ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS Brought to you by © The Brando MORE THAN AN EXPERIENCE, WE ARE SPEAKING MORE ABOUT EMOTIONS NOW THE ULTIMATE IN Finding unforgettable immersive experiences far P eople are increasingly seeking «unique» or «immersive» experiences when they travel. This is the leitmotif of Paris based travel advisors Voyages Confidentiels. We asked agency co-founder Myriam Guyon to explain… Myriam Guyon Co-founder, Voyages Confidentiels Searching for a unique experience on a trip is actually the essence of our work of customisation for a client. Our customers are great travellers, who have already experienced many things and visited beautiful places under excellent conditions. More than an experience, we are speaking more about emotions now. The client is looking for a memory… of something they felt facing a situation, a place, or an activity, that will remain engraved. It’s a daily challenge for our agency to always anticipate and surprise our customers during the organisation of a trip, by punctuating the stay with experiences that could not have found on their own. It is therefore important for us to master the expectations of the client, their tastes, and being able to read between the lines of the emotions they sought during previous trips. Immersion is another particularity of a clientele in search of authenticity, away from the crowds, and usually comes from people wishing, above all, to find themselves. This is also part of our work, to include the client in the process and personal initiative thanks to our connections with the locals. How do you reconcile this with people wanting a luxury experience at the same time? Experiential travel is quite compatible with luxury. Many hoteliers have heard and understood the aspirations of demanding clients accustomed to luxury codes and have been able to adapt by offering exceptional accommodation and experiences within the establishment, either by leveraging local staff at the hotel, or outsiders. It is a great way to combine comfort, service and immersion.
Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #31 2016 Autumn Edition 17 © The Brando © The Brando LUXURY from the madding crowd PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL: VOYAGES CONFIDENTIELS Do you have some examples? One of the best examples currently is what has been done on the island of Sumba in Indonesia, with the hotel Nihiwatu. Not only is this a unique, privileged location, but it is also an example of sustainable development, limiting the impact on the natural environment. Nihiwatu is an outpost to world-class surfing, the best sport fishing in Indonesia, hiking through breathtaking waterfalls, ancient villages and butterfly trails. For wellness aficionados, the stunning yoga platform and the unique Nihi Oka Spa Safari allow for healthful holidays. The resort focuses on unregulated freedom, understated luxury, and providing unforgettable memories that allow guests to reconnect with a life lived simply, healthfully and mindfully. Nihiwatu was born of a vision to protect and preserve the unique culture and empower the local communities to support themselves and their families and give them the opportunity to improve their own lives. Very popular also with our customers, and a favourite of our team, is the opportunity to participate in research with a team of marine scientists during a stay at the luxurious Tetiaroa atoll, at the hotel The Brando in French Polynesia. The project of the heirs of Marlon Brando to this idyllic atoll is not limited to a luxurious eco-friendly hotel. They have also created the Tetiaroa Society, a scientific initiative that welcomes researchers from around the world wishing to study subjects related to environmental sustainability. Customers can interact with the resident teams who conduct basic research on coral atolls, current flows and their impact on the reef, algae, and so on. It’s substantive work that will improve the knowledge of our environment, threatened by climate change. In 2011, Voyages Confidentiels was born from an ambition: to create the exceptional, to allow people to live the most beautiful travel experiences. Because magic cannot be captured, Voyages Confidentiels has no catalogue or showcase, but weaves a strong relational link with the client. For each and every one, their trip is made according to a work of master travel craftspeople: a subtle blend of rare and unusual moments. It is because they travel the world, meet valuable contacts, find the secret addresses that Voyages Confidentiel’s teams can grant all the wishes of these travellers and still go well beyond their expectations. Voyages Confidentiels was the first French Agency to be chosen to join the Virtuoso network, a reference in the luxury travel market.
