducts frequent 6D5N Signature Yoga Retreats with yoga practice three times a day, workshops, daily spa treatments, and a curated wellness menu.
Ananda in the Himalayas offers a suite of mental and physical health programs, including Dhana meditation to become more self-aware, stress management to help make positive changes to life, and yoga retreats combining posture, yogic breathing and meditation to centre oneself.
Nobody is the same and so, Santani in Sri Lanka offers fully personalised curated packages based on guest’s body composition, lifestyle, emotional state and future goals.
Balinese wellness resort Revivo opened in 2018 offers ten types of yoga depending on client needs from more traditional pranayama breathing, hatha, vinyasa and asthanga to more recently developed aerial flow yoga, aqua yoga fitmat, and hammock yoga.
For further regional insights, download our report, created in partnership with Reuter: Intelligence, here.
Sources
1. https://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent
2. https://social.eyeforpharma.com/column/out-shadows-mental-health-asia-pacific
3. https://www.willistowerswatson.com/en/insights/2018/05/Asia-employers-take-a-strategic-approach-to-improve-employee-health-and-well-being-programs
Described by Skift’s Colin Nagy as “one of the most articulate and passionate people I’ve met in recent memory”, Jannes Soerensen is The Beaumont‘s superlative inducing, trailblazing GM. Famed for being one of the youngest to achieve such a pedigree, we asked him what it takes to be successful in this business…
As one of the luxury industry’s youngest GMs, you inspire a new generation. Who has influenced and mentored you throughout your journey?
I was lucky in that I have encountered some amazing mentors, who taught me some fundamental lessons in how to look after guests and how to manage teams effectively. My route to becoming a General Manager was perhaps more unusual than for most GMs: I started on the concierge desk at The Adlon in Berlin, before progressing in the same department to the Four Seasons George V in Paris, the Arts in Barcelona and then The Plaza in New York. The experience I gained as a concierge is fundamental in how I approach the role of GM. From some of the best concierges in the world, I learnt in-depth what people want, how they feel, how this makes them behave and how ultimately to enrich their lives – this is important, whether you are dealing with guests or your team.
When it comes to General Managers, I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside several true industry icons over the years: Jean Van Daalen was my first GM at The Adlon in Berlin, Didier Le Calvez at the FS George V in Paris and later at Le Bristol, Victor Clavell at The Arts in Barcelona, Shane Krige at The Plaza in NYC and Nathalie Seiler-Hayez at The Connaught in London. And then there is Jeremy King, who, as part of Corbin & King, opened The Beaumont. I have never met anyone who takes such a proprietorial approach in the running of all his businesses, and his vision, impeccable sense of taste and his quest for perfection in every detail were truly inspiring.
The service at The Beaumont is renowned. What do you think is the key to a successful team, is there anything you do differently?
The team here at The Beaumont truly cares about delivering an outstanding stay experience to each and every guest and they are fully entrusted to deliver on this. They know that hospitality is all about meaningful relationships and real interactions.
I was brought up to trust people. And you need to give them a stable environment and the freedom to be the best they can be. I have worked with a number of senior leaders in different countries, who were coincidentally all very much of the same mind-set: they saw the potential in people, they trusted them, they believed they would rise to the challenge and they empowered them to make it work. Today I apply this to my team: believe in the talent that surrounds you, encourage them and guide them to take ownership of how they perform and they will do so at the highest level because they want to and not because they are required to.
I believe that it is important to create teams of people that are not all the same, but work well and coherently together, complementing each other’s styles, characters and skill sets, and able collectively to reach a consensus. As the manager of the Executive Committee, it is my job to lead, to set the values, to pick the right idea in the room and to nurture a culture of debate, where people contribute, and show how much they care. The Executives are the backbone of the hotel and it is so important that they are all committed to striving to achieve what we have set out as our goals and not to be afraid to make the right decisions. This team needs to be seen to be credible and visible.
The members of staff are everything in a hotel, whilst the design of the hotel and the rooms should be compelling but should not impose. The reason guests come back time and time again is because they remember people, not things, and because they are remembered. I recall my first day at the Hotel Arts Barcelona many years ago, expecting to be given a list of job tasks and an ops manual, only to be told that ‘the most important thing is that you are happy at your work – that’s it’. This was the priority (although the ops manual clearly had its place!) and this approach has always stuck with me. Happy employees are the best employees. Sincere happiness is contagious and for a guest to have somebody at a hotel regard them with an attitude that says ‘I’m happy you’re here’ and to show they genuinely care is the most important thing of all.
Our events are all about building lifelong relationships, how does this intersect with your role?
The other fundamental skill I picked up along my journey is one of cultivating relationships. By the time I became head of Rooms Division at the Connaught here in London and later at Le Bristol in Paris, I had learnt that meaningful relationships are made one guest at a time, one travel professional at a time, one member of staff at a time. It is vital to build trust and this is a slow process, but so, so important in our business. Agents book their loyal clients into our hotel because experience has shown they can trust us to look after them; guests come back time and time again because they feel a personal connection with the people at the hotel. We don’t have a guest relations position at The Beaumont because I feel everyone is in the role of managing guest relations, and that starts with me.
What are the biggest issues in luxury hospitality right now and what can we expect from the future?
We have such an overload on information, intelligence and resources that we have to challenge ourselves to use what matters most to us and our guests. I feel hoteliers and owners can easily hide behind the technology, the reports and the procedures, and need to remember the soft skills. We spend endless resource in the industry benchmarking ourselves against our competition on all sorts of key performance indicators, but these exercises never reveal the real truth about the unique experiences we deliver to our guests.
Staff recruitment is a perennial issue but we are lucky at The Beaumont that turnover is low. We have a very large number of colleagues that have been with us since the opening five years ago.
For an independent hotel such as ours in an environment of big and bigger hotel brands, it can be challenging to make your voice heard above the large groups and to stand out – that is where the life-long relationships with the agencies come in – although there is clearly a desire amongst our guests for a more independent, non-branded experience. The challenge comes in finding each other!
Finally, I feel that luxury hospitality needs to lead by example and take responsibility where the health of the planet is concerned. For many years, spoiling and material luxury was a large element of what hospitality was deemed to be all about, but it is up to us to demonstrate that excess is not luxury.
The latest Wealth X White paper is out and, besides mapping the future growth of HNW individuals worldwide, it heralds a new era for global luxury brands;
“For the last decade, luxury brands have become ever more reliant on the mushrooming population of Chinese luxury consumers to shore up global sales, while managing the brand image (and often decline) in the west. Now, more and more luxury businesses appear to be moving on from this single-issue era. While China remains an immensely important market to all luxury brands — including, increasingly, ‘experience’ brands such as hotels — luxury brands are more honestly reformulating themselves as holistic global brands, focusing on international growth beyond now increasingly saturated and highly competitive markets. The most significant outcome from this has been an acceptance of China’s exceptionalism, and that ‘another China’ is not easily found.”
We asked our ILTM China Event Manager, Andy Ventris, if he agrees.
"Whilst it is right to say that the global growth of the HNW population is hugely important to luxury hotel brands, the idea that there was ever a sole focus on China doesn't sync with our day-to-day experience. In terms of opportunity and growth, I dare say there will never be another China, but the reality on the ground is that this potential has only just begun to flourish. With over 285 billionaires and 1.5 million millionaires in China, every single HNWI is an opportunity for luxury brands. And as long as China keeps producing 2 new billionaires every week, global brands won't be looking to adjust their strategies just yet."
ILTM China
China makes two new billionaires a week! That’s according to a new report by Swiss Bank UBS. But as China’s super-rich become more wealthy than ever before, luxury brands race to lay the foundations that will help them to harness the power of the world’s fastest-growing economy. Here are some key facts to get you started…
Discover further insights about Chinese luxury travellers by downloading our free report The Asian Millionaire Traveller 2019.
We asked Chloé from Reuter: Intelligence, Asia’s leading luxury insights & research group, to explain how wellness has impacted culinary experiences within travel in the APAC region.
Health & wellness is not a niche category but a key aspect in the lives of the luxury consumer demographic. F&B is, of course, a key pillar to any wellness offering. What we’re seeing from the leaders in the field is not just new menus and dishes, but new culinary concepts and diverse sub-sectors of food, drink and the idea of dining.
Hotel dining has previously been seen – by the industry and consumers – as more of an indulgence, a splurge and time to let loose. The healthiest options usually offered are perhaps a juice bar or a ‘healthy menu’ with calories counted alongside each dish. While indulgence and luxury will of course remain, the new mindstyle of luxury Asian travellers means that travel brands need to match or exceed what they are already seeing in the world of food.
At home, the affluent, globally-aware elite are experiencing every new trend available to them; alternatives to dairy, continued interest in supplements and new diets. So, when they arrive to you, a juice bar and ‘leaf icon’ next to the couple of vegetarian options on the menu will be as disappointing as being unable to read where the ingredients were all (carefully) sourced from. Luxury wellness travellers are taking entire holidays dedicated to detox diets – showing the market is moving away from a mindset of ‘I’m allowed to eat what I want on holiday’ to a mindstyle of a holiday that continues to – is specifically catered to – achieve their body goals.
So what are the noteworthy sectors in F&B that will impact travel?
Moving Away from Meat
With the world of wellness talking down meat for both body and world health, it’s a trend well worth taking note of 39 percent of urban Indonesians and 34 percent of urban Thais increased consumption of non-animal protein compared to the year before and 24 percent of urban Indonesians plan to follow a plant-based diet this year.1
The Upper House in Hong Kong serves a vegan ‘revitalising menu’, labelled as environmentally conscious. Grand Hyatt Manila now offers plant-based meat substitutes – Green Common’s Omnipork, Beyond Sausage and Burger. Not only advertised as ‘meat free’, such substitutes are branded as‘cruelty free’.
China’s vegan market is expected to grow over 17 percent by 2020 2, particularly in Hong Kong where the number of vegetarian and vegan restaurants has more than doubled in the last two years. Chinese government guidelines are encouraging the nation’s 1.38 billion people to reduce their meat consumption by 50 percent by 2030.3
Organic & Natural
China is the world’s largest importer of organic food products 4, while in the region, two thirds of Asian consumers believe in superfoods for treating ailments.5
Supplements
The Asia-Pacific nutritional supplement market was worth USD 44.02 Billion in 2017 and is forecast at a growth of 14.63 percent from the period of 2018 to 2023.6 The supplement market is segmented into Vitamins, Proteins, Amino acids, Enzymes and Botanicals supplements which had the highest share in Asia-Pacific in 2018.
Personalised Nutrition & Nutrigenomics
The sector is popular in APAC – according to Herbalife’s Asia-Pacific Balanced Nutrition Survey, a third of consumers are interested in personalised nutrition.
Nutrigenomics is when DNA and metabolism is tested to gain a full understanding of individual conditions. Ancestry testing services such as 23andMe are even offering nutrition analysis, and Nestlé has pilot-tested AI-supported DNA analysis in Japan.
Low Sugar
Countries including Thailand, the Philippines and Borneo have introduced some form of sugar tax, meaning brands and their suppliers have been striving to reformulate their products. Stevia remains a popular alternative, and earlier this year Coca-Cola launched its stevia version in several APAC markets.
Probiotics
The market was valued at USD 40.09 Billion in 2017, and it’s expected to generate revenue of around USD 65.87 Billion by the end of 2024.7
Non-dairy
In the past five years, non-dairy milk alternatives have grown by 61 percent, and the market is expected to reach more than USD 35 Billion by 2024.8
Detox Tourism
In Huahin, the Chiva – Som Health Resort offers ‘detox retreats’ from 5 to 7 nights. It includes eight daily fitness classes and a fully planned meal program, alongside private wellness consultations, lymphatic drainage massages and colonic hydrotherapy sessions.
For further insights, download our insight report, created in partnership with Reuter: Intelligence, here.
Sources
1. https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2019/01/16/Health-experience-and-plastics-F-B-insights-from-Mintel-s-China-and-North-Asia-2019-consumer-trends
2. https://www.naturalproductsglobal.com/asia/five-growing-health-wellness-market-trends-asia/
3. https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2179811/six-global-food-and-wellness-trends-2019-marijuana-edibles
4. https://www.chinabusinessreview.com/tag/china-market-intelligence
5. https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2016/asia-tipping-the-scales-on-health-and-wellness.html
6. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181121005383/en/Asia-Pacific-Nutritional-Supplement-Market-Forecast-2023-Expected
7. https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/probiotics-market
8. https://www.mintel.com/press-centre/food-and-drink/us-non-dairy-milk-sales-grow-61-over-the-last-five-years
Photo credit: Escape Haven
Cathy Feliciano-Chon is the Founder & Managing Director of Hong Kong’s award-winning brand & marketing agency, CatchOn. No one is more in tune with the Asian luxury traveller, so we asked her, just who is driving luxury travel growth in the region?
There’s never been a better time to grow old in Asia. With the combined factors of longer life expectancy and having the means to pursue wellness at a younger age, Asians who are approaching mid-life are recontextualizing aging as aspirational.
They’re not postponing living well after retirement, but are embracing a life-well-lived mindset in their ‘40s because they can afford it.
These Affluent New Agers are younger and changing the notion of age from a chronological construct to biological and mental mindset – “65 is the new 45.” They want to achieve and maintain quality of not only life but also lifestyle.
Instagram or WeChat addicts, pursuing wellness for self-care and health improvement, these New Agers are travel experts that live very differently from previous generations and consider ‘middle age’ as the prime of their lives. It’s the period when they have the resources and time to take on new adventures and explore the world. They’re willing to spend on travel and wellness with the goal of indulging in bucket-list activities while they can. That’s not to say that they are not value conscious. When pursuing luxury travel, these Affluent New Agers are more demanding in ensuring they get the very best for their money, from accommodations to exclusivity of experiences.
Several luxury tour operators agree. At Lightfoot Travel, New Agers are spending upwards of US$200,000 per trip and there’s been an increase year on year of 20% in these bucket list activities. A typical itinerary? Hop on a helicopter and fly around Everest before enjoying breakfast at 14,000 ft. Walk up an appetite by hiking to see gorillas in Rwanda. Affluent New Agers’ idea of wellness isn’t just spa treatments but physical activity such as hiking and trekking. So much so, that Scott Dunn have designed a number of ‘Gourmet Hiking” tours to destinations such as Slovenia, the Spanish Pyrenees, Provence and the Kumano Kodo Trail in Japan.
“We see a lot of enquiries where the emphasis of ‘adventure’ is on the destination itself, such as Central Asia, Bhutan or Israel,” says Theng Hwee Chang, CEO of Scott Dunn Asia, where 70% of their Asian market comprises silver set travellers.
LGBTQ+ Affluent New Agers are also an area of enormous potential. Acceptance for LGBTQ+ travellers have been growing in Asia with recent changes in legislation in India, Australia, Thailand and Taiwan. Affluent New Agers are less likely to have children and therefore have a higher disposable income to pursue luxury travel. The Tourism Authority of Thailand launched #GoThaiBeFree in Jan 2019 to target these travellers. Why? Tourism revenue from the LGBTQ+ community contributes 1.15% to Thailand’s economy, the highest in the countries or regions surveyed by LGBT Capital, followed closely by Hong Kong at 1.11%.
Want to know more? Discover the top 10 “bucket list” destinations for these New Agers (and more!) by downloading Asia: The Future of Global Wellness Tourism.
For somebody so successful, Bill Bensley is unbelievably nice. The Bangkok based architect / designer / landscaper is the brains behind some of the world’s most iconic luxury experiences. Hotels like Capella Ubud and Rosewood Luang Prabang have to be experienced to be believed, and his own resort, Shinta Mani Wild, complete with its zip-line entrance and open-air Waterfall Restaurant is, perhaps, his magnum opus.
But Shinta Mani isn’t just a hotel. In fact, as ILTM Asia Pacific attendees learnt during Bill’s keynote speech, Shinta Mani was created to provide a permanent way of financing the efforts of the Wildlife Alliance, who provide on-the-ground protection to one of the last unfragmented rainforests in Southeast Asia.
We asked Bill about his high yield / low impact philosophy and his new project in Phuket…
We’re sure that you’ve read the headlines about the global wellness industry being ‘worth USD 4.2 Trillion’. But besides the big numbers, what is the health & wellness mindstyle of luxury travellers in APAC? Where do the shortfalls of the hospitality industry lie and what are the opportunities?
This report, researched by Reuter: Intelligence in partnership with ILTM, has taken a deep dive into the world of wellness, looking among sustainability, spa, dining, mental health, social media, and many more, to answer these questions and find out where each sector is heading.
We hope you enjoy reading the actionable insights and takeaways found in this fascinating segment.
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 Asia Pacific 2019 in Singapore, keep up to date with the region’s hot new openings, appointments and influencers right here:
Back in the mid-2000s, when the concept of wellness first started to gain commercial traction, some stakeholders across different industries simply “brushed it off” as just another fad or fast-burning trend.
That was a mistake.
Download our latest report, produced in partnership with CatchOn – A Finn Partners Company, below to find out why!
Asia Pacific is home to the world’s most millionaires.
Collaborating with our longstanding partner, Agility Research & Strategy, this report uses over 900 consumer interviews from six key markets: China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea to discover key insights for 2019 and beyond, including:
Travel and wellness technologies might be trending, but wellness travellers are desiring a more holistic approach when they embark on healthy holidays. Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, nature bathing and plant-based detoxes are a few healing methods from wellness retreats in the East being adopted by medical doctors in the West. Compare Retreats founder and leading luxury wellness travel expert Dervla Louli shares the shift from cure to prevention happening globally, what current natural wellness trends we’re seeing being adopted by the Western medical world, and what she hopes to see in the future.
The traditional medical world is slowly shifting its focus to prevention instead of cure. The main driver is a desire from a government level to prevent diseases caused by lifestyle habits as there is predicted to be a global shortage of healthcare workers over the next ten years. Similarly, a key driver of the US$4.2 trillion wellness industry is a desire to prevent lifestyle diseases. As these worlds come together, one area that is inspiring shifts in traditional healthcare systems is wellness tourism. In Asia especially there has always been a focus of maintaining one’s health naturally whether that is through gentle daily movement, TCM or even being outside in nature. Now the West is taking note and adapting the below wellness philosophies into their systems.
Ayurveda and Yoga from India
Ayurveda and yoga from India are being integrated into the National Health Service in the UK. A project between Soukya Ayurveda retreat in India and an NHS community facility in North Kensington offers Ayurveda dietary advice and yoga classes. The project is supported by sound medical advice and research and recognises the benefits of Ancient Indian wellness practices on mental and physical wellbeing.
Traditional Chinese Medicine from China
Traditional Chinese Medicine follows a wellness school of thought that focuses on prevention over cure. Being recognised by the World Health Organisation in 2022 will see the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems including details about Traditional Chinese Medicine for the first time which will be a significant occasion. This document influences physicians, insurance companies and official health organisations decisions hence the importance of it being recognised and an indication that we will be seeing it becoming more mainstream in the future.
Forest Bathing from Japan
Shinrin Yoku or forest bathing from Japan is being adopted by the National Health Service in Scotland who have doctors prescribing nature to patients. The medical evidence for doses of nature is wide-ranging suggesting it offers powerful medicine for our bodies and minds. A daily 25-minute walk is said to add at least three years to your life and walking in nature is said to reduce stress and improve mental health.
Covering the Latin American luxury consumer is a passion project for ILTM and we are delighted to partner with Stylus on this essential presentation for ILTM Latin America attendees.
We hope that the insights uncovered will give you clear actions and important context for strategic brand extension and development. Above all else, we hope it will help you to create unforgettable experiences for Latin Americans all over the world.
To mark the ILTM Year of Health and Wellness, we’ve teamed up with Altiant to bring you a unique piece of research solely focused on affluent and HNW individuals’ views on the latest big travel trend.
Meryam Schneider, VP of Partnerships at Altiant AB, said, “It will come as no surprise to the luxury industries that affluent and high net worth consumers have adopted new lifestyle habits in recent years. Whether we are looking at the beauty industry, athleisure fashion or the luxury travel world, the conclusion is crystal clear: Physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing are now guiding some of the key purchasing decisions of the wealthy.”
Covering the US, UK, China and France, this research will give you tangible insights into how your future marketing and business development strategies could unfold. Find out how you can seize this burgeoning opportunity by downloading the report here:
By 2020 the economies of Asia will be larger than the rest of the world combined.
That’s according to a fascinating feature in the FT, which unsurprisingly showed the economies of China and India being responsible for a large part of this surge.
What is surprising, however, is Indonesia being on track to become the world’s seventh-largest economy, and Myanmar rising 24 places in 23 years!
We asked our ILTM community how these surging Asian economies are shaping the values and behaviours of luxury travellers.
"There are those moments when you get to read about the Philippines and wonder if that country of 7,641 islands has anything beyond its natural disasters and colourful political stories. I am certain that for many, news that the Philippine economy is ranked among Asia’s 10 fastest growing economies comes as a surprise. The continued influx of call centres, remittances from overseas workers and consumer power are the reasons for this growth.
Although this newfound status has indeed increased the general population’s spending power and you can assume that some have gained individual wealth, I personally have witnessed a rise of high-end Filipino travellers before this time. The reality is that this growth in our economy has given consumer confidence in spending. Conservatives with old money have become more open to indulge themselves in luxury and bespoke travel. The ordinary employee has likewise found a liking to luxury travel brands and started experimenting. Overall, in the past 3 to 5 years, there has been a tremendous success in Travel Shows hosted by airlines, hotels, tourism boards and the like. All evidence that the positive reports on the state of our economy has made even the “least likely to travel” take a peek into dispensing income to see the world beyond the islands. Today, the Filipinos are moving, they are traveling and they are loving it."
MC Travel Aviation Services Corporation
"Asia today already represents 40% of global GDP if measured correctly in purchasing power parity terms, and China is about half of that. With China still growing and India and Southeast Asian economies growing even faster, there is no question that Asia is pushing ahead towards reaching its potential. Importantly, the wealthy and ageing Asian powers and economies of Japan, South Korea and China are leading the charge to invest and transfer technology and skills to the younger and less developed countries, further accelerating their rise up the value chain. At the same time, there are still 2 billion or more quite poor people in Asia representing an enormous opportunity for infrastructure investment, financial inclusion, and other policies to bring Asia's full five billion people into the center of the world economy."
"The rise of China as a world economic power can be discussed over a many page essay or book, but to summarise it for the purpose of this, it comes down to a large population who was a willing labour force, who found themselves with new jobs, new opportunities, and demanded all new products as markets emerged. This has become apparent in all industries, including travel, and in recent years has become more and more noticeable with high end luxury travel, which has led to no longer being about just seeing the sights, but also about experiencing new things. Overall, Chinese travellers have become more savvy and experienced, which drives the high end traveller to not only look for luxury hotels, but also a diversity of experiences which has led to the growth of experiential travel as a key market sector. Nowadays, as travel has grown to be a necessity of the elite in China, we jokingly say that China’s national holiday has become an international holiday, as you will undoubtedly find Chinese travellers all over the world during that time."
National Geographic Expeditions
"The creation of ILTM Asia Pacific was to support and tap into the dynamic and demanding economy of the region. As confirmed by the UNWTO, Asia is the perfect climate for 'exceptional performance' in international travel with 'a vibrant and affluent middle-class'. These findings shared by FT not only emphasise the ample business opportunities in the area, they also create a sense of urgency. An urgency to establish yourself in the Asia Pacific market before it surpasses the rest of the world."
"The growth in our country’s economy has indeed affected the number of high-end Filipino travellers and their travel habits. More and more Filipino travellers are flying Business Class. They are beginning to identify luxury brands including hotels, resorts, private clubs, destinations and even several types of cruises. Splurging on vacations that will truly give them their money’s worth, gone are the days where they pampered themselves at local beaches, spa or restaurants. Now, our luxury travellers are in search of unique experiences such as private yacht cruising, extreme sports such as diving, whether sky or sea, and private tours of bespoke destinations.
Travellers have become more discerning. Their taste for international cuisines has become more conspicuous – they now know whom the best chef in a certain city is and where the affluent are dining. Using travel to define their lifestyles and prioritizing their dream vacations, affluent Filipinos are more inclined to look for traditional “luxury” experiences, such as champagne on arrival and limousines while travelling. Imagine going on a 6-star cruise with private butler on a premier suite while anchored on remote islands. There is so much privacy, intimacy and fulfilment."
Amiable Intertours
50% of the worldwide population is now classified as “middle class or rich”
But out of 1.3 billion international trips taken every year, 46% of all travellers visit just 100 destinations. This places an increasing amount of pressure on the local infrastructure in popular destinations such as Venice, Italy and Bali, and at iconic landmarks such as the Louvre in Paris and the Ginza in Tokyo.
Wellness travel is often described as an opportunity to connect with nature and focus on improving holistic well-being through a personalised mix of meditation, yoga, massage, cultural activities and cleansing diets, to name just a few. As wellness travel continues its exponential growth worldwide, many travellers are taking trips that are focussed on reconnecting with oneself through mindfulness and self-care.
The Global Wellness Summit’s 2019 trends report identifies wellness as an ‘antidote to overtourism’. This shift has already begun to relocate wellness travellers away from busy tourist destinations in favour of lesser-known, off-the-beaten-track locations that allow for the physical and mental space that is often one of the defining factors of a wellness destination.
"Wellness tourism poses a compelling opportunity to diversify travellers’ journeys; favouring health and wellness-focused experiences, oftentimes in remote locations, over bustling tourist hotspots. This shift has lent itself to an increased focus on personal reflection and development whilst easing the negative impacts of overtourism through the dispersal of travellers."
ILTM
From sleep shows to sleep teams; betterness to in-home pilates – there’s never been a better time to get to grips with the wellness phenomenon. April Hutchinson looks at some of the trends affecting the UK traveller and beyond.
According to The Global Wellness Institute, the wellness economy has now surpassed the $4 trillion mark, and with figures of this magnitude, wellness should also be the mainstay of the travel and hospitality world.
For hotels, ensuring there is a switched-on, comprehensive approach to wellness – whether on-property or knowing places to connect guests to locally – will become even more important as travellers look to plug-in to wellness on-the-go.
Speaking at the recent ttgluxury Summit in London, research and insight agency Stylus took things one step further, speaking of the rise in “betterness”, whereby consumers seek to “self-sharpen and improve themselves”. Travel and hospitality companies that can play a part in helping clients along this journey of “exploration and self-development” will definitely be one step ahead.
But where do people turn to in order to find a wellness break to suit them? Balance Holidays is a new UK-based wellbeing brand that will present a heavily curated range of options, conscious that some wellness or spa companies list anything and everything on their sites, potentially heightening stress over what to choose in the first place.
Following the general trend for personalisation and on-demand services, the UK has recently seen the launch of My:Method, a company that seeks to match pilates and yoga classes to when the user wants them, whether that be at home or in the office, starting off with 150 instructors across London. It has already become an official partner of luxury lifestyle concierge company Quintessentially and its corporate clients include Farfetch, Estée Lauder Group and Burberry.
Introducing services such as these is becoming an ever-crucial part of the workplace too – whether it be for physical fitness or an understanding of employees’ mental wellbeing; Lisa Fitzell, the new managing director of one of the UK’s top luxury tour operators Elegant Resorts, brought yoga classes and mindfulness sessions for the team with her when she joined and employee engagement scores are already seeing the effects.
Brand expansion in the UK is also key, with companies such as Africology launching for the first time, conscious of the potential for spa and wellness products here; the South African brand opened a flagship shop in London’s Covent Garden in November. Meanwhile, Bamford, a British brand already loved by country gals and city slickers alike, launched a three-floor whitewashed space in Chelsea, with a sky-lit yoga studio, tea bar and of course treatment rooms.
But one of the most talked about elements of wellness is of course sleep, and this autumn, London saw another debut, a new show called Somnex, an exhibition utterly dedicated to helping visitors easier achieve this often-elusive state. The move comes at a time when the sleep-health industry is estimated to be worth £30 billion, and the Great British Bedtime Report has suggested that almost a third of us are still getting poor sleep most nights – usually due to stress and worry.
According to Somnex, the average Brit only gets six hours and nineteen minutes of shut-eye a night, so is it any wonder they look to their holidays to try and play catch-up? While it may not be a new trend, more hotels are certainly taking this on-board, by improving the quality of the sleep experience they try and present to frazzled, sleep-deprived guests.
“In hotels across the world, pillow menus, ambient lighting and herbal teas have long come as standard, but hotels have upped their game to offer exercise classes, in-room massages and even bespoke supper menus,” according to Bansri Shah, co-founder and organiser of Somnex.
Leading the way in its holistic approach to sleep is Six Senses, which has taken a top-to-toe look at helping guests nod-off easier. The Sleep with Six Senses experience includes Naturalmat mattresses (made in the UK) and dedicated sleep ambassadors to guide guests in achieving the very best night’s sleep.
For its sleep-seeking guests, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai offers a 90-minute spa experience, with herbal steam, acupuncture and a hot bath of Tibetan roseroot bath salts; pillow menu of six, with lavender eye pillow and diffuser; and a magnesium-rich bedtime smoothie of Valrhona chocolate, banana and walnut.
And over at The Benjamin in New York, there is a 24-7 “sleep team”, who have all been trained by sleep consultant Rebecca Robbins on the fundamentals of sleep medicine and promotion of healthy sleep habits. The hotel’s sleepy package also includes on-demand meditation; eye masks, ear plugs, blackout curtains and a lullaby music library; in-room pampering and spa treatments; “bedtime bites”; “work-down” and wake-up calls; and even the Winks’ programme for younger guests.
Now where’s that cup of cocoa…
Chinese travellers will venture off the beaten track independently, shunning the long favoured guided tour system.
Recent research shows a surge in the proportion of Chinese travellers making their own arrangements and travelling completely independently. The ones leading the charge are those from tier-one cities.
“We predict that experienced travellers will increasingly take firm control of their itineraries and visit exciting locations that are sure to make their friends back home swoon.”
We asked our ILTM China Event Manager, Andy Ventris, how luxury brands can attract the increasing number of autonomous Chinese travellers.
"The growth in independent travel for the Chinese outbound market is a trend that should be recognised by global luxury brands looking to interact and engage with Chinese travellers. In fact, it should be a key marketing point for anyone looking to break into the market. If the nation’s consumers are not looking to go via a tour operator, then travel brands need to find an alternative. And what’s one of the most effective ways to get your brand’s message across? Going direct to the ones representing them: their travel advisors."
ILTM China
With longer annual holidays, higher disposable income and a keener sense of adventure, Australians are widely considered among the world’s most prolific travellers.
But a distinct cultural shift is changing the way Australians now explore the world – and luxury travel brands are responding to the new mindset.
“Small and intimate is in,” says Cathy Wagstaff, Editor-in-Chief of Signature Luxury Travel & Style, and of LATTE, the only luxury travel trade enewsletter in Australasia.
“Australians will always love Europe, especially Italy and France, but there is a trend towards smaller hotels, customised tours offering unique and immersive cultural experiences, and authentic regional cuisine in places like Japan, Iceland, the Galapagos Islands, Africa and Antarctica,” she adds.
Wagstaff points to tented camps, ‘bubble’ tents, exclusive wellness retreats and off-the-beaten-track wildlife safaris, especially those with a genuine focus on conservation.
“Australian luxury travellers want the best and will be loyal to luxury travel brands that deliver on service, product and experiences,” she adds. “Giving back to local communities wherever possible is also increasingly important.”
Michael Londregan, Managing Director of Virtuoso Asia Pacific, agrees.
“Small is big and exotic is really popular,” he says. “Australian travellers are looking for things in the middle of their wishlists like the Galapagos, Japan, Antarctica, Cuba and Mexico.”
“These are all places that have traditionally not sat at the top of people’s bucket lists, but that are really doing well this year,” he adds.
Londregan says there is also a backlash against mainstream travel offerings. “Now it’s all about bespoke,” he contends. “I want travel to be designed around me, according to my family’s brief. I don’t want to be offered a trip that’s near enough, but cheaper. The point isn’t the cost; it’s the perfection of the fit.”
The latest Virtuoso Luxe Report (Australia), which surveyed the opinions of leading luxury travel agencies and advisors in 82 locations across the country, predicts 2019 will be a year of ultra-personalised experiences for Australian luxury travellers.
“High-end brands are starting to understand that personalisation is the new luxury,” says Londregan. “For the industry to do this well, we need to understand broader societal changes and trends towards health and wellness, authenticity and true engagement. The human trends that are happening for high net-worth individuals are translating into the travel trends we are seeing today.”
While the average income of Australian luxury travellers is reported to be around $318,000 – and they spend approximately $13,000 per trip – value for money is still a key driving influencer.
“Everyone wants value, no matter how much money they have to spend,” says leading luxury travel authority and Joint Managing Director of The Goldman Group, Anthony Goldman.
“Luxury travel brands need to understand that even though a client will spend big on travel, if the experience doesn’t live up to the promise, you will not be able to attract that high-end traveller on an ongoing basis,” he says.
“Another point to note is that luxury means different things to different people, and contrary to what most people think, luxury travel is no longer the reserve of the very wealthy.”
Goldman says luxury travel is changing, and it is no longer about being over the top. “The luxe travellers of today are seeking more personal and stripped-back special experiences, with superior service and recognition remaining mandatory,” he says.
“Australian luxury travellers are adventurous, travelling with family and travelling more often, and want to experience local culture over white tablecloths and chandeliers.”
The booming luxury cruising industry is also seeing a shift in trends. Senior Vice President and Managing Director Asia Pacific at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Steve Odell, says Australian luxury cruise clients are increasingly looking for a one-of-a-kind, fully inclusive experience akin to travelling on a private yacht.
“Simply translated, this means a personalised style of travel,” he says. “Regent Seven Seas Cruises is the only luxury cruise line to offer free unlimited shore excursions in every port. This is matched by exemplary service, all-suite accommodations with private verandahs and an array of inclusive dining choices on every ship in the fleet.”
Odell says key trends for luxury cruising in 2019 include bespoke guided tours that immerse guests in the local culture of the region being visited.
“We are also seeing a surge in bookings for destinations such as Japan, French Polynesia, the Baltic and Alaska,” he says. “Smaller ships mean smaller boutique ports of call, away from the crowds.”
Meet the travel agents representing these discerning Australian travellers at ILTM Asia Pacific in Singapore, 27 – 30 May 2019.
. . . but it might just save your soul. Welcome to the EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE CLUB.
“I’m going to leave you there.”
Hamish Mackay-Lewis is standing on the edge of a pine grove somewhere deep in the Scottish Highlands, teetering over a roiling river, and pointing toward a small island being pummelled by rain. There is no path or bridge, no boat or dinghy—only icy water slapping against the shore and a slippery slope on the other side. This wasn’t what I had expected when I agreed to go on a hike.
“I’ll come back for you in a couple of hours,” says my guide—a term I am beginning to question given the circumstances. But before he leaves me to wade into the water, he gives me a directive. I’m to spend my time on this unpleasantly cold and wet isle pondering a single question: What is my definition of success?
And with that, he is gone.
Like a soldier with marching orders, I ford the river, scale the slope, and slog through the island’s heather and moss until I reach a cluster of trees on the far shore. Physically and mentally exhausted, I pull a poncho and blanket from my backpack, wrap myself in both, and lie down beside the thickest trunk I can find. Forget success—rest is the only thing on my mind. So, I pull my blanket tighter, close my eyes, and drift off to sleep.
It’s about finding the EDGES OF YOUR CAPABILITIES and stretching them.
Of course, I should have seen it coming. Forty-eight hours ago, on the train ride from Edinburgh to the old Gaelic town of Kingussie, I had clutched in my hands a mysterious letter that had practically foretold my abandonment.
We look forward to hosting you in Scotland for your Extraordinary Adventure Club retreat, the message began. Digital communication is nonexistent given the remote nature of the place, and therefore periods of time without contact are to be expected. Your phone and laptop will be removed upon arrival at the location and returned to you upon completion. Then, most forebodingly: Please do make your next of kin aware of these details.
The letter had arrived at my Los Angeles doorstep one week earlier, along with a battered FedEx package that contained five black envelopes. Inside each, I found a clue to the journey that lay ahead: a selection of books, including Viktor E. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning; a Moleskine notebook; a mechanical pencil; and a list of questions that included “What is my purpose in life?” and “What is my longheld personal belief about myself?” But as my train rolled into Kingussie station, I was mostly wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into.
The platform was deserted except for a tall and slender man in his late forties. I knew instantly who it was: Calum Morrison, the founder of the Extraordinary Adventure Club (EAC), a clandestine society that promises journeys in what its website nebulously calls “self-discovery and self-mastery.” From the moment we shook hands and set off on the one-lane country road leading to—well, I wasn’t quite sure where—it was evident that Morrison was a measured man. His background as a former Royal Marine couldn’t have been more obvious if he were wearing fatigues and a green beret. Confident yet unassuming and utterly controlled, he clearly drew from his years as a soldier in everything he did, especially in developing the EAC.
“It’s about finding the edges of your capabilities and stretching them,” he said, steering his pickup truck over a narrow bridge crossing the River Spey. “When you think, ‘I can’t go any further,’ and then you do—and then you do it again—you gain supreme confidence in your ability to adapt and overcome in any environment.”
I had heard the stories of the “environments” EAC’s past clients had been required to adapt to—the Amazon basin, the Arctic Circle, the Sudan desert—but Morrison was quick to point out that his club isn’t a travel company. It’s a program (and one that comes with a significant price tag at that, starting at about $325,000 per person) designed to push participants beyond their comfort levels—and demonstrate the rewards of doing so—through a combination of physical training, survival education, and professional and personal coaching. EAC’s clients are often seeking direction at pivotal points in their lives: a second-generation family member preparing to inherit a business; a recovering addict looking to bolster his clinical rehabilitation; an executive who has relied on assistants and aides for far too long. Each program starts with a private three-day retreat, usually at a 36,000-acre private estate in the Scottish Highlands, followed a month or two later by a 10- to 14-day guided journey that Morrison and his team design specifically to address the issues they’ve identified with the client.
The more you try to hold tightly onto the illusion of control, THE LESS FREEDOM you give yourself to act.
My journey, however, started just 15 minutes from Kingussie station, when Morrison pulled over on the side of the road and told me to change into hiking boots and pants. We set off by foot along a tributary of the Spey, following its bends and curves through a valley wedged between the bulbously beautiful Cairngorms Mountains. We crossed the river at the trail’s end, walking calf-deep through the water until we reached a cluster of three white cottages on the other side. Waiting for us there was EAC’s renegade team of advisors: Malcolm Williams, a life coach whose specialties include treating patients with post-traumatic stress disorder; Rob, a self-described “survivalist geek” whose last name remained a mystery in order to protect his identity as a former UK Special Forces soldier; Adam Fry, an adventurer and environmentalist; and Mackay-Lewis, a dashing former British army officer who would in a couple days’ time leave me stranded on an island.
Rob put me right to work, interrogating me about my health habits before running me through a vigorous workout of lunges, push-ups, wind sprints, and more to assess my ability to handle the challenges I would face over the next 72 hours. After a vegetarian lunch, I sat down with Williams for a three-hour coaching session that covered everything from the power of the subconscious to my relationships with my teenage children.
This combination of intense strenuous activity and contemplative self-examination would prove to be a pattern. The next morning, Morrison, Mackay-Lewis, and I jogged to a deep stretch of the Spey, where we swam in sub-45-degree water—an activity they claimed has meditative-like effects on the brain. I then sat down for another three-hour session with Williams. Later, I alternated between building a forest shelter and visualizing myself 20 years in the future through semi-hypnosis.
The constant push and pull of alternating phases of physical and mental discomfort were all by design, though it was a design to which I was never quite privy. I didn’t know what I’d be doing next, when—or if—I’d be eating, or where I’d be sleeping for the night. “The more you try to hold tightly onto the illusion of control,” Morrison told me, “the less freedom you give yourself to act.” So when Mackay-Lewis instructed me to pack a 24-hour stock of supplies for our afternoon hike through the woods, I thought I had learned well enough to expect nothing and prepare for everything.
The constant push and pull of alternating phases of PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DISCOMFORT were all by design, though it was a design to which I was never quite privy.
By the time I wake up on the island, the downpour has settled into a steady shower. Drenched, delirious, and disconcerted at the sight of a giant black slug (or is that a leech?), I struggle to my feet and wearily pull my poncho tighter over my head. But as I explore bit by bit, my shivering subsides and my curiosity consumes me. Suddenly, desertion begins to feel more like discovery. I hide in a ditch and then climb a tree before wading into the river to skip rocks and search for trout. Hey, I think to myself, if the weather were a bit drier, I could be happy here for days.
It is then that the answer to Mackay-Lewis’s question strikes me: Success is the ability to do what I want to do. Given the elaborate process it took to arrive at it, my epiphany seems a bit quaint. And yet, my mission accomplished, I feel a twinge of hard-earned triumph.
A half-hour later, just as the long-absent sun emerges from behind a cloak of grey sky, I am both relieved and disappointed to see Mackay-Lewis appear among the trees across the river. I wade back to the opposite shore and follow him to a serene stretch of valley where Morrison, Fry, and Williams have erected a teepee campsite for the night. As we heat our vegetarian stew over a blazing campfire, we pass a flask of Speyside single malt around, and Morrison regales us with tales of negotiating with rebels in Libya, sailing fjords in Norway, and climbing the majestic Cairngorms that loom just overhead. As a young boy, he often explored the range’s imposing peaks with his father and brother. Wider than they are tall, and with nearly indiscernible summits, the mountains, he says, bring challenges—both physical and mental—that prepared him for life.
“You always think you’re approaching the top, but you never quite seem to reach it,” he says. “Even when you do, it always looks like there’s something higher and better up ahead.”
Bruce Wallin, Contributing Editor for Robb Report, is one of the leading voices in the luxury travel industry and an expert storyteller. Check out our video web series with Robb Report here!
4.2 trillion is one of those unfathomable numbers. Yet that’s the huge value of the wellness industry. What’s more, wellness tourism equates to $639 billion. In other words, no other industry is better placed to capture this lifestyle explosion.
Giving us the low-down on wellness tourism and what to expect next, we sat down with some of our friends at ILTM Cannes. Here’s what they had to say.
Want to make an impact in the wellness world? Exhibit alongside some of the world’s top wellness brands at ILTM Asia Pacific in Singapore, 27 – 30 May 2019.
Asia Pacific is home to the highest number of super rich people in the world.
With China leading the way and noticeable gains in India and Hong Kong, the region has outranked North America for the past few years. Over 784 billionaires alone now reside in Asia Pacific, it’s no wonder the region’s affluent are a group no luxury brand can afford to ignore. But it’s not all about fancy foreign cars and marble swimming pools, the Asia Pacific millionaire is a discerning traveller, and here’s how you can attract them.
1. Invest in the Guest
Invest in the entire guest experience ecosystem…starting with the guest. Millennial and Generation X luxury travellers are digital natives and always connected. Their favourite devices, apps and services influence them every day and affect how they value brands, products and services.
Success comes from tracking how emerging technology trends influences traveller behaviour.
2. Engage with Social Media
Turn luxury travellers into fans. In the same way that traditional marketing has been replaced with content marketing, social media is best used when it is not selling but connecting. Engage travellers with insights and tips as well as by being helpful with your knowledge.
Success comes from connecting with travellers, not selling to them.
3. Leverage Automation
Devices like Google Home and Amazon Echo are flooding households worldwide. It’s no surprise therefore that the luxury traveller will soon expect these automation systems in their hotel room. Automation in geolocation, room service, and transport systems to improve the traveller experience are key.
Success comes from making logistics and service delivery easier.
4. Do Not Sell Deals
It is extremely difficult to beat deals on the internet these days, and will be even tougher in the future. Attitudes have moved from starting from the basis of price to treating price as the cost of falling in love with an experience. This is where your platforms and promotional messaging should focus.
Success comes from focusing on personalised services and experiences.
5. Be Responsive and Reachable
In a global world, the traditional 9 to 5 has become obsolete. Remember, alternatives are only a click away. Ensure that you are extremely responsive through voice, email, and social media at all times of the day. Advice needs to be immediate, transactions need to be seamless, and services need to be 24/7.
Success comes from being a 24/7/365 business.
6. Curate Unique Experiences and Access
We’ve all seen the experiential, transformational and now wellbeing travel trends. By now, we know luxury travel is about experiences and how they impact the person. So how can you take this further? The more you can give travellers access to special events or people, the more differentiated you are.
Success comes from offering exclusivity.
Exhibitors can meet the luxury travel advisors and designers representing these travellers face to face at ILTM Asia Pacific in Singapore, 27 – 30 May 2019.
For more information on engaging the new generation of Asia Pacific luxury traveller, download our free report: Luxury Travel, But Not As We Know It.
Cynthia Rosenfeld is one of those people who can wear trainers to a trade show and still look absolutely impeccably dressed. We can’t get enough of her straight-talking, Yale graduating, sharp as a pin personality. If she were to start a life-coaching business, we’d be first in line.
Until then, we’ll be watching Cynthia explain what wellness means to her in this interview, recorded at ILTM Cannes. Hear Cynthia’s rundown of the top performing brands in the wellness travel world… did she mention you?
From Aman to Soneva, do you make the cut? Exhibit alongside some of the world’s top wellness brands at ILTM Asia Pacific in Singapore, 27 – 30 May 2019.
As anybody who’s anybody will tell you, South Korea is the coolest place on Earth.
Its tech savvy and youthful super rich are being targeted by a growing number of luxury car makers and fashion brands, and its eccentric and addictive new youth culture is confirming what we suspected all along; South Korea is the world’s next big luxury hub. Which is why we’ve been so dismayed to learn about the closures of some major South Korean travel agencies in recent months.
So what’s happening?
“Many businesses in Korea are experiencing a tragic period,” says Blair Hong, CEO of T-Percent. “A few major companies have closed recently, which has been a real shock to the industry.” Ask Korean buyers and the finger always seems to point to online travel agencies (OTAs), like the ever-popular Agoda, as the greatest opponent for traditional travel agents: “We have seen an exponential increase over the past five years on OTA usage by the Korean traveller,” states Michael Ahn, Managing Director at Tailored Travel. “In addition, the travel research / planning / booking experience has become much more transparent and simpler due to the rise of travel start-ups that make it unnecessary for travellers to take the time to go through a traditional travel agent.”
Stuck in a vicious circle
The knock-on effect of this drop in demand is evident in the lack of R&D investment into the travel agency model. As Blair explains, “the biggest problem for travel agencies in Korea is that they’re cutting their profit for price competitiveness, so the chances for investing are really low.” It’s a vicious cycle. The resulting low profits mean low wages for employees and few chances for business ventures.
On top of this, as Es Shin, General Manager at Oui Tours, points out “most of the agencies closing recently are those specialising in honeymoons.” This is actually a reflection of the changing Korean demographic. As Es continues, “honeymoon couples were 300,000 some ten years ago in Korea but now they are under 230,000, according to statistics.”
But with change comes new opportunity
This comes at a time when the birth rate is also decreasing just as the nation has become an official “aged society,” which is defined by the United Nations as a society where those aged 65 or over exceed 14% of the total population. Not all is lost, however, “an increasing elderly generation means that the upper market is getting bigger too,” reassures Es.
There is, however, a general lack of awareness of agency affiliates in the country. In Korea, there are only “two members of Traveller Made and one member of Virtuoso (and that’s only been the case for the past two years).” As Blair highlights, there needs to be more consideration by the wider industry networks and alliances to open up membership to Korean agents, giving greater awareness to the region’s travel agent model.
With the traditional model under threat, most agents are now leaning towards new terminology – advisors, consultants, and even designers – and new ways of working. “We desperately need more attractive rates than the OTAs to be able to survive. This coupled with unique experiences and exclusive access can possibly be an avenue to attract more luxury Korean travellers by offering something that cannot be found on an OTA,” explains Michael.
Although the OTA phenomenon is indeed a threat, it is also very much an opportunity for agencies in Korea now, confirms Es. Regardless of the challenges in price competitiveness, investment and population, “the Korean high-end market is getting bigger and wider.” Travel designers “armoured with know-how and experience will be chosen” to handle the demands of the Korean luxury traveller.
Our Portfolio Director, Alison Gilmore, concludes, “This is a perfect opportunity and time for new Travel Designers to think of how they can add value through knowledge and the all-important personal touch. As we all know, nothing beats face to face. We are committed to doing everything we can to support the industry’s growth.”
Exhibitors can meet Blair, Es and Michael face to face at ILTM Asia Pacific in Singapore, 27 – 30 May 2019.
“Everybody needs to be in wellness if they are going to stay relevant. The markets are demanding it so you’re either going to deliver the goods, or you will become redundant.”
There’s a reason Neil Jacobs is the CEO of one of the most important wellness brands on the planet. Find out his views on the growing demand of wellness tourism in this video, recorded at ILTM in Cannes.
Want to stay relevant? Exhibit alongside some of the world’s top wellness brands at ILTM Asia Pacific in Singapore, 27 – 30 May 2019.
To understand the desires of the world’s most powerful outbound market, there’s really only one company we trust. ILTM research partner, The Hurun Report, have been profiling the Chinese luxury consumer for as long as we’ve been hosting travel events. The latest instalment of ‘The Chinese Luxury Traveller’ covers everything you need to know for 2019 and beyond, including:
We hope to see you in Shanghai next year; ILTM China is taking place October 30-November 1, 2019.
Managing an eight-hour block of show appointments in a new time zone while attempting to stay on track with ongoing projects back in the office is hard enough. Doing this juggle while seeking healthy meals, workouts and attempts to go to bed early can be comically impossible. So we go with it – embracing eye drops and coffee for breakfast and vodka sodas and shrimp cocktail for dinner. I did a version of this during my first few years in the travel industry, working as a PR manager for a luxury California destination. Stayed out late, didn’t drink enough water, and told myself that walking a convention center floor was enough activity for the day. Meals were forkfuls of whatever would fill me up. It worked for a day, but tiring after two. And after three I was a zombie with sore feet and dry skin. Each time I would return home feeling like I needed a week-long detox.
So I gradually changed my habits, learning how to health hack in a way that wouldn’t impede my workflow or those few hours of post-appointment fun. There are seven or so health hacks I regularly count on for energy and mental clarity, and thus productivity at these types of events.
Here is a list of my seven most handy event health hacks, ones that make me feel most energized. As long as I’m successfully hitting four or five, I know I won’t come home wondering which new contact can get me into the nearest detox spa.
1. Pack protein powder, and upon check-in, ask my hotel to make me a fruit and veggie-ful smoothie with it each morning, so each day starts with energizing nutrition.
2. Bring a large, high quality water bottle to fill each morning with filtered water and drink throughout the day. I like bkr water bottles because I find them beautiful enough to not forget at each appointment. By the time you get to happy hour, you’re fully hydrated and not missing a beat.
3. Have a workout app or YouTube channel handy for in-room workouts. I used to give myself a hard time for not making it to a local yoga class, until I discovered apps like Alo Moves (formerly Cody App), Tone It Up and Aaptiv. Each has great 15 or 20 minute workouts that require nothing more than your own bodyweight.
4. Pay attention to your plane seat. Even if your company decides it can only afford to send you in Economy, spring for at least an upgrade to the Comfort Plus category using cash or miles to have a greater chance for some in-flight shuteye. And then talk to HR about the productivity benefits of flying employees Business. There are studies.
5. Ask a local to the area what exactly the weather is like and what kind of layers locals are wearing. If you don’t bring enough, or pack the wrong weight of layers it can frustrate at every point there is an event or outfit change. Nothing puts me in a worse mood than being too warm or too cold, especially when there’s not enough time to pop out and purchase something new. It’s a super basic item that does a lot for mental wellbeing.
6. Stick to a two-drink maximum, no matter how late you stay out. The benefits of calling your alcohol intake after two drinks are endless. Be more in control when running into important potential partners or clients, wake up with a clearer head, sleep more soundly, have mental clarity the next day, and fewer calories wasted on non-nutrition.
7. Always order a salad with a light dressing, no matter how much food the rest of the table is ordering and no matter the remainder of your dinner order. Eat the salad first and fill up on leafy greens. No matter what amount of sauces and fried things and questionable carbohydrates you eat after, you’ve filled up your body with a healthy amount of fiber. Good digestion is key to good health.
Now you’re ready to health hack any of the seven shows in the ILTM Collection! Here’s how we hacked ILTM 2018: Cannes VitalGuide™.
Dubbed the “Olivia Pope of travel” by Bloomberg due to his deep and broad relationships and global black book of clients, Jack Ezon is one of the most well-connected and influential travel advisors in the world. “From the Front Line: Luxury Trends Report” is Embark founder & managing partner Ezon’s end of year reflection, focusing on the top trends in evidence at ILTM in Cannes, including:
See whether you agree or disagree with Ezon. Get your hands on the full report here.
We spent 2018 filling our therapeutic colouring books, counting calories with the ketogenic diet and wearing our Fitbits around the world, but what are the key wellness trends for the year ahead and which hospitality brands are on top form?
When the Romans marched through the town of Spa in Belgium they named it Aquae Spadanae and the art of “balneotherapy” – the method of benefiting the body through bathing – was soon exported across the ancient empire. They certainly weren’t the first to enjoy hot springs but did a fine job in monetising a spa concept that still exists centuries later. Yet so much has changed. The global wellness industry is reportedly worth around US$4.2 trillion, according to The Global Wellness Institute, with tourism contributing to approximately $639 billion of that total.
1. Making sense of it
One of the leading innovators in the industry is the aptly named Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, which launched its sextuplet of Spa Sensory Suites in Downtown Dubai this summer, providing a lavish range of all-encompassing therapies within a five-star hotel. “In Six Senses, we are not just limited to personalised spa journeys for our guests,” explains Rosalin Lau, Director of Spa and Wellness at Six Senses Spa Dubai. “We provide complete spa sensory experiences after spa treatments and offer high-touch, high-tech spa and wellness therapies with each sense of the six senses, which we reflect in our six treatment suites.”
From the therapeutic healing vibroacoustic lounger in the Sound Suite to the medley of herbs, spices and essential oils in the Smell Suite, each treatment area is designed and decorated differently instead the ‘brick and mortar’ uniform set-up of a spa treatment room throughout the premises. But what is the sixth sense? The Beyond Suite is the place to set your mind at rest with guided yoga, stretching and breathing techniques. Singing bowl therapy is also offered to treat a range of ailments. “Today, affluent travellers are looking for authentic experiences, stories to tell and share their envy inducing picture images to their social circles,” she added.
2. Less is more
We’ve had the minimalism movement, the KonMari method, decluttering, and various other fads, but it all comes down to clear spaces aiding clear minds. There’s a reason that Feng Shui remains in the zeitgeist, despite dating back thousands of years. Though not many of us are likely to understand the interior design philosophy in any great detail, modern environmental psychology explains why we believe that “cleanliness is next to Godliness” and in our cluttered, consumerist culture, minimalism is heralded as a tonic for anxiety. The concept is not only ideal for spatial organization, but can minimise stress, according to Psychology Today.
3. Slumber smartly
Most of us feel inclined to perform a thorough mattress test when we stay in a five-star suite – surely the most crucial item of furniture in any hotel – but some properties go the extra mile when it comes to promoting rest. The consensus is clearer than ever that slumber is just as important to our health as what we eat and Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is at the forefront when it comes to getting a quality 40 winks, thanks to the brand’s In-Villa Slumber Guru Experience, provided at properties across the portfolio.
Taking the importance of a good night’s rest to a whole new level, the evening ritual begins with a soak in an essential oil bath surrounded by candles, easing tension with a “Deep Sleep Massage” using ylang ylang or lavender oils. Guests are then invited to unwind with a choice of tranquil music throughout the evening before plunging into fresh 1,000 thread count sheets. Other sleep therapy packages include 60-minute mindful meditation sessions, complimentary access to fitness classes & wellness facilities and more.
4. Wellness you can wear
Between the aforementioned Fitbit and smartwatch functionality, we’re already well accustomed to technology augmenting our health – and shaming us into taking the stairs. However, wearable tech is still tipped to be the top fitness trend for 2019, according to Science Daily. The return of wearables as the number one fitness trend “may be the result of manufacturers correcting some monitoring inaccuracies of the past,” according to the report’s author, Dr. Walter R. Thompson of Georgia State University, Atlanta.
The prediction is based on an annual survey of health and fitness professionals, and also notes that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) will continue to be one of the most favoured workout methods, with people handing over yet more cash to hire certified fitness professionals as personal trainers. When it comes to wearables for ladies, emerging brands like Oura and bellabeat are now producing super-high-tech items of jewellery that allow you to track sleep, body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and more.
5. Organic interiors
We should also expect to see more emphasis on biophilic design in the coming years, patching up the disconnect between our urban lifestyles and our innate desire to connect with nature. Organic elements like large plants, wood and stone are likely to be at the fore, with room sizes decreasing to make way for larger balconies and verandas. According to a recent study, data showed that hotel guests had a 36% higher dwell rate in hotel lobbies that had biophilic elements. Taking the concept to the next level – quite literally – is the soaring Oasia Hotel Downtown in Singapore, which bucks the trend of a sealed skyscraper. The architecture allows guests to acclimate and experience the city’s tropical surroundings with internal breezeways and atria, multiple sheltered terraces, sky gardens and vertical greening – achieving an overall greenery replacement of more than 10 times the site area.
How is health and wellness going to impact your life and business this year? Find out about ILTM’s new journey for 2019.
What is your purpose in life? If you don’t quite know how to answer that question, you are not alone. But you are statistically less likely to live a happy life. Alarmed? Don’t be. The global luxury travel industry is here for you. Come closer…
As the headline speaker at the ILTM Global Forum, Dan Buettner, pointed out in Cannes, “finding your purpose” is the single most effective short cut to health and wellbeing. It therefore comes as no surprise that the quest for self-actualisation – or in other words, wellness – might just be THE mega-trend to end all mega-trends in the global luxury travel economy.
Time for a history lesson – remember a few years ago when you first heard the words “experiential travel”? Yes! We cried. That’s the word we’ve been searching for, experiential is the way! So you updated all your marketing materials and some hipsters came by the office and delivered a super cool workshop. Then, a couple of years later, you were getting a coffee at ILTM and someone started talking to you about “transformational travel”. Of course! It’s bigger than experiential, it’s transformational. Cool.
Well, guess what? As with every new idea – the iPod for example – it gradually gets streamlined until what you’re left with seems so unbelievably obvious, you simply can’t imagine how you didn’t come up with it in the first place. Welcome to wellness – the luxury travel version of the iPod.
Let me explain. For decades, we, the luxury travel industry, have been talking about the unique healing nature of travel and its other-worldly influence on the psyche, giving perspective where it had gradually worn away, and giving the ultimate luxuries of ‘time’ and ‘space’ in which to relax, reflect and refocus. Travel, we said, is the antidote to the frenetic, fast moving roller coaster of the digitised 20th century. Travel makes us sit down and engage. It forces us to take something to a deeper level.
Fast forward and today’s travel brands exist at the very epicentre of an exciting new eco system. No other industry is better placed to capture this explosion of need. The wellness industry today is worth an estimated $4.2tn dollars, of which “wellness tourism” currently equates to $639bn. What’s more, wellness tourism is growing twice as quickly as tourism expenditure in general, that’s an annual growth of 14%!
ILTM 2018 marked the launch of ILTM’s Year of Health and Wellness, the year when yesterday’s shifts towards experiential experiences and transformative travel settle softly into a wider, more permanent focus on enhanced quality of life and optimum wellbeing. Kicking off in Cannes, ILTM launched research and gathered a community of wellness experts that all draw the same conclusion; in the future, all travel is wellness travel, every trip is expected to enhance the physical, mental and social wellbeing of the traveller, transformation is the very promise of travel, and today’s travel brands are the solution to one of the biggest problems of our age. The future travel economy is based on a lifelong, personal and emotional quest for longevity, where travel is the short cut to the end goal of wellness.
This year, through learning and experiences, we aim to provide practical advice for travel brands about how to bridge the gap between promise and delivery. To provide opportunities for travel brands to fully immerse themselves in the world our luxury consumers now inhabit, to reimagine traditional ‘spa and wellness’ offerings breaking out of venues and disjointed piecemeal treatments, and learning how to fully integrate a message of wellness into our brands. It’s time to take the first step into the future, where hotel brands not only provide a break from the pressures of modern life, but design experiences where the journey undertaken is a journey into oneself, and where travel and travel brands partner with the traveller to prevent disease, improve health, enhance quality of life and bring a person to increasingly optimum levels of wellbeing.
Join us on our journey and find your purpose in business, and more importantly, life.
Today’s travel brands exist at the epicenter of an exciting new ecosystem. Wellness tourism is already worth an estimated $639bn and it’s growing twice as quickly as tourism in general!
The ILTM Global Forum 2018 explored this explosion of need and why travel brands are uniquely placed to capture it. As the pinnacle of the luxury travel calendar, the ILTM Global Forum is the biggest and boldest educational event of the season. This is where an understanding of the new breed of luxury traveller takes shape.
To explore this already thriving industry, we asked three leading thinkers to give 2000 luxury travel shapers an enlightening look at how to fully integrate a message of wellness into both their brands and their everyday lives.
Anna Bjurstam, Founding Board Member of the Global Wellness Summit and VP of Spas and Wellness for Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas
Anna Bjurstam is considered one of the world’s leading wellness pioneers. Anna is a founding board member of the Global Wellness Summit, Corporate Council Member of the Harvard University Department of Environmental Health, and is co-chairing the Global Wellness Institute’s “Wellness Communities” initiative. Anna gave us a succinct overview of wellness and its application in the luxury travel industry, fostering an understanding of how to embrace wellness and integrate it into our travel brands.
Dan Buettner, Founder of Blue Zones
Dan is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and New York Times bestselling author. Dan discovered the five places in the world – dubbed Blue Zones™ – where people live the longest, healthiest lives. In his talk, Dan shares how you can bring Blue Zones to your own business, including hotel rooms, restaurant menus and travel itineraries.
Julien Paccaud, Osteopath and Founder of Ecologie du corps
Julien helps athletes with their performance, including European tour pro golfers, polo players, and water skiers. As health advisor to Chanel, Paccaud helps people understand how they can efficiently stay in great shape – both in body and mind. In his talk, Empower Your Posture and Mind, Julien explores how you can minimise the impacts of your posture and bring more energy to your life.
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 2018 in Cannes, keep up to date with Cannes’s hot new openings, appointments and influencers right here:
To mark the sixth anniversary of the ILTM & Travel + Leisure Rising Stars programme, the editors at Travel + Leisure went back to the Rising Stars alumni to find out about their accomplishments, their views on the industry and future ambitions.
Jacqueline Gifford, Editor in Chief of T+L, said “These advisors are at the top of their game, booking everything from a two-month extended vacation in Europe to a 32-person milestone trip to China. They are building thriving business by listening to clients and going above and beyond to deliver highly-customized, bespoke experiences”
Each year a select group of emerging travel advisors is chosen to attend the Rising Stars Lunch with Travel + Leisure at ILTM in Cannes, handpicked for their impressive clientele of affluent young travellers, find out how they meet the challenges of managing expectations and new levels of personalisation by downloading the report here:
The travel hopes and dreams of affluent Chinese travellers – a vital consumer demographic for luxury hospitality and travel businesses globally – have been revealed in this exclusive China Insight Report.
The report is co-published by ILTM China and Reuter Communications and unveils key findings, including:
• The new player beating WeChat at luxury travel content
• Family life is the new luxury in China: Affluent Chinese holidays all about the kids
• Which hotel brand is voted most family-friendly by affluent Chinese travellers?
• Green is the new gold for luxury Chinese travellers
• The digital must-have that luxury Chinese travellers demand
• Chinese Luxury Travellers ‘Go Mobile’ even in their rooms
• Chinese parents pioneer extreme adventure holidays
For the full report, visit luxuryconversation.com/travelreport.
We hope to see you in Shanghai next year, ILTM China is taking place October 30-November 1, 2019.
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 China 2018 in Shanghai, keep up to date with China’s hot new openings, appointments and influencers right here:
See you all again next year, Shanghai, October 30-November 1, 2019!
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.
In this episode, we sit down with award-winning architect David Rockwell.The founder of the multi-disciplinary studio The Rockwell Group in New York City has been reimagining the design experience for more than 30 years.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.
At ILTM North America, we sat down with two of our fantastic agents, both of whom epitomise everything our show is about, to discuss their careers in travel thus far.
Meet Haisley Smith, Vice President of Marketing & Development at Brownell Travel, as she speaks about the culture of enriching people’s lives through travel. “Travel is the passport to peace” reflects Haisley, as she talks trends in North American luxury travel and the lasting impact of an ILTM show.
Check out our ILTM North America 2018 playlist for all the show’s incredible highlights.
At ILTM North America, we sat down with two of our fantastic agents, both of whom epitomise everything our show is about, to discuss their careers in travel thus far.
Meet Josh Bush, CEO of Avenue Two Travel, whose fresh and smart approach to business puts him at the top of his game. “Just when I thought I was out, it pulled me back in,” jokes Josh as he recalls his life in travel. Here he talks about the importance of relationships in the industry and how ILTM is synonymous with luxury itself.
Check out our ILTM North America 2018 playlist for all the show’s incredible highlights.
We all want to know the secrets to capturing our target consumer and this is especially true if you’re targeting the largest outbound travel market in the world. Chinese travellers are a force to be reckoned with, particularly in the luxury space. Did you know, for example, 90% of Chinese millionaires are now recognising the importance of health and wellbeing?
Find out many more valuable insights in the below infographic, raising the question: is your China strategy focusing on the correct consumer behaviours in order to engage such travellers?
Discover what the above means for your brand by downloading our free report, Engaging the Asia Pacific Millionaire Traveller.
It is estimated that in the UK alone, at least 4.4 billion straws are thrown away annually1 and it has been predicted that the weight of plastic in the ocean will outweigh fish by 2050,2 if nothing is done to tackle this issue. This is just one of the reasons why many luxury hotels have committed to eliminating single-use plastics from their properties in the near future.
EDITION Hotels have been pioneering the plastic-free movement in the hospitality industry as they’ve made it their mission to eliminate single-use plastics from all of their properties by the end of 2018.3 Leading the campaign is Vice President of Brand Experiences, Ben Pundole, who has made it his mission to find high-quality alternatives to common plastic hotel amenities. Pundole says that the plastic-free movement is no longer considered inconvenient, as it is increasingly aligned with the new definition of luxury that EDITION guests expect.4
In the second instalment of our plastic-free mini-series, we spoke to Kellee Griffith, Operations Project Specialist from EDITION Hotels, about their commitment towards the initiative.
For those unaware, what is EDITION doing to reduce the use of single-use plastics?
EDITION has banned plastic straws in all food and beverage outlets across the brand, switched from plastic water bottles to cans and glass bottles, implanted staff water fountains in the back of house and provided each employee with their own stainless steel bottle. We are looking to move to keyless entry by the end of 2018 and we are looking for a solution to bathroom amenity bottles.
“The hotel and travel industry are big plastic polluters. We at EDITION are trying to do our part by removing all single-use plastics from our hotels with the aim to become an industry leader and hopefully inspire and influence other brands to do the same.”
Have your customers supported your commitment to reducing single-use plastics?
We are starting to see that consumers are making choices based on impact, whether it be fashion or hotels, consumers want to know that they are not creating a negative impact. The response from our guests has been incredible.
How have you ensured that quality is not compromised when sourcing single-use plastic alternatives?
The quality of our product isn’t compromised because we choose to be plastic-free. We just find creative alternatives that are just as good, if not better, and we work with the best vendors who share our passion and are committed to the campaign.
Why is reducing the amount of single-use plastics important to your brand?
The hotel and travel industry are big plastic polluters. We at EDITION are trying to do our part by removing all single-use plastics from our hotels with the aim to become an industry leader and hopefully inspire and influence other brands to do the same.
Don’t forget to look out for the rest of our plastic-free mini-series. We’ll be catching up with EDITION Hotels at ILTM Cannes this year. To meet them, join us in Cannes, 3-6 December, 2018.
Sources
Welcome back to ILTM North America. One more year has gone by and a lot of things have changed in Mexico during these past few months—don’t worry, our food is as good as usual! After last year’s edition, a big part of the country was still struggling to recover after the earthquake. Mexico City definitely changed after September 19th. Many of its neighbourhoods have radically changed given the amount of people moving out of the most affected areas. Those first months were hard but a year later, it seems the capital has found its old rhythm and hopes are coming back while most of the buildings have been restored or torn down.
Something similar happened after the July election. The uncertainty that prevailed the months prior was quickly changed for a newfound hope. The triumph of López Obrador was feared by many sectors of society, but after the pacific ambience that followed his win even the most sceptical seem a bit open to change. For the first time, in quite some time, it feels like the whole country is on the verge of a deep and much needed transformation and this inevitably brings hope and positivity. That’s exactly why this is Mexico’s best time for the travel industry.
Before the elections many Mexicans were very cautious with their travel plans, but now the market feels more relaxed and Mexicans are ready to make plans again. Canada still remains very strong as an alternative to the United States and China, Japan and Korea are seen as the new places to explore in Asia. Vancouver and Whistler have become a new favourite likely because of the mix between nature and urban vibes that can be enjoyed in both, combined with the advantage of a no visa policy for Mexicans. Japan is still a big favourite, with many already on their second or third trip, while the rest of Asia remains as the dream destination of many, with Thailand, Bali, Singapore and Hong Kong high on the list.
In terms of incoming tourism, our popularity keeps going strong, with visitors from all over the world coming to Mexico primarily to enjoy our rich culture. Riviera Maya is still a favourite destination but some openings in the Cabos area —Solaz, Grand Velas, Montage and soon Ritz-Carlton Reserve—are turning the reflectors on the Pacific. Mexico City is getting ready for two big ones, Park Hyatt and Ritz-Carlton, while some new and interesting openings like Ryo Kan Mx—the first ever Japanese style hotel in the country—are great alternatives for those who like to think outside the box.
New and independent hotels and projects, like Chablé in the Yucatan Peninsula, are also showcasing some new trends, like wellness and nature travel. We have seen a lot of new companies that focus on nature exploration, helping travellers get in contact with the beautiful Mexican surroundings through walks and treks all over the country. While most of them are targeting local travellers, some, like Aire Libre Run, have programs designed for international travellers too. Also, big resorts like Punta Mita, are now regularly putting together events that focus on wellness, offering travellers the opportunity to mix holidays with wellbeing.
So, if we had to choose one word to describe Mexico in 2018, I would choose “optimistic”. Because now more than ever, the best is yet to come.
María Pellicer travels the world looking for stories as Editor-in-Chief of Travesías Magazine. Travesías are regular media attendees at ILTM events; catch them next at ILTM Cannes this December!
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.
In this episode, we sit down with legendary hotelier Barry Sternlicht. The founder and CEO of Starwood Capital Group as well as the visionary behind such brands as 1 Hotels and Baccarat Hotels, Sternlicht is investing in a better future for the world of hospitality—one where the environment is priority and experience is everything.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.
It is estimated that in the UK alone, at least 4.4 billion straws are thrown away annually1 and it has been predicted that the weight of plastic in the ocean will outweigh fish by 2050,2 if nothing is done to tackle this issue. This is just one of the reasons why luxury hotels have committed to eliminating single-use plastics from their properties in the near future.
In the first instalment of our plastic-free mini-series, we spoke to Megan O’Beirne, Sustainability Manager for Six Senses Laamu, about their commitment towards the initiative.
For those unaware, what are you doing to reduce your use of single-use plastics?
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas as a global company is leading the tourism industry by taking a stance against plastic: Plastic Free 2022. All properties are taking inventory of the plastics being used, sourcing alternatives, and eliminating the plastic items so that we are tackling the issue at the source, and not resting on the inadequate recycling systems currently in place worldwide. We have eliminated single-use plastic water bottles by filtering and bottling our own drinking water in reusable glass bottles.
We have banned single-use plastic bags, and switch guests’ duty free bags at the airport with paper ones. Straws are only given on request and are made from biodegradable paper. All shower amenities are provided in refillable ceramic pumps, and toothbrushes are made from bamboo instead of plastic. Cling film in the kitchens has been reduced by using stainless steel containers with lids instead. Purchase orders are made in bulk wherever possible to reduce packaging, and suppliers are requested to reduce packaging or use biodegradable paper instead of plastic.
“The foundations of the Six Senses brand are in sustainability and wellness. Plastic pollution is a global environmental issue, but especially in the Maldives where there are very limited recycling facilities, the amount of waste that is created by single-use plastic is unsustainable.”
Have your customers supported your commitment to reducing single-use plastics?
Yes, I would say 50% of guests I speak to are already aware of the Six Senses brand concept, and they booked Six Senses Laamu because they agree with our sustainability philosophy. The other 50% may have booked their stay without knowing about our ethos, but when they come to learn about why we bottle our own water, or why we ask them to take their shampoo bottles home with them, they are eager to participate and learn more about what they can do to reduce their environmental impact. A big part of the Six Senses experience is learning about how you can better your lifestyle after your stay, whether that is eating a healthier diet, getting a better night’s sleep, or adopting more environmentally-friendly habits. If a guest can see that at the resort we are trying to reduce our use of single-use plastics and understand why it is important, hopefully they will go home and analyse their own consumption and they too will eliminate single-use plastics from their own daily life.
Why is reducing the amount of single-use plastics important to your brand?
The foundations of the Six Senses brand are in sustainability and wellness. Plastic pollution is a global environmental issue, but especially in the Maldives where there are limited recycling facilities, the amount of waste that is created by single-use plastic is unsustainable and difficult to responsibly dispose of. If plastic ends up in the ocean, it never biodegrades, so just breaks down into tiny microplastics that enter the food chain and kill marine life. This relates to wellness because we don’t want to expose our guests to the toxic chemicals that build up in our seafood, or the plastic packaging with which our food comes into contact. It is important for Six Senses Laamu to reduce the use of single-use plastics as not creating the waste is a lot easier than trying to transport and recycle it from such a remote location.
How have you ensured that quality is not compromised when sourcing single-use plastic alternatives?
There are plenty of high quality and reasonable alternatives to single-use plastics, and in many ways, it is about getting back to the traditional ways of doing things. Before plastic was invented, one drank milk from glass bottles and returned them to be refilled. The concept of single-use plastic entered society with the notion of convenience and on-the-go lifestyles. The solutions to our problems of waste are often simply found in how things were done in the good ol’ days! At Six Senses Laamu, we try to source items that are either reusable and long-lasting, or if they must be short-term use, they are biodegradable. Glass water bottles with a metal clamp are both longer lasting and more elegant than plastic water bottles, so actually better achieve the luxury standard Six Senses is aiming for. Toothbrushes, however, must be disposable, so the ones provided in the villa are made of bamboo and are wrapped in corn starch packaging, which is 100% biodegradable.
Don’t forget to look out for the rest of our plastic-free mini-series. We’ll be catching up with Six Senses at ILTM Cannes this year. To meet them, join us in Cannes, 3-6 December, 2018.
Sources
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.
In this episode, we sit down with Mauricio Umansky, Founder & CEO of The Agency. Redefining the world of real estate, Mauricio has represented some of the world’s most noteworthy properties including residences own by Michael Jackson and Prince. Here, he talks about how the world’s top architects are starting to create homes that are works of art.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.
Cruise travel is booming with luxury travellers increasingly choosing to spend their holiday on-board ultra-luxury cruise liners. The cruise industry has been growing y-o-y since 2007, and according to Royal Caribbean Cruises CEO Richard Fain, the ultra-luxury and expedition segments are growing at twice the rate of any other segment in the industry.1
Growth in the cruise industry is expected to continue, with CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association, Inc.) predicting 27.2 million cruise passengers in 2018, a 5% increase from 2017.2 The major drivers in the market are both seasoned cruise passengers and affluent travellers who are yet to experience an ultra-luxury cruise, however, still expect to receive the very best service. This recent increase in bookings has led to a surge in the number of ultra-luxury cruise ships being created.
Virtuoso’s 2018 Luxe Report found that seeking authentic experiences is the third highest travel motivation for luxury travellers.3 Supporting this trend, Chris Austin, SVP of Global Marketing & Sales for ultra-luxury cruise line, Seabourn, told ILTM that “today’s affluent consumer is placing an even greater emphasis on seeking truly authentic, memorable experiences whereas in years past they would spend more on luxury goods. They are seeking new, bolder places to discover that are perceived for only a few to access. They are travellers – not tourists.” Seabourn have responded to this growing demand by announcing that they will be introducing two new ultra-luxury expedition ships to their offering in 2021 and 2022; giving passengers the chance to experience a “unique combination of thrilling, immersive adventures with generous, ultra-luxury amenities.”
Seabourn’s latest additions will sail amongst some of the most remote locations, including Antarctica and Patagonia, giving travellers the chance to experience ultra-luxury in some of the farthest places on earth. Passengers will be able to experience these unique destinations by submarine, kayak and Zodiac; “just imagine cruising in a Zodiac past flocks of porpoising penguins, watching a breaching humpback whale, or paddling alongside immense blue-white icebergs,” says Chris Austin. Passengers will also have the chance to immerse themselves in unparalleled on and off-shore experiences, without compromising on any of the luxury amenities that they would expect to receive at a five star plus hotel. Including everything from Michelin-starred cuisine by Chef Thomas Keller to a hot-stone massage in Seabourn’s world-class spa; there really is something for everyone.
But what differentiates an expedition ship from a regular cruise ship? Chris tells us the first difference is its size, “since expedition ships will usually be smaller to gain greater access so guests can get up close to highly desirable scenery and wildlife in locations that just can’t be accessed by larger ships.” However, this is not to say that these ships aren’t spacious, in fact the opposite is true. As Chris notes the second most important difference is “luxury”, with Seabourn fostering “a private, club-like atmosphere that discerning luxury travellers seek, along with highly intuitive personalized service.” Personalized service is an increasingly important factor for affluent travellers, particularly within the ultra-luxury cruise market, whether this be personalized itineraries and tailor-made experiences or bespoke dining packages and personalized excursions. Seabourn offers the complete package for discerning travellers who seek ultra-luxury, unique and customised experiences.
We’ll be catching up with Seabourn and other luxury cruise lines at ILTM Cannes this year. To meet them too, join us in Cannes, 3-6 December, 2018.
Sources
Following the success of the Leaders of Luxury web series, we’re working with Robb Report once again. Continuing our look into the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it, Jackie Caradonio, Travel Editor at Robb Report, uncovers the tools that great communicators need to sell their brand.
You’ve got a message. But can you deliver it?
We all know that communication is the key to success. So then why are so many of us so bad at it? Turns out, being able to effectively talk about your product or service isn’t quite so easy. But there are secrets out there that successful CEOs, entrepreneurs, actors, and performers use to keep their audience hanging on their every word. And the man behind those secrets is Michael Hopkins. For more than 20 years, the founder of Hopkins Media Training has been directing celebrities, editors, and high-level executives in the techniques of communication and delivery. Here, Hopkins shares with us the crucial tools that great speakers use to draw their audience in—and how everyone can apply them to their own professional success.
What’s the most important thing we need to do in order to ensure that what we’re communicating—whether a sales pitch, a speech, or a presentation—will effectively reach our audience?
The first thing you need to do when communicating something—anything—is to create a structure. Frame every conversation for the person you are speaking to. This not only helps you to be prepared with what you are going to say, but it also prepares your audience for what they are about to hear. You see this on all the news and entertainment shows: They give you a headline first, then a few highlights of what they are about to tell you. Once your audience knows what to expect, you know that they’re listening.
The second thing is connection: Find your connection to the story. Why are you excited about it? If you are pitching me a hotel or a service, you have to be excited about it and connected to it. If you’re not excited about it, the game is already over. Don’t waste an opportunity—tell me something meaningful. Sell it like you mean it. If you don’t mean it, people will sniff that out.
What’s your biggest advice when it comes to speaking to an audience or important client?
My biggest advice would be don’t try to wing it. If you try to wing it because you think it’s going to be more authentic, you are going to fall flat. I can give you all the speaking tips in the world, but then the work is on you to spend the time practicing, either in front of a mirror or with a friend. You can read something over and over in your head but until you stand on your two feet and say it out loud and get excited about it, you’re not prepared.
Tell us about the power of the pause.
The pause is a vital part of speaking that people don’t use often enough. Effective communication is all about intonation and pace. People tend to speak in what are essentially run-on sentences. When we’re communicating verbally, we need to use the same types of punctuation and grammar as we would when we write. The pause is the most important tool because it allows your audience to keep up with you and follow along with what you’re saying. It also keeps you in control: Put your foot on the gas, then brake. Are they still with you? If so, put your foot back on that gas.
It sounds like checking in with your audience is an important part of delivering a successful speech or pitch.
It’s so important to gauge the audience or person listening to you whenever you’re speaking. There’s this mentality that if you say it quickly, people won’t have time to lose interest. But if you rush through it, you miss the point. We’re so worried about presenting all of the information that we practiced, and the information that we think is important. But we always need to remember, what is the audience getting out of it? What are they listening for? Do they want that great trip or amazing experience? That’s why you’re there.
What’s one of the biggest communication mistakes that everybody makes?
Body language: How do I stand? What do I do with my hands? People feel self-conscious when all of the attention is on them, but I always bring them back to the importance of the connection. If you are telling a story, and you are excited about it—you are connected to it—you are authentically telling a story. You don’t wonder what do with your body. That’s why it so important to have that connection to every pitch, presentation, and performance because if you have that, you can lose yourself in it a bit. And everything else—your hand gestures, the way you stand—will fall into place.
What about social media? How can we use it as a successful communication and marketing tool?
Social media like Instagram is really just a shorter version of what you should already be doing, which is to tell a story. An Instagram or Facebook post still needs a story—there has to be an angle behind it. Why are you telling the story? Are you doing it to sell something—or are you doing it to get me excited about something? People can tell the difference. Think of yourself as a storyteller in everything you do, and people won’t be able to ignore you.
As a regular contributor for View from ILTM, Jackie will be sharing her insights on luxury and travel throughout the year. Check back next month for Jackie’s latest view.
Eurasian, born in Hong Kong and raised in Southeast Asia, Charlotte Harris was thrown into the travel industry by her mother, Jackie Harris, at a young age. At four months old, Charlotte had done her first hotel inspection, and by three she had two African safaris under her belt.
Fast forward 25 years, and Charlotte now heads up Charlotte Travel; curating tailor-made luxury itineraries for her VIP clients. In addition to sitting on the Rosewood Travel Agent Advisory Board, she spends much of her time building relationships with hotels and other industry partners to ensure all of her clients get the maximum experience from their holidays.
Ever the intrepid traveller, we caught up with Charlotte on her return from the first edition of ILTM Asia Pacific in Singapore to discuss all things luxury travel in Asia Pacific:
“Catering for the modern Asia Pacific traveller consists of multiple aspects, however, the ability to be flexible and cater to the diversity that ‘Asia Pacific’ entails is key. From catering to favourite brand of toiletries, chocolates and even toilet roll at times. Asia Pacific travellers seek authenticity, privacy, great food and chic decor to connect them to the local environment or culture – brands such as Rosewood and Six Senses combine these four elements incredibly well.
“Asia’s rising prosperity makes it possible for us to move further into luxury niche markets. We see growth opportunities where there is increasing demand for unusual travel experiences and lesser known destinations that have not yet been overrun by mass tourism. Accordingly, we are constantly on the lookout for products and partners that are able to satisfy this demand. As our clients place high levels of trust on our advice, we also need to be confident that these partners can achieve the demanding levels of service that they expect and this is best obtained from direct contact with them. It’s this imperative for trust that increasingly drives our business model.
“Unique ways of travel are becoming increasingly popular. We see luxury camping or ‘glamping’ in the African bush or cruising on a luxury expedition vessel into the Arctic or Antarctic Circle growing in 2018. Travelling to these destinations have become easier for the luxury traveller by luxury expedition cruises or luxury camps. What’s more, millennials are becoming more conscious of the social and environmental impact they make when travelling, they are twice as likely to support brands (and governments) who place a priority in tackling these issues on the ground.
“From a Tour Operator perspective, our biggest challenge over the next 5 years is differentiation. Anyone who travels has the potential to advise. So being a professional requires the ability to rise above run-of-the-mill. The next challenge is empathy. Understanding the client is the key to giving good advice, and this isn’t easy. It requires considerable skill to convince a client that their favoured destination might be a disappointment and that somewhere else is more likely to please. When your business depends on being good at this, you have to be.
“Whilst we have maintained our level of service and expertise to our clients, our demographics have grown significantly. By leveraging the use of technology, our number of millennial clients have increased – these are young travellers in Asia Pacific whose notions of luxury are significantly different to their friends and family. We anticipate this to continuously grow in the years to come as we see more demand for personal advice in travel and an increasing number of time-poor young professionals.”
To meet Charlotte Travel and more of the Asia Pacific’s most lucrative travel designers, speak to a member of the ILTM Team to discuss ILTM Asia Pacific 2019, taking place at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, 27th – 30th May 2019.
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.
In this episode, we sit down with Ralph Pucci, Founder of Ralph Pucci Gallery. Building his showrooms to give an intimate experience, Ralph thinks quality and creativity are his cornerstone concepts. Luxury brands, however, are failing their customers by delivering too much sameness and too little innovation, in his opinion.
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.
In this episode, we sit down with Will Guidara, the co-owner of the restaurant currently ranked No. 1 in the world, Eleven Madison Park in New York. Along with chef Daniel Humm, he co-owns the urban playground of a restaurant and bar NoMad, which started in New York and has expanded to LA, with a new location opening in Las Vegas this autumn. The two are also behind Made Nice, with these restaurants forming part of their prestigious hospitality group named Make It Nice. In this episode he discusses the power of experiences, and crafting them to be more luxurious and memorable than possessions.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of the videos in the Leaders of Luxury Series.
The typical definition of luxury is that it is an indulgence rather than a necessity. However, in Asia as is the trend globally, luxury travel is no longer about conspicuously high prices and conventional badge value; it is evolving and we must therefore redefine luxury in new terms for a new generation of traveller.
This generation eschews the elaborate and ornate and looks for more specialised, intimate experiences. They are discerning travellers who not only like things to look good, but to feel good. Understated, gilt-free and guilt-free luxury, together with personalised experiences, have become the cornerstone of the luxury travel market.
Nowadays this market is defined through the combination of the richness and uniqueness of the travel experience itself, not just the hotel brand or the flight class. Accordingly, this experience must also deliver a level of social bragging rights that allows travellers to express their individuality. It needs to be aspirational, enviable – and, above all, Instagrammable.
In this report, OgilvyRED and ILTM look at the trends and shifts that support this view and you will see that:
Download the report below to build action plans from both a luxury travel brand and a luxury travel agency perspective.
Looking for similar reports? Check out Engaging the Asia Pacific Millionaire Traveller brought to you by Agility Research & Strategy and ILTM.
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 Asia Pacific 2018 in Singapore, keep up to date with Asia Pacific’s hot new openings, acquisitions, appointments and influencers right here:
See you all again next year, Singapore, May 27-30, 2019!
Singapore is a city fuelled by passion and pride. Around every corner, you will find incredible experiences being crafted, cooked, painted, designed, grown or built by locals who share a common trait: passion. Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is sharing this passion with the world in their latest brand campaign, Passion Made Possible. It also translates into curated experiences based on your passion, something you can try when in Singapore.
According to 4,500 respondents across 10 countries and in Singapore, ‘passion’ and ‘possibilities’ best reflect the Singapore spirit. This insight fuelled the rationale behind the Passion Made Possible campaign which boldly showcases Singapore’s unique attitude and mindset. It beautifully appeals to today’s increasingly discerning traveller, looking for true cultural immersion and a deep sense of connection with their destination.
Mr Lionel Yeo, Chief Executive of STB said, “It will appeal to the more sophisticated tourists who are seeking more aspirational value propositions in their travel.” The campaign’s powerful videos are cinematic and the storytelling across all channels is memorable. The creative is on trend and well worth you taking a look. While doing so, you may just discover your passion. Both the campaign, and the destination stand out on the international stage. So while in this city of limitless possibilities, indulge in what you love. Explore your passion; whether you’re a foodie, explorer, collector, socialiser, action seeker or culture shaper, here’s a brief idea of what’s possible in Singapore.
Kick off your foodie adventure at the Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, the largest hawker centre in Singapore. With over 200 stalls under one roof, you’ll get a crash course on Singapore’s various cultures through a diverse palate. For world-class Singaporean food, head to Hjh Maimunah and be like a local, enjoying village-style cuisine. The nasi padang (rice with a medley of Malay dishes) served here is one of the best on the island. For something more upmarket, the world’s first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant, Candlenut takes a contemporary yet authentic approach to the traditional Straits-Chinese cuisine. Arguably the best Peranakan restaurant in town, Chef Malcolm Lee has elevated his grandmother’s old recipes to Michelin-starred fame.
Gardens by the Bay is a multi-award winning Singapore icon. Explore 101 hectares of green wonders, a 35m tall mountain covered in plants, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall and suspended walkways between the 9 to 16 storey tall Supertrees. The Fullerton Hotel’s rich history dates back to its original construction as a fort in 1829. Now as a heritage hotel, its grandeur speaks to its rich history, with its imposing Neo-classical façade and elegant central atrium. Standing at 165 metres above ground is Asia’s largest observation wheel, the Singapore Flyer. The wheel is a favourite tourist attraction due to its vantage point offering stunning panoramic views of Marina Bay and the city.
Stroll down Orchard Road, lauded as one of the best places to shop in Singapore. Spanning almost 2.2km, this bustling belt is a must-visit for shopaholics with its huge range of retail, dining and entertainment choices. Since opening in 2010, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands has amassed the largest collection of luxury labels under one roof in the region, with more than 170 luxury and premium brands. Explore VivoCity, the largest mall in Singapore. It features a plethora of shopping options as well as stores unique to VivoCity. Expect vast, open-air spaces for waterfront strolls, and find an array of amenities that are more than just shops.
Set on Singapore’s vibrant Robertson Quay, The Warehouse Hotel Lobby Bar is a swish boutique serving craft cocktails reflecting the three eras of the property’s past; a spice trade warehouse, an illegal distillery and a warehouse disco. Nearby, Marcello at the InterContinental Robertson Quay is Singapore’s first modern Italian cocktail bar, inspired by the early to mid-20th century. An institution in the making, Marcello houses the largest selection of Amari in Southeast Asia. Located on Andaz’s 39th floor is the rooftop bar, Mr Stork. Catch stunning, panoramic views of the Singapore skyline while relaxing in the tepee huts amidst lush greenery.
Southeast Asia’s first Hollywood movie theme park, Universal Studios Singapore™, features an enticing selection of attractions, rides and entertainment for families and thrill seekers. 18 out of the 24 movie-themed rides here were designed just for the Singapore Park. Not for those with a fear of heights, the Mega Adventure Park at Sentosa is all zip-lines and high-element activities. The main attraction at the park is the Mega Zip itself, a 450m zip-line. At Ultimate Drive, you can jump in a Ferrari F430 Spider or Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and experience the thrill of driving on the official FORMULA ONE Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Doubling as a 19th-century nation monument, the Singapore Art Museum has built up one of the most important collections of contemporary art from the region. Little India is one of Singapore’s most vibrant districts. As you walk down Serangoon Road and neighbouring streets, explore their mix of temples, delicious food and unique shops. With its massive golden domes and huge prayer hall, Sultan Mosque is well worth the visit. Masjid Sultan, as it is also known, is a prominent mosque located in historic Kampong Glam and is one of the country’s most impressive religious buildings.
Now that you’re equipped to rediscover your passion in this city of possibilities, watch STB’s Passion Made Possible clip below. It’ll fuel your passion and ignite the possibility of experiencing just some of what Singapore can offer.
Even more is possible. Visit Singapore Tourism Board’s Passion Made Possible trishaw exhibit at ILTM Asia Pacific, stand A120, for a virtual reality tour of Singapore and to find out more.
Asia Pacific has retained its position as the region with the largest HNWI population globally. Naturally, luxury brands, and particularly luxury travel brands, are eager to tap into the growing purchasing power of Asia Pacific’s millionaires. Understanding the consumer and their changing behaviour is key to this, which is why we’ve partnered with Agility Research & Strategy to uncover critical insights.
Through interviews with close to 3,000 affluent respondents across China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia, our latest report will explore:
Discover what the above means for your brand by downloading the report below.
Looking for similar reports? Check out Luxury Travel, but Not as We Know It brought to you by OgilvyRED and ILTM.
Following the success of the Leaders of Luxury web series, we’re working with Robb Report once again. Continuing our look into the future of luxury through the eyes of those who are determining it, Jackie Caradonio, Travel Editor at Robb Report, gives us her take on the L word.
In a world in which the word “luxury” is applied to anything and everything, high-end hospitality brands must develop meaningful and authentic new ways to connect with consumers.
It has been more than 10 years since Andrew Sacks, a New York–based expert on high-end marketing, told a room full of hoteliers at the Leading Hotels of the World’s annual conference in Monaco that “luxury” was “dead.” He wasn’t talking about the concept—to be sure, a decade later, we know that luxury is very much alive and well. He was, however, talking about the word. The term was so overused, it had virtually lost all meaning, Sacks argued. It had become “a descriptor that is highly suspicious to the very people to whom it is designed to appeal: the affluent.”
Ten years later, the L word is no less pervasive. And it has indeed lost much of its power. Between luxury pet spas, luxury diaper bags, luxury dentists, and luxury keychains (yes, these all claim to exist), it seems everyone and everything is geared toward the good life—or at least the perception of it. As such, truly high-end brands are left with a conundrum: How do you convey luxury in a world where everything claims to be luxurious?
For Jumeirah Hotels, the answer is making its brand synonymous with luxury, without actually using the word. “The term ‘luxury’ has become diluted and perhaps depreciated through its overuse in the hotel industry,” concedes Charlie Taylor, Jumeirah’s group director of brand communications. To combat that, Taylor says his brand created what it calls “the Jumeirah experience,” a combination of bespoke and locally-inspired experiences and traditional five-star hotel service and style—something that captures the modern-day ethos of luxury travel without explicitly saying it.
Other brands have moved away from the L word to create a similar alignment with luxury that sidesteps the actual term. JW Marriott created what it calls the “JW Marriott Treatment” while Conrad Hotels has replaced its old slogan of “The Luxury of You” with the more demonstrative one “Never Just Stay. Stay Inspired.” Oberoi Hotels and Park Hyatt have also dropped slogans using the word. And Ritz-Carlton—a brand whose very name has become synonymous with luxury—coined the phrase “Ladies and Gentlemen Serving Ladies and Gentleman.”
Of course, these strategies are more than reactions to luxury fatigue. They are proof that the very definition of luxury, especially as it pertains to the hospitality industry, has changed. It’s no longer necessarily defined simply by opulence or extravagance—two words that, in their own rights, have become less appealing to luxury travelers in recent years. Rather, luxury as a word has taken on a unique meaning for every brand—and person.
“The challenge of today is that where luxury was once prescribed, today it means different things to different people,” says Lisa Holladay, Ritz-Carlton’s global brand leader. “We focus less on telling guests they will receive a luxury experience and instead work to show guests the luxury of the experience the Ritz-Carlton provides.”
There is, of course, a common thread here: experience. Each of these new slogans and marketing approaches leans in to the individual brand’s unique ability to promise not only a beautiful place to stay, but far more importantly, memorable experiences. To achieve that, the goal for every brand is to show—not tell—their consumers how they can offer personally fulfilling and meaningful experiences beyond the traditional five-star stay.
With that goal, a new language of luxury has emerged, relying no longer on the touting of objects and visual cues but instead tapping into emotions. Jumeirah uses the word “rituals” to define the experiences that make a stay with its hotels unique. Ritz-Carlton uses the term “wow moments” in its newest “Let Us Stay with You” campaign. And Park Hyatt defines its hotels as “places where rare and unexpected pleasures are artfully woven into every stay.”
For Wilderness Safaris, this new emotional approach led to a slogan that boldly attempts to redefine luxury altogether. “Purpose is the New Luxury” expresses the safari outfitter’s goal to immerse its guests in the local conservation and community efforts in each of the countries in which it operates lodges. “We don’t do high-end ecotourism for the sake of it, but rather for the positive impacts it can and does achieve,” says Chris Roche, Wilderness’s chief marketing officer. “For us, the challenge has been to connect our purpose to the guest experience and to share this with them.”
Thus, Wilderness set out to classify its own brand of luxury—one that emphasizes space, discovery, genuine personal engagement, disconnection from the modern world, and simplicity. “When we first came up with the statement ‘Purpose is the New Luxury,’ we treated it with caution,” Roche explains. “But the more we considered it, the more we felt that in the modern world, purpose really is the antithesis of utility, and thus in some way embodies real luxury.”
To be sure, buzzwords will forever plague the high-end hospitality industry. Not far behind “luxury” is the overuse of words like “experiential,” “bespoke,” and “transformational.” The antidote to such deterioration of meaning, then, is for each brand to define its own purpose—and the unique language that communicates it. “Even though we all proudly and boldly claim to operate in the luxury space,” Roche says. “It is far too seldom that we ask ourselves what luxury means, and what it really is.” Now’s the time to ask—and answer.
As a regular contributor for View from ILTM, Jackie will be sharing her insights on luxury travel throughout the year. Check back next month for Jackie’s latest view.
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.
These days, clear sustainability credentials are a must for any brand. With the definition of luxury ever-evolving and always fine-tuning, a five-star property and service is no longer enough to satisfy discerning luxury travellers. More than ever, consumers are buying from brands based on their social and environmental impact. The emergence of this consciousness has had an unprecedented impact on the luxury industry, influencing the way brands market themselves to gain consumer approval.
To understand how important this social trend is for travel brands, we reached out to a handpicked selection of emerging travel advisors. We asked them: Is there a generational difference when it comes to a traveller’s social awareness and consciousness?
“If a property or destination has great environmental practices, this is something that clients will use to validate a decision to stay somewhere, after they’ve already decided, rather than it be a driving factor in their decision making.”
“What started as a movement of individuals has evolved into an awareness by the travel industry. The industry itself is now leading the education of many in terms of sustainability.”
“The impact tourism has had on our environment can’t be ignored. As the global population increases it’s getting worse; however, travel innovators are addressing the issue. In areas where conservation and sustainability is priority, both financial and societal resources are gaining speed, as seen in Africa with wildlife and landscape conservation. Conversely, in Bangladesh and India—areas of dense population and pollution—it’s challenging to even grasp where to start.”
“I believe we all want to be and are in support of helping our local communities and world resources. However, I have not personally felt that this is a primary area that comes up in questioning or is spoken about when making a decision. I feel that there are many that are more socially aware, and perhaps it is our part as advisors to help be advocates as this is the future of our planet. I think most clients are pleased to see this once they are there but do not seek this out.”
“Truthfully, for personal vacation travel, people are going to go where they most desire, in the best manner possible, and spend their money where they want. While most may be socially aware and ecologically minded, it does not always play into how some spend their dollars on vacation, especially for experienced travellers. They want the companies they stay with to all be as eco-friendly as possible as an expectation of being a good corporate, global citizen. However, their experience shouldn’t feel less luxe just to be green.”
“The older generations tend not to think about it so much, regardless of their political affiliations. And because of that, you don’t feel high-end luxury leading the charge on sustainability. At lifestyle hotels that cater to Millennials, you feel it everywhere – from the type of take-away plates and items they provide, to the plastic water bottles replaced by reusable bottles and filling stations… I think more travellers would actually like to give their time philanthropically when they travel – beach clean-up or building houses etc., they just don’t know where to find those offerings.”
“Millennials are more typically aware of the environment and sustainability. The new 1 Hotels brand completely evokes the marriage of luxury and environmentally friendly practices. But as conscious as they are, it is more of a novelty and goodwill play. I have yet to see someone not go somewhere because they clean their sheets every day. People want environmentally friendly without sacrificing their creature comforts.”
“Luxury resorts are paying more attention. For example, The Brando (a T+L World’s Best Award Winner) has applied extraordinary efforts to become completely self-sustaining. Although this is a prominent trend of today’s world, it’s important to realize while clients appreciate and admire these efforts, I don’t feel they are basing their travel decisions completely around these factors.”
For more expert views on the state of the luxury travel market, from geo-politics to generational divides, download Travel’s Bright Future: A Report from the Travel + Leisure & ILTM Rising Stars Roundtable.
The global LGBTQ+ travel market is thriving. It’s worth an estimated US$211 billion and growing each year according to PROUD Experiences. The UNWTO reported that there were over 35 million international LGBTQ+ tourist arrivals in 2016. This market offers numerous opportunities for travel brands and reaching these consumers benefits more than just the bottom line. But the industry wants more knowledge. In a PennState College study for IGLTA, the most frequently mentioned challenge for IGLTA buyers in catering to LGBTQ+ travellers is a lack of expertise and understanding.
LGBTQ+ travellers are valuable travellers, with research showing they out-spend and out-travel non-LGBTQ+ tourists. The UNWTO state that this segment travels with greater frequency and demonstrates higher-than-average spending patterns. Equivalently, PROUD Experiences found that:
The high value of this segment is attractive which explains why the travel industry is starting to focus its attention on the “pink dollar”. But the benefits aren’t just revenue focused. As YouGov report, “brands that consistently show support for the gay community have a strong public image across all consumers.” Therefore, improved brand perception, and even just practicing good ethics through more inclusive corporate behaviour, are other positive externalities.
The key to reaching the LGBTQ+ traveller is to not treat them differently. ACTLGBT explain that their common needs are tolerance, safety and the chance to interact with the local community, but this is the same for any traveller. Similarly, a 2015 survey by Community Marketing found that the main decision making criteria for LGBTQ+ tourists were quality, price and location, which can also be said for heterosexual travellers. In terms of higher spending habits, “the gay traveller is looking for culturally rich, exclusive and top-of-the-line experiences, just like any other luxury traveller would,” TravelPulse reported. While the needs and decision criteria of the LGBTQ+ traveller seem no different to their heterosexual counterparts, more sources of information are emerging to help with marketing to this segment.
The UNWTO offers guidelines for travel brands and destinations making their first approach to the LGBTQ+ travel market:
Encourage LGBT inclusion and diversity among all stakeholders. Internally, this includes adopting diversity and inclusion policies, and defending them when such issues are politicised. At a community level, consider working with the many groups and initiatives that support LGBT people as well as visitors. This should become part of the agenda in corporate social responsibility policies. LGBT inclusion and diversity is good for business, good for local economies and good for tourism destinations.
Carry out research and share it with your destination partners. Understand LGBT outbound markets and your destination’s attractiveness for the LGBT market. Because of the diversity in this segment, it’s important to deeply understand differences in travel motivations and behaviours between age groups, backgrounds, nationalities and more.
Recognise that authenticity is essential. Authenticity also means genuine integration and consistency. Do not just engage with the LGBT community for marketing purposes; it should be a two-way relationship, in which both can benefit. Authenticity in marketing means going beyond stereotypes and instead showing support for the diversity of real LGBT people.
LGBT consumers should not be considered in isolation. As visibility increases and people discover that colleagues, friends and family members are LGBT, the way that they are treated becomes more important to those who care, i.e. allies. These allies are also sensitive to the messages, both positive and negative, influencing their travel decisions.
Work in partnership with local businesses, associations and the LGBT community. NGOs that support LGBT people, LGBT Chambers of Commerce and other industry groups that promote knowledge exchange and partnerships in LGBT tourism have been proven to result in tangible benefits for all. The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association provide free travel resources and information, and advocate for the industry.
Further opportunities include: Direct marketing through trade show attendance, improving knowledge through conventions and seminars, dedicating proper human and financial resources, gaining exposure at major LGBT events, lending logistical/travel support, and training and certification.
As stated in the UNWTO report, participating in trade shows allows businesses to get their message across to a diverse audience in a short amount of time. The perfect platform for this is PROUD Experiences; a new LGBTQ+ travel show and the first of its kind. The international three-day event brings together travel suppliers and buyers targeting the LGBTQ+ community. The programme includes face-to-face pre-scheduled appointments, strategic educational seminars and networking, all centred around LGBTQ+ travel and experiences. PROUD Experiences will be held in London on 6 June this year. Register your enquiry to exhibit at this LGBTQ+ targeted event.
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.
Article originally published by The Telegraph and edited for View from ILTM.
As we mark World Water Day 2018 by focusing our attention on the importance of water, Pippa de Bruyn examines the dire situation in Cape Town, finding innovation and commitments from the hospitality and travel industry.
“‘Isn’t that a bit extreme?’ That’s what one diner said when he was asked if he wouldn’t mind keeping his cutlery for the next course. But everyone else has been amazing.”
Luke Dale Roberts, South Africa’s most celebrated chef, is talking about the recently introduced water-saving initiatives in his restaurants: harvesting grey water from air-conditioning units, boiling ice-bucket water to mop floors, disconnecting scullery hoses, installing new tap diffusers, using disposable napkins, discarding table cloths, and asking guests to hold onto their cutlery.
But perhaps the real innovation is serving several of his Test Kitchen courses on disposable cards that fit into an empty picture frame. In The Drought Kitchen – the two-month pop-up restaurant within The Test Kitchen – the entire six-course menu will be served this way, eliminating the need to wash 5,000 plates a week. It’s not only a water-economical concept but an accurate visual play; rather like Grant Achatz, who famously uses the entire table as his canvas, Luke is a master in creating edible art.
What is causing this innovation?
When Day Zero – denoting the date the city’s taps could be switched off – changed from being a vague possibility to a scheduled April 15, the result was shock and panic. Within days tanks to harvest rainwater had sold out, every supermarket trolley was loaded with bottled water and queues outside natural springs snaked around the block. Residents and business owners were urged to “get creative”.
Since then the city’s inhabitants, authorities and surrounding farming community have pulled together, and daily water consumption has dropped to 511 million litres (from a high of 1.2 billion). While the target is 450, this is a commendable feat, pushing Day Zero back to May 11, then June 4, then July 9, when winter rains should be well underway.
On March 7, the DA (who control the province for now) made the somewhat fatuous announcement that “Day Zero has been defeated for 2018”, much to the outrage of water-wise Capetonians, many of whom feel that Day Zero fulminated ill-advised hysteria.
Does this mean the water crisis is over?
No. After three years of below-average rainfall, there is no guarantee that the 2018 winter rains will fill the Western Cape’s dams, the levels of which (at March 13, when the drought was declared a national disaster) are at 23 per cent. Even if they do, the city will retain water restrictions. Currently each resident is restricted to a maximum of 50 litres of water a day, regardless of where it is drawn. Likewise, the City of Cape Town exhorts visitors to “save like a local”. The government is currently accessing additional funding and several water augmentation projects are already underway, but these will take time. For now, reducing reliance on tap water is the new normal.
What about the rest of South Africa?
Only the city of Cape Town and its peninsula are badly affected. At popular destinations like Hermanus, a mere 90 minutes from the airport, residents are still allowed to water their gardens (though only at certain hours, twice weekly). Further east, towns like Prince Albert and Wilderness seem unaware of the minor water restrictions in place. That said, visitors and operators are asked to be mindful that water is a precious resource throughout Southern Africa.
What are hotels doing about it?
Most Cape Town hotels have taken exemplary measures to reduce their water consumption: removing bath plugs; encouraging guests to take quick showers; replacing napkins with serviettes; switching off fountains and irrigation systems; investigating kitchen systems. It appears that the V&A Waterfront’s new desalination plant, near which there are several hotels, will be the first up and running, and the city centre has been designated a “continuous water supply” area. Cape Town Tourism encourages operators and visitors to keep asking what measures are in place to save water and to share information and tips.
What can you do to help?
Don’t bath. Restrict your shower to 90 seconds. Use towels more than once. Pack in extra clothes so that you can take your laundry home with you. Flush the toilet only when necessary (a single flush uses an exorbitant 6 to 14 litres). Drink bottled water from the bottle. Don’t let taps run when brushing teeth or washing your face. And yes, offer to keep your cutlery between courses.
Pippa de Bruyn is an award-winning journalist and Telegraph Travel‘s South Africa destination expert. This April, Pippa will be in Cape Town for ILTM Africa as one of our exemplary media attendees. To learn how you can work with the media at ILTM events, check out these 5 top tips.
At ILTM North America, we sat down with Latin America travel experts to discuss this booming luxury travel market. Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and TV anchor, hosts the People of ILTM North America interviews where we bring you the latest LATAM insights from industry heavyweights.
Meet Miguel Carrillo, Account Director Worldwide Sales – Latin America, Florida, Caribbean & Bermuda at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. He says, “Latin America is such a diverse and interesting territory. When we say ‘Latin America’ we say it really fast, I think we need to pause and say it slowly. Countries like Mexico and Brazil will continue to be explored for centuries.”
Learn from more luxury travel leaders in our People of ILTM series or find inspiration from other luxury industries in our Leaders of Luxury series.
By now, you’ve probably heard of Millennials. Also known as Generation Y, born between 1980 – 2000, overly familiar with media and digital technologies – yes, that’s them. However, most research so far has been geared towards American and Asian Millennials, completely ignoring the buoyant market in the Middle East.
As one of the world’s most youthful regions, with a median age of 22 years compared to a global average of 28, Millennials account for a quarter of the region’s population.1 According to Visa, when concerning travel-related spend, Millennials in the Middle East are the highest spenders globally, typically spending twice as much as their European counterparts.2 As the Middle East’s largest consumer base, brands need to be asking themselves: ‘How do we attract and engage this market?’
Here are three key behaviours you can capitalise on:
1) Highest number of Millennial entrepreneurs
63% of business owners in the Middle East were aged 35 or under, according to a recent report by HSBC Private Bank, suggesting the region is home to the highest proportion of millennial entrepreneurs in the world. 46% of these entrepreneurs started their business whilst they were still at school or university, again the highest proportion in the world.
However, this success does not come easy as emphasised by the average workday. Working 12.5 hours a day, those in the region are working more than 2.5 hours above the global average for millennials.3 Plus, globalisation means working hours can be unpredictable and not the 9-5 working life. Their hunger for success means working significantly longer and in turn means less time for personal activities.
Hence, brands looking to attract and engage these consumers need to ensure they match the lifestyle. Advice needs to be immediate, transactions need to be seamless and services need to be 24/7.
2) Highest video consumption
According to Google, watch time on YouTube is growing 60% year-on-year in the MENA region, ranking second after the United States. Millennials are on their smartphones hungrily digesting video content, making mobile watch time rise by 90% year-on-year in the region, one of the fastest growing figures in the world.4
So how is this relevant? Research from Cisco revealed that 69% of consumer Internet traffic in 2017 was dedicated to video, while video-on-demand traffic will double by 2021.5 With Millennials all over the Middle East turning to YouTube to consume content on a daily basis, this is one of the best opportunities to capture your target audience. In fact, Tubular Insights found that 64% of consumers will make their purchase decision after watching branded social videos.6
Thus, brands targeting millennials in the region need to ensure that online video is their marketing weapon of choice. The rise of video consumption and content creation on the likes of YouTube highlight the need for visual marketing when promoting any brand.
3) Highest brand loyalty
We’ve all heard the growing concerns with brand loyalty and how Millennials are a fickle consumer. However, according to the Google Consumer Barometer, Millennials in the Middle East are going against the norm. Millennials in Saudi Arabia and the UAE demonstrate significantly more brand loyalty than their peers in Australia, the UK, Japan or the USA. 43% of Millennials in the UAE only consider one brand when purchasing flights in comparison to a mere 9% in Australia.
So how can you capture this brand loyalty? Psychologically speaking, customisation and personalisation are key. Finding out your customers’ interests and preferences will allow you to customise their user journey. Likewise, understanding your customers’ needs will allow you to meet them with personalised content. Both aspects will in turn increase your customers’ engagement and overall brand adoption.
Key takeaways to attract Millennials in the Middle East:
Coming face-to-face with HNW Millennials in the Middle East can be tricky. Luckily travel brands looking to reach this consumer market have an alternative target; their travel agents and advisors. You can meet the agencies representing these HNW travellers at ILTM Arabia in Dubai.
Sources
In the Digital Age, where the technologies in circulation seem limitless, the role of the travel agent can seem obsolete. Yet, in the luxury travel market, travel agencies are booming with 40% of all luxury trips being booked via an agent.
These agents are the travel industry insiders. They know how to stay relevant and gain a fresh perspective on the new breed of travellers. So how do we find out what’s on their minds? We hold a lunch!
A select group of emerging travel advisors is chosen to attend the Rising Stars Lunch with Travel + Leisure at ILTM in Cannes, handpicked for their impressive clientele of affluent young travellers.
In this report, we explore their insights into the evolving luxury market. Consider this your roadmap on:
Sign up to our quarterly newsletter below for your copy of the report and to delve into the minds of some of the world’s most impressive travel agents. Understand your target consumer like never before.
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.
Working in conjunction with YouGov, View from ILTM have been looking into the heart of the modern day luxury traveller. What is clear from the research is that luxury travellers are searching for brands that reflect the very best in humanity. More importantly, travellers are looking for brands that share the values they would most like to see in themselves. The State of the Affluent Mindset report identifies the four key values recognised among the affluent around the world as the most attractive personality traits to admire. They are:
1) Integrity
2) Honesty
3) Kindness
4) Intelligence
These four points become the traits brands and staff will most want to convey to their guests. The report also identifies some of the top factors influencing brand preferences, the two highest scoring influencers were brands that ‘Have a high level of integrity’ (88%), and brands that ‘Make me feel good when I am using them’ (87%).
Source: YouGov Report in partnership with ILTM, The State of the Affluent Mindset
Modern luxury travellers are significantly more inclined to buy on deeper-level factors. They are looking beyond “worth” (quality, craftsmanship and service) and are seeking details on design, passion and caring for people in a human way. They also expect a higher level offering from their travel providers in three main areas:
If travel brands want to succeed in 2018, all three factors should reinforce the story of their brand promise and value proposition.
To understand the affluent traveller in more detail, download The State of the Affluent Mindset, brought to you by YouGov and ILTM.
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.
At ILTM North America, we sat down with Latin America travel experts to discuss this booming luxury travel market. Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and TV anchor, hosts the People of ILTM North America interviews where we bring you the latest LATAM insights from industry heavyweights.
Meet Christian Sierralta, Vice President National Accounts & Latin America at Silversea Cruises. He says, “the Brazilian market is relentless and has an amazing ability to bounce back, now is a fabulous time to do business with Brazil.”
Learn from more luxury travel leaders in our People of ILTM series or find inspiration from other luxury industries in our Leaders of Luxury series.
Not so long ago, we believed that the European Union was inseparable and the election of Donald Trump was impossible.
“Now, nearly 80% of US luxury travellers believe there is a significant probability of serious social unrest at home, and nearly two-thirds are concerned with the impact Trump is having on the US reputation abroad.” *
Fears of political environments are not restricted to the US, however, as demonstrated by the very recent state of emergency imposed by authorities in the Maldives. Impacting the luxury market on the Indian Ocean archipelago, the political upheaval has led to hundreds of holiday cancellations:
"We have a higher market for Chinese and Indian travellers, and we are seeing most of the cancellations from these markets," a tour operator in Malé has told Reuters, on condition of anonymity.
We therefore asked ILTM movers and shakers how political unrest is affecting the way we buy and sell luxury.
"Unrest driven by political and cultural differences is certainly a reality around the world, including many destinations sought out by modern luxury travellers. It’s our responsibility in the travel industry to ensure that we are honest and clear in our communication about how this affects our operations and thereby allow informed travellers to make up their own minds about travelling. We have certainly found that our guests educate themselves by doing more research and asking more questions, but ultimately share our view that choosing to travel keeps the conversation going, keeps people in touch and exposed to the outside world, and keeps valuable income flowing to those communities that rely on it most."
The Strand Hotel & Cruise (Myanmar)
"With everything that is happening and going on in the world today, whether that is political situations or unfortunately terrorism, people are more knowledgeable than they have ever been. Today we acknowledge that those issues are a part of the world we live in but that does not mean that they should stop you going out and exploring.
I remember years ago when something of this nature would happen that people would immediately holdback, putting a hold on their travel plans and cancelling trips, but now in luxury we do not see that. Take for instance the events in Europe or any other political situation; we did not see any response. In fact, I think it has a reverse effect. If people see politics getting complicated and tensions risings then they think, “Let’s travel before it gets worse.
In the end, it all comes down to travel. It is all about telling the world that it is not all about politics; politics cannot dictate the way in which we explore the world. The travel community is an international community and therefore we are more open to multicultural experiences. Ultimately, travel is increasing in the face of political uncertainty."
Lozano Travel (USA)
"As uncertainty continues to affect the world, the luxury travel industry continues to defy the reality. We are a robust community and refuse to let fear and anxiety affect the way we move around the world.
Connecting with humanity is now more important than ever. Travel broadens minds and breaks borders, creating global citizens as opposed to shut off or shut in individuals. As Benjamin Disraeli put in, ‘travel teaches tolerance’ – travel can provide an anecdote to this fear of uncertainty."
ILTM
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.
Asia Pacific offers luxury travellers the opportunity to explore some of the most diverse countries on the planet. But there are some topics regarding the region that continue to crop-up:
What is the fastest growing economy in the Asia Pacific?
Which Asia Pacific city has the greatest number of billionaires in the world?
What are the main countries that form the Asia Pacific?
View from ILTM have been speaking to key buyers and exhibitors from the Asia Pacific to find out how much they really know about this thriving region. Click on the video below for their intake.
ILTM Asia Pacific will be held at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore between 21-24 May 2018. For further information on the event please click 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.
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.
Indian-born and New Delhi based, Amit Kalsi runs Experiential Travel Journeys as its lead private travel designer, founder & CEO. Amit has been in the travel & tourism business for over 22 years now and is a committed and passionate traveller. He has accumulated an extensive portfolio of knowledge in organising unique travel experiences for discerning clients from his continuing work in the industry. We caught up with Amit at ILTM Cannes to get his insight on the rise of HNWIs driving luxury travel from India.
“Luxury travel from India is growing consistently and will continue to grow. It is difficult to put an exact growth percentage on it, however, since there are no organised bodies researching this claim. I feel that luxury travel exists in all generation categories but in various forms, shapes, sizes and bundles. However, if I were to shortlist a generation, predominantly Baby Boomers and Generation X are the true seekers of experiential luxury. They are more evolved and matured in their choices and definition of luxury. Their age, travel history and experiences have guided their changing and evolving mindsets over the years.
Some of the most popular regions requested by our clients include:
– Polar Regions (Antarctica, Arctic)
– South America (Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Chile etc.)
– Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China)
– East Europe (Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic)
– Africa (Botswana, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia)
The typical trip length for our clients is from 10 days to two weeks. The trip duration for discerning clients is increasing; they have started realising that they need to spend more time at each destination to be able to absorb it at a deeper level. We expect our clients to visit a maximum of two countries in a single trip. This is again a trend amongst our discerning luxury clients.
The average age of our clients is 55 years+ who are mature and experienced travellers. But, I can sense a discerning trend in terms of travel patterns, interests, and preferences from the 45 years level as well, which will be something to watch closely in the future.
For families, the favoured time of year to travel is from mid-May to the end of June with a short break in October, and a Christmas to New Year break in December. For others, they travel as per seasonal demand of the destination they are visiting and are not restricted by the school holidays. If a destination demands you travel in August, they shall plan and adjust their work and life schedules accordingly.
We prefer DMCs that are boutique, owner driven (supervised) and destination experts with established connections. If they are part of an established network, this gives you a confidence in their ability to deliver and exceed service standards. They should be able to offer the right balance of value and personalised service. Discerning clients are travelling to remote locations, taking once in a lifetime trips, visiting locations that are exotic, unique, and exclusive. Therefore, you need the right partners in such locales to be able to execute their travels.
Hotel choice is very client centric, we can have our own portfolio of preferred hotels, but in the end, it’s the clients’ taste and preferences that decide on the final selection. For some clients, creature comforts are most important even while visiting remote locations. For example, we have a client who has always wanted to visit Rwanda to see the gorillas. Two years since he first expressed his desire to visit Rwanda, he is now booked on a wilderness safari staying at Bisate Lodge, which matches his expectation of high luxury standards.
For others, destination and experience is more important, they are willing to give up creature comforts and the luxury they are accustomed to in more established locations or bigger global cities. That said, the discerning clients from India, baring a very few, would not rough it out as backpackers would do. A decent level of comfort is important for them before they decide to take the plunge into a truly experiential holiday. Let’s call it “high-end experiential travel”.
For discerning clients, the top activities requested are all surrounding experiential travel. They have heard about it, they have tasted it or they are tasting it now and their preferences and mindsets are changing accordingly. They are ready to experiment, travel out of their comfort zone and try out new activities. With them, nothing is standardised or traditional, they want to do the same things differently or try out new things, including; cooking classes, meeting and eating with locals, soft to moderate level adventure pursuits, and specialised guides for art, culture and heritage. Shopping, beach and city sightseeing will always be on agenda, as part of their experiential trip, but this will never overshadow their main purpose.”
To meet Experiential Travel Journeys and more of Asia’s most sought after travel designers, join us at ILTM Asia Pacific in Singapore between 21-24 May 2018.
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.
Influencers are winning the hearts and minds of consumers all over the world, so it’s no surprise that large international brands are using influencer marketing to promote themselves. The main question from brands is no longer whether it works. The business focus has shifted to working out what the most effective ways of leveraging the channel are.
HelloSociety has found that micro-influencers (accounts with 30,000 or fewer followers) are more beneficial for marketers to work with. According to the agency, micro-influencers drive 22.2 times more weekly engagements than the average consumer does and those campaigns are 6.7 times more efficient per engagement than influencers with larger followings are.*
This got us thinking about how destinations are using influencers, so we spoke to our trusted partners at the Catalan Tourist Board (Asia Pacific office) to find out whether they have adopted influencer marketing as a strategy.
What is your strategy for working with influencers and does it work?
The Catalonia Tourism Board has been working with influencers since 2014. Each campaign differs according to the target markets. One of our earliest campaigns, commissioned by the headquarters in Barcelona, worked with 5 different bloggers filming various regions of Catalonia in a varied number of ways. You have to check it out here.
Our strategy in Asia Pacific is slightly different. Aside from regular press trips for targeted magazines and media members, our Asia Pacific office is focused on bringing a certain number of bloggers on trips so they can leverage on each other’s talents and creativity to create even more compelling content. Last year we also experimented with celebrity influencers, and brought the famous Korean TV celebrity, Mina Sohn, with KBS World to do a TV series in Catalonia. This worked really well to promote Catalonia in South Korea.
How do you measure the success of an influencer campaign?
Admittedly, it is difficult to determine the actual earning per investment for these projects because the increase in following from the use of these influencers does not materialise in immediate travel to Catalonia. We take into account an increase in tourists from our Asia Pacific regions to Barcelona/Catalonia as a mark of success for these campaigns. We like to cultivate a following through influencers from various Asian cities to act as ambassadors for our region.
How do you choose the right influencers for your brand?
We work closely with our representative offices across the world to identify popular influencers. Being in contact with various travel and blogger associations helps us to keep updated with recent activities and information about this sphere of media. Lastly, we do our own research to ensure influencers’ profiles match the requirements, personality and aesthetic of our brand.
Are there any top tips you have learnt that you can share with us?
Take a multi-pronged approach to working with any influencer. Yes, influencers play a role in cultivating brand awareness among their followers and this is especially useful for destinations which might be relatively unknown. However, there needs to be a tangible “point of sale” that is incorporated into these campaign to persuade the target audience to make a trip to Catalonia, for example.
Thinking about joining the micro-influencer revolution? Read our 5 top tips guide to choosing the right influencer for your brand.
*Source: HelloSociety Report
At ILTM North America, we sat down with Latin America travel experts to discuss this booming luxury travel market. Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and TV anchor, hosts the People of ILTM North America interviews where we bring you the latest LATAM insights from industry heavyweights.
Meet Louise Bang, Vice President of Global Sales for Latin America & Caribbean at Marriott International. She says, “the Caribbean and Latin America is a world full of opportunities.”
Learn from more luxury travel leaders in our People of ILTM series or find inspiration from other luxury industries in our 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.
100 years ago (some) British women got the vote, yet problems of inequality still haunt today’s conversations. In particular, income inequality sparks fierce debate around the world, with wealth concentration deemed a growing and dangerous issue. Much has been written about this concern, but the magnitude of this phenomenon and its corresponding impact are less understood.
Not since just prior to the Great Depression, do so few own so much…
Source: YouGov Report in partnership with ILTM, The State of the Affluent Mindset
To put this in perspective, the top 1% globally gained US$45 trillion of wealth over the last seven years while the bottom 90% has struggled to stay even. Moreover, the top 10% now owns nearly 90% of worldwide assets and the top 1% alone hold over half.
So, what does all this mean for the top 10%? What is the impact of this wealth concentration on the affluent traveller?
Put simply, being wealthy is a reward that carries a variety of risks. Assumptions of being blind to austerity and lacking empathy for your fellow human are rife. These well-educated and political shrewd wealthy consumers, however, are alive to the struggle between entitlement and responsibility, and factor this increasingly into their behaviour. In fact, 80% feel it is their responsibility to help the less fortunate. Their desire to give back is genuine, and not often tied to feelings of guilt or overindulgence that can sometimes be a feature of “living in the bubble” of wealth.
Fear is anchored in the risk of disproportionate affluence and luxury travellers are therefore turning to a few key tactics to overcome this. One of the most important factors being the need for privacy. Now when we say privacy we do not mean an isolated, private island in the Maldives, rather privacy in the old-fashioned sense before the likes of Twitter and Facebook, when our private lives were genuinely private. In other words, affluent people are making attempts to hide their wealth for others and this includes their own family members as many wealthy individuals have exceeded the wealth of their brothers and sisters.
So, what effect does this need for privacy have on the affluent community?
Enclaving. The act of surrounding yourself with others with whom you share common values, ethnicities, and most importantly, socioeconomic status has emerged as a significant behaviour of luxury travellers.
Source: YouGov Report in partnership with ILTM, The State of the Affluent Mindset
Nearly all (91%) luxury travellers prefer socialising with people who share their values and 73% indicate that the vast majority of their friends have achieved a similar level of success. There is greater comfort in the familiar and while new experiences are high on the traveller’s list of priorities, they are increasingly comforted by brands that offer a hyper-segmented, close circle of like-minded people to share them with.
So, what does this mean for those targeting the affluent consumer?
As a luxury travel brand, you need to ask yourself:
To understand the affluent traveller in more detail, download The State of the Affluent Mindset, brought to you by YouGov and ILTM.
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.
The ILTM Global Forum is the pinnacle of the luxury travel calendar and the biggest and boldest educational event of the season. This is where an understanding of the new breed of luxury traveller takes shape, insights about the industry are shared and inspiration meets entertainment.
At ILTM Cannes last year, the Global Forum explored a world increasingly caught between extremes. Featuring leading figures from politics, business, and technology, “The World In…” looked ahead to a second year for the American presidency, the political and economic challenges of Brexit, and the changing landscape of the affluent mindset internationally, to explore the forecasts of 5 globally-minded experts. “The World In…” was an event dedicated to predictions of global trends and future affairs.
The 2,000 luxury travel industry shapers in the audience were inspired by leading thinkers as they took a provocative and enlightening look at the years ahead in a series of talks curated by ILTM. We now invite you to experience the five keynote talks once again.
David Rowan, keynote speaker and former editor-at-large for WIRED
We are entering a fast-moving world of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, hyperloops and brain-controlled computing. We have had Elon Musk promising to fly us from Europe to Australia in an hour; two German companies launching their flying cars; and AIs beating the world’s best games players. How will these tech developments impact luxury travel? Find out how everything from autonomous travel to immersive experiences will change the expectations of tomorrow’s discerning traveller.
Marc-André Kamel, Partner and Director at Bain & Company
Traditional luxury market segmentation is losing relevance. From the dawn of post-aspirational luxury, to the rocketing importance of ‘values’ over ‘status’, everything we once knew is changing, and fast. Bain & Co. has been ahead of every emerging trend in luxury for decades. As one of the world’s leading authorities on luxury trends, find out what they know about today’s affluent mindset, what they predict for the future, and their recommendations for the luxury travel CEO’s ideal Monday morning agenda.
Jess Kimball Leslie, Chief Futurist at OgilvyRED
Never before have companies tried so hard to employ so few people. An onslaught of the world’s brightest economists and academics have sounded the alarm, declaring that the economy is rapidly changing. The world’s most visionary CEOs have quietly been preparing their business models for a world in which our economy is structured very differently. At some point, when the problem is not just Uber but driverless Uber, and when the radiologists start losing their jobs to AI, the travel industry is going to have to figure out what this means for us.
Onno Poortier, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of NOW
Hoteliers started to discuss the “green issue” in the late 1980’s after a UN report raised awareness of the disturbing relations between human society and the natural environment. Here we are thirty years later and climate change has become the defining predicament of our time. But while many hotels are doing excellent work, we are still hesitant to talk about the issues. Travel is the world’s largest and fastest growing industry and it is our job to inspire and empower the traveller to make a sustainable difference.
Chris Kutarna, Author of Age of Discovery
Not so long ago, the European Union was inseparable, Trump was unelectable, globalisation was irreversible, science was incontrovertible and even the democratisation of China was inevitable. A second Age of Discovery is upon us. To navigate it, we’re going to need to make new maps. Chris tears up the out-dated thinking and the unconscious biases that obscure our understanding of present political, economic, technological and social trends. And he draws a fresh vision to help you captain humanity’s voyage to the New World.
Continue exploring the future of luxury by hearing from visionaries across all industries in our 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.
Last year was not an easy time for Mexico City. On September 19th, the city suffered a severe 7.1 earthquake that took the life of 305 people and damaged close to 3,000 buildings. Strangely enough 32 years ago, on the exact same day, another deadly earthquake destroyed Mexico City, killing around 10,000 people. Other than the strange coincidence of the date, the outcomes have been very different. We learnt so much from the 1985 experience and the lives that we lost recently are significantly fewer. Even if this is good news, coming back from the earthquake has proven to be the most difficult part (and I can only speak on behalf of Mexico City, knowing that there are many communities and towns affected in Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, etc. that are going through a very challenging time).
The first few days after the earthquake happened, the international community focused all their attention on Mexico City, whilst most of the Mexicans were out on streets, trying to help however way possible. However, as the days went on, the international media forgot about the situation as we tried to move on with our lives. Nevertheless, there is still so much to do in terms of reconstruction and rebuilding; still so many people are homeless and unable to be find a new place to live. The real problem is that everything is taking too long and this is not something happening exclusively in Mexico, this is something that is happening in Puerto Rico, in the Caribbean, in Houston, in Napa, and in so many other places.
In these situations, tourism plays a key role in helping the communities rebuild their lives and helps to speed up the recovery time. In the aftermath of the Mexico City earthquake, travellers cancelled their trips leaving hotels with very low occupancy rates. By the beginning of the November, and thanks to the F1, most of our hotels are busy again but we need to work to keep this going. Hotels, restaurants and shops run on the money international travellers bring in so we need them to keep the city alive.
I recently was lucky enough to meet Sylvia Earle, one of the most respected marine biologists in the world, an explorer and a strong advocate for the ocean. Sylvia came to Mexico to promote her project ‘Mission Blue’, to raise awareness about the importance of looking after the ocean. Sylvia has created a network of ‘Hope Spots’ all over the world. These ‘Hope Spots’ are protected areas in the ocean that work as under water national parks where wildlife is protected from human threats (mainly indiscriminate fishing). Sylvia has been fighting to protect the ocean for a very long time, trying to get the world to understand the inevitable co-relationship between what is happening under the sea and what is happening on the surface. For Sylvia the connection is very clear, the recent hurricanes, floods and uncontrollable fires all connect with the state of the ocean.
Since we cannot see what is happening below the surface it is difficult to understand and get our head around the real damage we are doing to the ocean. Sylvia has made it her mission in life to ensure society understands the severity of the issue and respond accordingly. Sylvia made me realise, as I really did not understand the extent of the damage we are causing until I met her.
As travellers, and as citizens, we have choices. We choose where we go, we choose what we eat, we choose how we spend our money. As an international travel community our decisions can make a huge difference. As travel agents, we should encourage tourism in an area that is recovering from a natural disaster. As journalists, we should use our pages to tell the stories of those people in the world who are making a difference. In the aftermath of a very complicated 2017, and with so many communities and cities affected by natural disasters (and sadly, many human threats), we need to be more conscious than ever on the choices we make. There is no excuse, because we are able to make the right choice. Hopefully, now, more than ever, we will be aware of the importance and the power behind each decision we make.
María Pellicer has been Editor-in-Chief of Travesías Magazine for the past seven years, travelling the world looking for stories. Travesías are regular media attendees at ILTM events; catch them first at ILTM Latin America this May!
Online booking and self-booking are steadily gaining popularity, particularly with the new generation of travellers, but luxury travel advisors can convince Gen Z travellers to book a tour or travel experience, with visual marketing, personalised recommendations, and a seamless online booking system.
This generation watches two times as many videos on mobile than other generations, and 70 per cent spend two-plus hours on YouTube per day, according to some statistics. Cisco has reported reports that streaming video will account for more than two-thirds of all consumer internet traffic this year.
More specifically, did you know that 90 per cent of travellers watch online videos? Also, 75 per cent of affluent travellers, 72 per cent of business travellers, and 45 per cent of leisure travellers book travel after viewing an online travel video. These numbers by video marketing observers, tubularinsights.com, may vary from market to market but they remain true to the potential of video marketing in wooing new audiences in luxury travel.
The only challenge with creating interesting video content for these audiences is that they take as less as eight seconds to process information, before moving on to the next piece of information.
Once you have their attention, the opportunities for real-time servicing on emerging and established platforms cannot be ignored.
Take Four Seasons Private Jet Experience, for example, that promises a journey of a lifetime on its website with: glamorous images tick, fabulous videos tick, and just to ensure they have a word with you before your attention drifts, a live Facebook Messenger chatbot with an answer for every question. The last trick will continue to serve luxury travel vendors because when it comes to customisation needs, the most questions and concerns that can be processed in real time, the better and a chatbot comes supremely handy to serve that purpose.
Not all luxury packaging is entirely digital though.
Here in Dubai, the widely touted den of luxury, Atlantis, the Palm, enlisted a spirited on-ground activation to create delicious footage that was lapped up online by their core, and better-still, wider target. All they did was turn a typical cab ride in London into a fairytale by having the driver offer a luxurious vacation to jaded passengers at the end of the ride. The conversation gets captured on candid camera and used as a promotional video to position Atlantis Dubai as a getaway for Londoners. Feel the warmth of this idea that drew new audiences to a luxury outpost.
According to digital marketing agency PMX in Luxury Study, Louis Vuitton’s top two engaging Instagram posts in 2017 revolved around the hashtag #SpiritofTravel, and featured “new luggage for the 21st Century traveller”. This has been a watershed moment for the popular photo/video sharing platform, the number of luxury social media followers on Instagram grew 54 per cent in the past year way ahead of Facebook and Twitter.
Instagram accounted for 50 per cent of the luxury social audience – if luxury travel vendors are not wooing new audience here then they are surely missing a trick?
Core take-outs: become proactive like the Four Seasons chatbot, think unlike others as Atlantis, and be where the new audience is like Louis Vuitton.
Rashi Sen is the Editor of Travel & Tourism News Middle East and a regular attendee of ILTM in Cannes. Meet a TTN publisher and editor this year at ILTM!
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:
There’s no doubt 2017 has been an historic year.
Affluent travellers worldwide are dealing with a non-stop, volatile and rapidly changing reality. So what affect is all this change having on their attitude to travel? And what does the smart luxury brand need to know about the changing ways modern affluent travellers are making their decisions?
This report explores the evolving luxury consumer and the new pressure they are putting on luxury brands to prove they’re worth it.
We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed working with YouGov to make it!
I had my lightbulb moment a couple of years ago. I was in Miami, visiting the brand-new 1 Hotel South Beach. It was effortlessly cool: a fabulous rooftop pool, a sceney restaurant, interior design just made for Instagram. But what really struck me were the taps. Not those in the bathrooms. No, these were in the bedrooms – every room had one, piping in cold, triple-filtered drinking water. Just a simple tap, with a stylish recycled glass bottle and some tumblers. Guests had fresh water whenever they wanted it, and no need for any nasty little plastic bottles of mineral water. Such a simple idea, but such a brilliant one.
Elsewhere were little clues that the hotel was “eco” – recycled cardboard hangers in the rooms; reclaimed wood-paneled walls; recycled wooden discs for keys. But they didn’t shout about it. It was just a sexy, stylish hotel that also happened to be sustainable.
That was my lightbulb moment. That “green” and “eco” and “sustainable” needn’t be boring. It needn’t be dry. It needn’t be a bunch of hippies knitting their own clothes and living off homegrown kale. Green can be cool, and hip. In fact, green SHOULD be cool and hip.
Why should it be? Because travellers care. Millenials do, obviously – a recent study showed that nearly 30% would be more likely to book a hotel if it took measures to protect the environment. They are more widely travelled than any other generation, and want to know they’re not damaging the places they’re visiting. And they want to Instragram the heck out of it all.
But it’s not just the young and social-media-savvy. When I recently interviewed a group of luxury lodge owners and hotel group bosses, they all agreed that they’d noticed a real shift in the attitude of their wealthy (older) guests. Luke Bailes, CEO of Singta, summed it up nicely: “There’s a new breed of philanthropists genuinely worried about the state of the world – they want to help”.
So how should the industry work with that desire to help? How do properties and tour operators tell their guests about the great things they’re doing – to get them engaged in local issues, donating to local causes? How do they communicate sustainability without being preachy or…boring?
When I advise hotels on exactly this, top of the list is to make sure they don’t make their guests feel guilty. Holidays are meant to be fun, and guilt is the ultimate killjoy. Take towel reuse. We all know that hotel laundry is a huge drain on natural resources, but guests don’t want to feel bad for using an extra towel, especially if they’re paying a premium on their room rates. Nor do they want to think a hotel is asking them to reuse their towels just to save money.
So properties need to be cleverer. There’s nothing wrong with suggesting towels are reused – but do it in a smarter way. Research shows if a hotel is transparent about how much money is saved when towels and sheets are used more than once – and if that saving is then donated to a local, worthwhile cause – the rate of reuse increases. So put up one of those little annoying signs if you must, but then say where you’re putting those savings. If I’m on safari and I see it’s funnelled back into local elephant conservation, that’s something I can get excited about.
Be creative. Fogo Island Inn, an über-chic (and thoroughly sustainable) lodge in Newfoundland, has launched a version of a nutritional label, which clearly explains where the money from the rooms goes. Just like a label on a sandwich tells us what we’re eating, this says what percentage goes on wages, on charitable contributions, etc. They’ve looked at another industry and borrowed a simple way to tell their own story.
We can borrow from the NGO sector, too. I advise charity: water, a US charity which brings clean water to developing countries and has turned the sector on its head. Gone are negative, upsetting images of suffering. Instead, the messages are unfailingly positive, with optimistic stories that make you feel great about donating, and cool images that are easy to share.
Sharing is everything now, of course, and simple hashtags are powerful – like Steppes Travel’s #refusetouse campaign encouraging travellers to decline plastics. As are photo opps. Give your guests a way of showcasing and sharing their good deeds, like at Wilderness’s new Bisate Lodge in Rwanda, where every guest has the chance to plant a new tree. It’s the perfect feel-good Instagram opportunity.
Some companies go the full hog and “eco-embed” their values in their brand, making tricky decisions on behalf of their guests. Soneva, for example, carbon offsets all its guests’ flights. Bali’s Alila hotels have gone plastic-free, and the UK’s Pig Hotels only source local food. These are brands that have woven sustainability into their identity, without losing an iota of their luxurious, stylish trademark – just like 1 Hotels.
Make the decisions, or help your guests to make them. But no guilt-trips, please. It’s time to for brands to be smarter. It’s time for your lightbulb moment.
Francisca Kellett is Travel Editor at Tatler magazine, and is a freelance journalist and hotel consultant. Meet Francisca Kellett all this week at ILTM in Cannes!
I am on a small personal crusade to ensure that “transformative” does not become the new “authentic.” I gather that, at this point, “authentic” has been a buzzword for so long that we are yearning for something new to talk about. But I would argue that “transformative” isn’t quite it.
The desire for authenticity was, to my mind, a major shift in the zeitgeist that began decades ago, driven by a major boom in global travel that made our consumers, particularly at the high end of the market, better travelled than ever before. As they became more worldly, in the literal sense, they not only became savvier consumers generally, but they became more comfortable with difference, and more comfortable with stepping out of their comfort zone. Too much of luxury travel, for too long, and especially in the developing world, was about the packaging of experience and the creation of a bubble for these travellers that was meant to make them feel secure. Over time, people didn’t so much need or want the bubble. What they wanted was the opportunity to get closer to what was real: they wanted to meet the locals, and eat their food, see the good and the bad. They wanted to feel the place. They wanted to understand.
And so it was important for us all to embrace authenticity as an idea, to jettison some of the longstanding conventions of high-end travel and think about ways that we could disintermediate place and culture for travellers. As much as I hear groans every time someone says “authenticity” these days, I still think it’s the most important trend in consumer travel preferences of our time.
So is “transformative” a thing? Yes, most definitely. We live in a time when all sorts of issues—from the fragility of our planet to the crudeness of public discourse to the pressures created by intensive workplace cultures and always-on technology—have us thinking a great deal about the importance of wellbeing and deeper meaning in our lives. And people are, I think, increasingly aware of the power that travel has to feed those things. Travellers are indeed getting on planes to go places where they can practice mindfulness or learn to sleep better or quit smoking. They are walking the Camino de Santiago to find themselves. They are quitting their jobs to travel around the world for a year and reinvent their lives.
But I would suggest it is still a relatively small number of people who are consciously traveling specifically to seek some form of personal transformation. Most of what is transformative in travel, as I see it, happens by accident, in small, serendipitous moments. When you watch a sunrise with your spouse and realize you haven’t simply sat silent with each other observing a moment of beauty in a long time. Or when you and your child see a baby impala being born on safari and you can tell her eyes are opening to wonders of nature and science. Or when wading in a stream and catching a trout fills you with a sense of accomplishment much greater than you felt back in the office building that spreadsheet.
My concern with “transformative” is that it injects a kind of seriousness, of worthiness, into travel that could lead us to forget a fundamental truth: that most people travel to have fun. Whether we’re doing it alone or with friends or family or with the loves of our lives (or of right now), traveling first and foremost gives us the time and mental space to leave some of the cares of our daily lives behind. We get to live for a few days on schedules not dictated by our Outlook calendars and according to the guiding principle of satisfying our own desires. We get to go out exploring or just curl up and read a book. However we choose to define our enjoyment, the point is that’s what we are doing: enjoying ourselves.
Somewhere in there, something transformative might happen. Or it might not. I would not suggest anyone ignore this desire for deeper meaning that travellers today have. It is real, and there is a genuine opportunity to create special experiences or facilitate meaningful moments. But as we do that, my plea is that we not forget the pleasure principle. Travel in and of itself is transformational—the act of going new places opens you up and helps you to see the world with new eyes, and over time it changes you—but most of the time that’s not really the point. Fundamentally we succeed when we simply help people have the time of the lives, when they laugh out loud or gasp with astonishment or jump for joy.
Nathan Lump is Editor in Chief of Travel + Leisure and Editorial Director, Luxury & Lifestyle Group at Time Inc. Meet Nathan Lump and the T+L team all this week at ILTM in Cannes.
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.
