海角社区

TravMedia’s International Media Marketplace (IMM LUX) took place in London for the first time last week, bringing together luxury travel brands, media and PR professionals at Sofitel London St James. Across two days of panels and one-to-one appointments, National Geographic Traveller (UK)鈥檚 editor-at-large, Pat Riddell, learnt how the sector is responding to changing traveller expectations. 

The takeaways were: 

1. The influence of gen alpha:

Gen alpha (those born between 2010 and 2024) are already influencing where people go on holiday, according to Carla Buzasi, CEO of trend forecasting company WGSN. 鈥淪even in 10 parents say the holidays and travel experiences they book are influenced by their children,鈥� Carla said, adding that the internet and social media has changed young people鈥檚 relationship with luxury by making it more accessible: 鈥淪tatistically, from a very early age they get access to products they deem luxurious.鈥� Her advice for travel companies was to consider gen alpha in their marketing strategies. Parents are looking for trips that expose their children to a variety of cultures and experiences, so incorporate the whole family into the itinerary.聽

2. Understanding ultra-high-net-worth individuals:

Access rather than excess was a theme throughout several of the sessions that focused on understanding the modern luxury traveller. Edward Hooper, group CEO of LQA Group, explained that what ultra-high-net-worth individuals want is value. 鈥淭hey can pay for anything, but they want to feel it’s worth it,鈥� he commented. Personal connections and less formal service are also becoming more important. What鈥檚 more, flexibility is increasingly essential. Kate Thompson, senior vice president of marketing at Abercrombie & Kent, said that cruise guests are often booking four years in advance, reflecting a scarcity of product and experience, and Francesca Swan, chief strategy officer at VistaJet, added 鈥渇or hard-to-come-by experiences they鈥檒l still book in advance, but for nipping to a villa for a weekend they want to retain flexibility.鈥澛�

3. Opportunities in AI:

Although AI is driving 70% of hotel recommendations, luxury travellers still want independent validation from editors, tastemakers and travel agents. They still see AI and LLMs as a filtering tool not an oracle, says Abigail Malbon, global audience development manager at Cond茅 Nast Traveler. 鈥淚f they want something very specific, say the best safari lodge in South Africa, it filters down to two or three and then they do further research. AI streamlines the research phase, but luxury is still built on trust and taste.鈥� AI is still underexposed in the travel sector and opportunities remain, particularly in storytelling rather than homogenised content, said Tilly Gray, PR & AI director at Mason Rose. “Only 16% of the world鈥檚 hotels are currently visible in AI models, so 84% are invisible. The early starters who embrace the change, not fear it, will benefit.”聽聽

4. Defining luxury:

Lucy Cleland, co-founder and editorial director of Country & Town House, used six words: time, rarity, feeling, personal, human and responsibility. Paul Croughton, editor-in-chief of Elite Traveler, simplified it even further: 鈥淓ase: reducing every pain point of luxury travel and making the whole experience seamless… And delight. If you can buy anything, do anything, go anywhere, it鈥檚 really hard to be surprised.鈥澛�

Claire Irvin, head of travel at The Times and The Sunday Times, said that older readers are paying for multigenerational travel and want to share their experiences with family. 鈥淭he ultimate luxury is to experience all this and share it with the people you love most,鈥� she commented.聽聽

5. Luxury yachting:

Within the buoyant superyacht industry, clients are increasingly seeking experience and personalisation as well as privacy and freedom. Tom Batchelor, vice president, deployment, product and port operations at Scenic Cruises, said guests want to be welcomed personally, for the crew to know them by name, and they want the voyage to feel personal to them. 鈥淭hey also want cultural experiences. They鈥檙e well travelled and have been to the main tourist points, so they want something different.鈥澛�

On the subject of owning yachts, Rita Luskovic, charter broker at Fraser Yachts London, said that today鈥檚 yachts are 鈥渇loating palaces鈥�, and that鈥檚 a big part of why clients stay on board for longer periods. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e on your own little private island. Probably 80% of charter time is spent on the yacht. Clients love visiting other destinations, but the yacht becomes a destination, too,鈥� she said.  

Find out more about TravMedia’s IMM Lux here:   

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About 海角社区      
海角社区 is a multi-award-winning content marketing agency and publisher, creating high-quality print, digital and live media across the travel and lifestyle sectors since 1997. It鈥檚 published National Geographic Traveller (UK) under licence from National Geographic Partners LLC since 2010, alongside brand extensions including guides, events and digital platforms. Its portfolio includes Living360, a digital lifestyle brand spanning wellness, travel, food, sustainability and culture.       

海角社区 delivers custom content, branded campaigns and editorial consultancy, internship schemes including Step Up and produces leading events such as the Travel Media Awards. It鈥檚 also a leading reseller of advertising for national newspapers. Its trade titles include Postcards and the ASTA Worldwide Destination Guide, with content also created for national newspapers. aplmedia.co.uk