The New Age of Luxury Travel

It is hard to define the term ‘luxury travel’ as it means different things for different people. While luxury travel was synonymous with 5-star hotels with Olympic-sized swimming pools about two decades ago, Luxury Travel in 2020 has become more refined, personal and experiential. The garishness of multi-storey hotels, swanky casinos and limousines, have gradually given way to a more conscious, understated, and private concept of luxury travel. Today, luxury travel is about experiences to remember and not gloat about. 

Jenny Southan, Editor, Globetrender seconds this: 

“A few decades ago, most people agreed luxury travel meant staying in five-star hotels, butler service and eating in Michelin-star restaurants, things that were only attainable to the truly monied…In the 2020s, it will be trips that offer life enhancement, inner transformation, cultural appreciation and physical graft that hold the most desire and social currency. Wealthy travellers are becoming more intrepid, even going so far as to seek discomfort.”

According to Globetrender, a study by Grand View Research, Inc, revealed that the luxury travel industry was worth US$ 1.8 trillion in 2018. It only gets better in 2025 with the industry predicted to soar to US$ 2.5 trillion. In addition to millionaires and billionaires, a burgeoning and aspirational global middle class are quickly becoming the frontrunner for luxury travel experiences. 

What Luxury Travel looks like 2020: Top 3 Trends

Mindful and Conscious

With ‘mindfulness’ and ‘consciousness’ as cultural buzzwords, people are living mindfully, eating consciously and consuming sustainably. This transformation of lifestyle encompasses travel as well. Luxury travellers are now looking for travel experiences that make a positive social and environmental impact. Travellers are increasingly heading to eco-friendly escapes in an attempt to reduce their carbon footprint, indulge in nature without exploiting it, promoting local livelihoods by engaging with the local community, savouring local fare, learning about traditional handicrafts etc. All these are salient features of meaningful luxury travel experiences.

Wellness Focused

An increasing number of people are adopting lifestyle choices that focus on holistic wellbeing and wellness. Luxury travel destinations are thus taking the cue and tailoring experiences with wellness at their core. Today, there is no dearth of wellness resorts with multifarious activities that travellers can look forward to. These include alternative therapies to heal body, mind and soul, for example, luxurious naturopathic resorts to treat ailments, yoga in the mountains, forest meditation, clean eating, sound therapy, etc. 

Exclusive

Always on the lookout for something novel and unique, luxury travellers don’t want to be part of the crowd but want to stand out. They are willing to look high and low and push their limits to make their luxury travel experience an unforgettable one. At the same time, luxury travel experiences promise not to disappoint. Travellers can take their pick from experiences as diverse as dining under the stars in the middle of a desert, taking in breath-taking views of icebergs, swimming with dolphins, exploring ancient temples and the like. 

Luxury travel in 2020 and beyond will be all about having an experience like no other. With luxury travel experiences becoming increasingly unique, creative, innovative and exclusive, now is the best time to go for that vacation you’ve been planning for so long. Your luxury travel experience awaits you!

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