ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS Uxmal Panama city at night © Mexico Tourism Board Matthew D. Upchurch Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Virtuoso VIRTUOSO’S UPCHURCH: “THE ROLE OF THE REAL, TRUE TRAVEL ADVISOR IS THE HOTTEST THING AND IT’S NOT GOING AWAY” Addressing a packed press room at ILTM 2015, Virtuoso Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Matthew D. Upchurch set a bullish tone not only about the luxury travel industry in general, but also when it comes to the role of travel advisors. With over 2400 new advisors in 2015, Upchurch stated, “The reality is, it has never been stronger… The role of the real, true travel advisor is the hottest thing and it’s not going away.” The fact that travel and tourism is growing more than any almost other industry in the world is, says Upchurch, due to several factors. Four generations of people are now travelling all at same time, and the number of healthy, active 80 year olds has gone up by a huge percentage. Mr Upchurch went on to explain that a shift is occurring, particularly in the west, towards primary spending from luxury goods to luxury experiences. This, he says, is not new but it is accelerating, evidenced by the fact that luxury travel is now a bigger market than that of luxury automobiles. An interesting fact is that according to Virtuoso’s research, wealthier millennials are giving higher loyalty to travel advisers than older generations: “The theory is that they are the first generation for whom the defacto way of booking was online, so luxury for them means not doing it themselves. They value personal connections and great advisors, with a personal contact and approach”. According to Mr Upchurch, really “great” advisors have not changed since the beginning of the jet age, as they have the same knowledge, but now just use new tools. The trend towards people entering the field of high-end travel advice is, he says, impressive. The Virtuoso boss smiled as he told the tale of not just one, but several of his lawyer friends turning to the career of travel advisor. UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH FOR VIRTUOSO Virtuoso has analyzed the latest data from its warehouse of more than billion in transactions to uncover where wealthy travellers are heading this winter and spring. Upscale travellers are seeking exotic destinations as they escape winter’s hold on North America.While some perennial warm-weather favourites remain popular, Virtuoso’s proprietary data also reveals a yearning to explore far and wide as it compares destinations with the most yearover-year appeal.
Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #29 2016 Spring Edition 9 © SaavedraVS TAKING EXPERIENTIAL TRAVEL TO THE N TH DEGREE Taha’a Private Island & Spa: a truly memorable and powerful experience Top Ten destinations for January-March 2016 vacations. 1. Mexico 6. South Africa 2. Canada 7. Argentina 3. Australia 8. India 4. New Zealand 9. Chile 5. United Kingdom 10. China The Top 10 analysis: Global travel is up overall, and travellers are flocking to a mix of eternally fashionable places and more unusual choices. Mexico and Canada finish first and second, their strength i s not surprising due to their proximity to the United States. Southern destinations dominate the Top 10 as usual for winter in the Northern Hemisphere, with one notable European exception being the UK, Australia and New Zealand are experiencing solid growth, especially for two already popular luxury destinations. Upscale travellers, always searching for novel destinations, are finding them in Asia and South America. India in particular is surging, and Argentina and Chile continue to beckon wealthy travellers with their mix of food, wine, diverse landscapes and history. It’s also worth noting that half these destinations are Englishspeaking, making them more comfortable for US travellers. While the most prestigious events related to luxury and ultra luxury debate the true meaning of luxury today, it is probably in French Polynesia and, more specifically, at the Taha’a Island Resort and Spa that we have found the answer. Defined by the Relais & Chateaux philosophy, and located on the secluded Motu Tautau islet, facing the lush island of Taha’a on one side and the majestic silhouette of Bora Bora on the other, the resort, inspired by traditional Polynesian architecture and style, hosts 57 remarkable suites and villas. If luxury or ultra luxury means living an exceptional moment in a magical place where you feel at home, loved (the word is not too strong), surrounded by warm attentions to the point of forgetting that you are a customer but more like a pampered member of a family then Yes, the Taha’a is the height of luxury. General Manager Julien Bressolles has managed to retain the charm and friendliness of his Tahitian staff without walling them into codes or international processes one might find with the big names in luxury. The result is an incredibly communicative atmosphere of wellbeing both between the clients and the staff. Add to that the magic of the location on the Taha’a lagoon with an incredible coral garden, with some outstanding gastronomy and you will look no further… The Virtuoso Hot 10: These countries have seen the most significant growth in year-on-year bookings for the first quarter. 1. Panama (+107%) 6. India (+46%) 2. Thailand (+92%) 7. Jamaica (+44%) 3. Switzerland (+56%) 8. Vietnam (+43%) 4. South Africa (+50%) 9. Colombia (+39%) 5. Kenya (+47%) 10. Spain (+34%)
