Luxury Travel

As luxury brands look to expand their global reach, they would be wise to look into markets where the almost-rich and the rich are getting richer. A new report maps out where wealth is scaling quickly.

This week in hospitality, Caesars responds to changing consumer demand, a report finds that direct booking keeps customers in loyalty programs, and a "glamping" startup raises $115 million.

It makes sense for hotels to step up their cultural programming, and for a certain high-end guest, it will provide an extra incentive to book.

Virtuoso is a you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours kind of business. The luxury travel network has some good programs to help member agencies, and that increases engagement with Virtuoso. It also provides learnings on how to keep refining the company.

Luxury is no longer defined by pristine interiors and personalized service but limited knowledge-based access, distinct cultural experiences, and curated, specific references. Luxury hotels opening the doors to those experiences set themselves apart for future generations of affluent travelers.

Despite what the name might suggest, premium mediocre isn’t necessarily something bad. It’s just that after a while consumers are going to cotton on to the fact that simply adding avocado to every meal doesn’t always make it more luxurious.

Luxury brands are gradually realizing the power of experiences and this is leading them to buy or partner with traditional travel and hospitality companies. Expect this trend to continue in 2019.

Convergence, collaboration, partnership. By whatever name you call the phenomenon, expect to see more luxury travel companies taking the tack of expanding their appeal through teaming up with brands their customers likely fancy.

Cunard is striking an interesting balance between old-school, traditional luxury and fast-paced, data-driven, adaptive hospitality on its longer journeys across the sea. As competition heats up, the line needs to make a compelling sell to attract a younger audience. But a few currents and trends are colliding that just might make this possible.

Luxury travel companies are trying to move beyond outdated concepts surrounding high-end travel. We'll have to wait and see how serious they all are.