If 2020 and 2021 were the 0 years (and 2022 and 2023 of revenge), then 2024 is the year when the holidays, despite everything, return to normal. But, of course, “normal” is a relative term. For the elite of high-net-worth individuals, a popular permanence package probably isn’t exactly what it’s intended to be.
“Travel shows no signs of slowing down, despite inflation and other global economic challenges,” says premium travel advisor Virtuoso. The company saw a 69% increase in its sales compared to 2019, while exclusive operators such as Black Tomato and Original Travel say they run trips that cost six figures. Luxury travel is definitely in bad shape.
But what form will those exclusive breakups take in concrete terms next year?We talked to industry experts and they had a lot of other ideas and some common ground emerged.
First, travelers seek cultural and adventure riches rather than open pampering. “Exotic destinations are back,” he continues, Virtuoso. La people are not afraid to spread their wings and are looking for hidden destinations. Specifically, travelers should mark safe destinations before time runs out due to climate changes or geopolitical events.
In the same vein, sustainability is an increasingly vital topic on the calendar, and not just in the environmental sense. After the Covid era, where private wellbeing and social distancing dominated, 2024 has a more altruistic air when it comes to and benefits both local communities and residents.
And, of course, generation is part of the picture. From space expeditions to virtual reality, it continues to shape the how and position of travel. The only thing that may not be on the schedule for next year’s 0. 1%?experience. . .
1. Travel for Broader Purposes
Post-Covid, the socially distanced pause in private well-being has dominated. But now, the top 0. 1% are increasingly turning to trips that benefit others. “Our audience lives in a world where anything is possible. They need it almost instantly,” says Duncan Grossart, founder of Journeys With Purpose, a premium B Corp specialist focused on making an impact on travel. JWP visitors need to escape their home’s echo chamber to find a vacation with a higher purpose, whether it’s it’s assembly conservation leader Kristine Tompkins in Argentina or joining Kenya’s only all-female anti-poaching team.
Many visitors choose to invest in on-the-ground projects where they will be able to see the effects of their contributions for years to come. Each of JWP’s flagship trips (to countries such as Kenya, Belize and the Carpathians) already includes a 20% donation. to a local project, however, most participants accumulate this amount, doubling it. Grossart notes that “visitors leave with a wealth of knowledge, connections, and understanding, something they prioritize over possessions. “
2. Virtual Reality Hotel Tours
Gone are the days when luxury hotels didn’t live up to expectations. Travellers with the best accommodation criteria will soon be able to explore the nooks and crannies of a five-star hotel in advance with Igoroom, the world’s first 360 VR online agency, launched in the coming months. Take 360° panoramic hotel tours of dozens of exclusive wrecks in countries such as the Maldives, Seychelles, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates to locate the one that meets your expectations.
3. The Red Sea
The Red Sea on Saudi Arabia’s western coast, a desert of desert dunes, deep canyons and pristine islands, is the ultimate sustainable tourism project expected for the coming year. It covers 28,000 km2 and will be powered by renewable energy when completed, and will debut this winter with 3 exclusive high-end resorts: The St. John’s. Regis Red Sea Resort, Nujuma A Ritz-Carlton Reserve and Six Senses Southern Dunes. Elite cultural, adventure, and environmental activities will offer the kind of immersive experience that high-end travelers offer. ask.
4. Classy Space Travel
It’s not just Virgin Galactic that’s taking off: Zephalto launches its first flight for European-based customers into space at the end of 2024. Its modus operandi is style, with an architect’s design behind Parisian stores Balmain and Givenchy and a Michelin-starred galley on board. During the six-hour journey, ascend to low-carbon stars and watch the sunrise beyond the stratosphere. Tickets cost €120,000 and advance bookings require a 10% deposit.
5. Transparent Durability
Although the luxury industry is rarely well known for its sustainability, adjustments are being made. “Nearly a portion of consumers surveyed said they were more likely to go with a company that prioritized sustainability, and a third were willing to pay more to incorporate sustainable products. includes in their plans,” says Heather Magnussen of Audley Travel, an excursion operator that sells premium products everywhere from the Brazilian Pantanal to Zambia. “Some consumers even prefer to book only low-carbon transport, such as cars and e-bikes, by email. “logo introduced a Responsible Choice rating as a reaction to demand, obviously flagging reports and hotels in its portfolio that exceed local criteria for more productive environmental, social, and conservation practices.
6. New Private Islands
The charm of a shipwrecked island never goes out of style for the 0. 1%. But with so many offerings already on offer, the new openings raise the bar for 2024. In the Maldives, cult logo Soneva pushes ship with the new Soneva Secret in January, where just 14 villas, besides the country’s first floating villa, are only available via sea, will feature in-room gyms, spa treatment rooms, committed chefs, and retractable roofs for stargazing. The unavailable island will be remodeled to become the new Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island, with local wildlife at the forefront. In Belize, the Four Seasons launches Caye Chapel, where personal apartments are for sale on the edge of the Western Hemisphere’s largest barrier reef.
7. The Explosion of the Big Group
Connecting with friends and family tops the list of things to do in 2024. Luxury tour operator Black Tomato reports a 35% increase in business bookings from the pre-pandemic period, with a significant six-figure figure. Founder Tom Marchant says that while it’s rarely about celebrating milestones, the only opportunity for consumers is to spend time with the other people who matter. The logo organizes everything from multi-day rafting expeditions on the Apurimac River in Peru’s Sacred Valley. (complete with luxury campsites, chefs, and masseuses) to a sustainable charter yacht by New Zealand’s Poor Knights Islands.
Tom Barber, co-founder of Original Travel, says a similar trend has emerged: “hooray from the last vacation. “”More and more parents are asking us for reasonable family vacations that will trap their adult children (as well as their partners) to sign up for their vacation again. ” Accounting for a quarter of its bookings worth more than £100,000, those trips are made in Japan, India, New Zealand, the Seychelles or the Maldives.
8. Bangkok Boom
Rome and London saw a glut of new luxury launches in 2023, and now it’s Bangkok’s turn to shine, with branches of wellness brands Six Senses and Aman opening their doors. Added to this is the fact that several city hotels have recently made it to the list of the 50 most productive hotels in the world, in addition to the fact that Thailand is the filming location for the upcoming season of The White Lotus, a series that has caused a strong boom in Sicily in 2023, and the destination is shaping up to be hot, hot, hot.
9. Stay longer
High-end trips are not only more ambitious, but they are also longer. Over the past two years, Original Travel has noticed that vacation length increased from an average of 10. 4 days to 13. 8 days, with many visitors now staying in 3 more hotels than on average. only one. The Sandpiper in the upscale city of Barbados reported an increase in the number of visitors staying in top-tier suites for periods of up to three months, while the Bequia Beach Hotel in St. Vincent and the Grenadines experienced a similar figure. trend. ” We recently received a widow who rented our two luxurious six-bedroom villas for five weeks: one for herself and one for her two maids,” says director Phillip Morstedt. “
10. Food and wine journeys
Food and travel have gone hand in hand, but 0. 1% seem to be hungry for it in 2024. Virtuoso said his advisors are seeing increased demand for culinary and hyperlocal experiences. Reports are likely to trot from gourmet street food to culinary tours where a meal starts in one place and ends in another. Some of the most popular destinations that have appeared on the menu?Portugal, Copenhagen, Croatia and Colombia.
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