Luxury travel never goes out of fashion. Consumers are getting bolder, looking for unique experiences and far-flung destinations as they plan their travel for 2024 according to more than 100 luxury travel advisors who attended Global Travel Collection’s Elevate conference.
Luxury travel: what’s ahead for the industry
Advisors who participated in the survey say that experiential travel is a growing trend among their clients, who want to do something new and different when they go on vacation. Demand/bookings for exploring and touring new destinations has increased by nearly 75 percent, while demand for family travel has risen by 63 percent, and interest in luxury cruises has grown by 60 percent.
“Expedition cruising, including the Arctic and Galapagos, is becoming increasingly popular even for clients who don’t prefer cruising,” Many of her clients also say they want to revisit their favorite cities for a deeper dive into the culture and even smaller surrounding areas. “Familiarity is comforting to my clients when revisiting a destination, but they want to explore up-and-coming neighborhoods, restaurants and art scenes, too.”
Brooke Liberman, luxury travel advisor with Global Travel Collection
Africa and Asia are popular vacation destinations, along with bucket-list experiences like climbing Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro. Travel advisors are seeing a big increase in the Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Thailand and Korea, as well as some smaller, off-the-beaten-path places, like Malta. The top 10 destinations for 2023 include the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Mexico, South Africa, Japan, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Argentina.
“Italy, Greece and Portugal were tops for 2023,” “2024 is already showing renewed interest in Asia, particularly, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and Korea. Australia and New Zealand will also see high interest coming into their summer, but availability will be a challenge unless clients start booking six months or more in advance.”
Lisa Taub, luxury travel advisor with The Travel Collaborative
Millennials are opting for luxury
Nearly half of the advisors surveyed report a jump in the demand for their services. About 30 percent say that they’ve seen an increase in the number of their Millennial clients, those ages 29 to 43. Consumers are looking for the expertise that a travel advisor provides, especially as they navigate complicated travel arrangements to bucket-list destinations. They also want the peace of mind that comes with using a travel advisor. They appreciate knowing that there’s someone they can call if a problem arises at any point before, during or after their trip.
Whatever the destination, travelers are aiming for a more immersive vacation, with private, out-of-the-box services and VIP experiences. They want to feel a connection to the place they’re visiting. And they rely on the skill of a travel advisor to help create a unique, customized itinerary that fulfills their vacation dreams. Travelers are also booking longer trips and planning their vacations far in advance. Some advisors say they’re arranging trips for clients that won’t take place until 2025.
Milan as a luxury destination
The city of Milan offers a wide range of luxury experiences. The capital of fashion and design features five stars hotels and high end clubs like Casa Cipriani. In the spring of next year “The Core” will open its doors just a few steps from the fashion district Via Montenapoleone.
«It took us 15 years to find a city that resembled New York and in the end we understood that in Milan there was that vibrant atmosphere made possible by the visionary approach of its inhabitants»
Corriere della Sera
The two fifty-year-old partners explain to Corriere, couple in work and life. Jennie, of Sicilian origins (“Core means essence, but it is also an allusion to the heart”) and Dangene, inventor of the Institute, a beauty salon focused on the revitalization of the skin, after leaving their respective husbands they chose a common surname, Enterprise.
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