ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS THE
ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS THE RISE OF THE LUXURY Key Take-Aways from ILTM Cannes 2015 December 2015 saw one of the largest ILTMs ever, with around 1500 buyers from 77 countries attending to meet with a plethora of suppliers in packed individual diaries of pre-scheduled appointments as well as social networking opportunities. The event was a launch pad for a large number of companies, creating a new roadmap for the industry. Following are some of the key take-aways from the show. LUXURY TRAVEL TRENDS REPORT UNDERLINES IMPORTANCE OF “NEW” MIDDLE CLASSES A new luxury travel trends report published at ILTM Cannes by the event’s organisers in association with Euromonitor, highlights a predicted increase in international luxury travel in the face of growing tourism flows from emerging markets and middle class consumers. According to Alison Gilmore, Senior Exhibition Director, ILTM Portfolio, “This exclusive ILTM report spells good news for both luxury travel and luxury spending. Over a billion extra people will be travelling in 2030, with over 5 billion consumers living in c ities – travel infrastructure and mindsets will need to change as the luxury industry evolves.” Luxury travel is expected to see more buoyant growth across the globe with highest growth seen in the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa, thanks to increasing income and a growing middle class. Germany and the UK are the top source markets from Western Europe. Worldwide, the report reveals that the number of affluent households is expected to grow between 2015 and 2030. North America will continue to have the wealthiest number of households, but despite the economic slowdown Asia Pacific is still expected to see the fastest increase, posting a predicted 113% growth between 2015 and 2030. MARANATHA WAGERS ON HIGH-END SEGMENT With a new development strategy – aiming to acquire, renovate and manage new hotels – Maranatha has reached the 10th rank amongst French hotel groups, and is now strongly targeting the high-end segment. Strengthening the group philosophy of not only financing, but also managing hotels, ILTM also saw the launch of the group’s new brand identity, reflecting the group’s three interrelated and complementary professions: invest, acquire/renovate and manage, entitled “Synergie Hôtelière”. This positioning is based on the belief that the upscale segment offers a better stability than the economy market, which is strongly impacted by the emergence of new players in accommodation rental. In Gordes, at the heart of the Luberon in France, Maranatha’s picturesque “Mas des Herbes Blanches”***** Relais & Châteaux has undergone renovation and extension work under the supervision of the architect Laurent Maugouste
Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #29 2016 Spring Edition 13 MARKET Arnaud Wielgus Sales Director, Operations and e-business, Relais & Châteaux BRANSON ESTATE NOW PART OF VIRGIN LIMITED EDITION PORTFOLIO Virgin Limited Edition – Sir Richard Branson’s luxury collection – is expanding, with the announcement at ILTM Cannes of the newest addition – The Branson Estate on Moskito Island, available for rental from early 2016. Situated on 125 acres of stunning paradise, surrounded by turquoise Caribbean waters, The Branson Estate features three villas: Headland House, Mangrove Villa and Beach Villa offering a total of 11 bedrooms for 22 guests. For arrivals in 2016 The Branson Estate can be booked for 22 guests for ,300 per night (,150 per person, per night). RELAIS & CHÂTEAUX UNDERLINES “FIGHT AGAINST EXCESSIVE STANDARDISATION” With a genuine search for new and genuine experiences, Relais & Châteaux will be unveiling, over the coming months, a number of new initiatives destined to enriching the travellers’ experiences within local communities. Arnaud Wielgus, Sales Director, Operations and e-business, told Cleverdis at ILTM that the vision of Philippe Gombert, international group president, to “make the world a better place through cuisine and hospitality”, was becoming a reality. The group has launched a campaign on a worldwide level to defend three initiatives: preserve the cuisines of the world, share the passion for the beautiful and the good, be players of a more humane world. “We want to do this with humility but with pugnacity”, he added. SIX SENSES GETS PERSONAL Six Senses have announced a new spa concept entitled, “Integrated Wellness”. It’s an innovative approach to wellness in which the group’s in-house experts measure and analyze key physiological biomarkers to provide guests with lifestyle and nutritional advice, and design a personalised program of spa treatments, fitness and wellness activities based on the preventative principles of the Eastern medicine approach and the result-oriented Western influences. In 2015, Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas opened its first resort in Europe, located in the Portuguese UNESCO World Heritage area of the Douro Valley. Covering 22 acres, the new resort features an expansive 2,230 square meters (24,000 square feet) Six Senses Spa offering treatments inspired by the local area and its famed port wine.
