IN THE LAP OF LUXURY: Trends in 2020 – Travel Industry Today

Live for today but save for tomorrow is the Jekyll-Hyde face of luxury travel in 2020, according to experts tasked with assessing trends for the year ahead, and beyond. In both cases, authenticity is the buzzword that continues to drive customer desires and decisions.

“‘Carpe diem’ travel is fueling the desire to savour as many new destinations and exciting experiences as possible in more authentic ways,” says Virtuoso in its annual 2020 Luxe Report, adding, “Travellers in 2020 are seizing the day and prioritizing trips now, powered by the belief that customized experiences are the best investment of their money and time.”

Accor S.A., which counts a dozen luxury brands amongst its holdings, including Fairmont and Raffles, adds, “With travellers becoming more concerned with sustainability, wellness, equality and mindfulness, luxury hotel operators need to innovate their offerings. Be it transformative wellness getaways or sustainable farm-to-table meals, 2020 will mark a year of exploration, fuelled by a growing sense of responsibility and the desire to connect with destinations and local communities in more authentic ways.”

But one thing remains the same, adds Miami-based, sales and marketing firm MJL Select: “The demand for enduring sophistication in luxury hospitality.”

Here is a look at some of the emerging trends in luxury travel:

ACCOR

⦁ Innovative Guest Experiences: No longer satisfied with cookie-cutter itineraries and typical tourist attractions, new-age luxury travellers seek to create positive memories through unique and individualized engagements. Travelling becomes a part of their identity and an important step in understanding the world and themselves. These travellers expect more from their hotels than just a beautiful accommodation and top-notch service.

⦁ Transformative Travel: Searching for immersive experiences that will transform more than just Instagram feeds, modern luxury travellers crave empowering moments and meaningful, lasting changes in their lives. Typically, in the form of community work, yoga retreats and wellness getaways, transformative travel helps to bring out the best in everyone.

⦁ Mindful Purchasing: Hungry for more authentic local immersion, travellers often start with what they eat, which drives hotels to scrutinise the origin and procurement of their food products. Re-thinking the current supply chain addresses issues such as food wastage. While the procurement process is often transparent to guests, mindful purchasing directly affects the guest experience in terms of sustainable menus, green initiatives and fulfilment of their travel aspirations.

⦁ Sustainable Menus: The latest buzzwords on the menu, plant-based meat substitutes, are finding their way into many restaurants. Going beyond reducing food waste and single-use plastics, the hotel industry is now looking to create sustainability from the very source. Livestock farming is known to have a vast environmental footprint. It contributes to land and water degradation, biodiversity loss, acid rain, coral reef degeneration and deforestation among many other negative impacts.

VIRTUOSO

⦁ Untouristed and Unexpected: With some favourite destinations seeing an untenable rise in demand, the well-travelled luxury set is seeking remote, unspoiled destinations to avoid crowds at over-touristed locales. Virtuoso advisors report a rise in requests for places ranging from the culturally distinct to those steeped in nature, including Borneo, Greenland, and Oman.

⦁ Country Coupling: Travellers are exploring multiple countries, even during shorter journeys. Trips that mix locales are trending, especially ones with surprising combinations. Travellers may pair a ski adventure with a beach finale, or a city stay with a jungle adventure, or a well-travelled place followed by a little-known spot to mingle with locals. The focus is on varied experiences that enrich the trip with each stop.

⦁ Tasty Travels: Culinary travel has transcended “trend” to become its own niche, with amazing food and drink now considered essential to any trip. Cooking classes, eating in private homes, Michelin-starred restaurants, farm-to-table visits, truffle hunting – culinary experiences are as varied as travellers themselves, and allow foodies to go beyond a seat at the table. Dining has become such a focus that some travellers are requesting restaurant reservations at the same time they book their flights – sometimes even before.

⦁ Group Getaways: Clients want to connect with like-minded people. Gen X-ers, Boomers and even Matures are travelling to bond with friends and others who share their passions or are at the same life stage. Women’s travel is on the rise as well, including soft adventure trips and affluent girl getaways to unplug, relax and play. Groups of couples are also travelling together, including buddymoons, where newlyweds bring pals along for the fun.

⦁ EQ Encounters: Today’s traveller is seeking more profound experiences leading to increased emotional intelligence. Pushing beyond their comfort zone combined with genuine interaction among locals provides travellers with a deeper appreciation for the people and cultures they encounter. Foregoing the usual attractions, travellers are instead opting to tap into their passions, such as a tasting with the owner of a local winery, a motorcycle tour or a personal shopper to guide them through the latest pop-up stores. They also want accommodations that reflect the destination – inns full of character, small neighbourhood hotels, and private homes.

⦁ Enjoying the Journey: Embracing the philosophy that the journey is half the fun, upscale voyagers are using exclusive services including meet-and-greets planeside to avoid the stress of changing terminals, locating gates, or waiting in customs lines. The Private Suite at Los Angeles International Airport offers a members-only terminal where travellers are escorted through TSA screenings, driven to and from aircraft in BMWs, and provided a room to relax in between flights.

⦁ Top travel trends 2020: Multi-generational travel, authenticity, active or adventure trips, family travel (immediate family), celebration travel

⦁ Top global destinations 2020: Italy, Greece, France, Japan, Croatia

CRUISE

In its recent “The Future of the Guest Experience” report, MSC Cruises forecasts: “Luxury will be hyper-luxurious, spas will be hyper-revitalizing, entertainment will be 5D and beyond, and purpose-driven travel that enriches the lives and minds of guests will be the norm. Guests of the future will prize fluidity, freedom and cultural fluency while seeking out discovery and self-improvement. Travel brands will need to respond by providing experiences that resonate with individuals across a wider range of mindset and communicating new perspectives that help them grow and progress.”

Meanwhile, Virtuoso cruise VP Beth Butzlaff reports, “In 2020, cruisers are choosing itineraries based on destinations and the more unusual and faraway, the better. Cruising used to be considered more passive, but lines have overcome that misperception with more time in port and experiences that are unique to the destination. Passengers want to enjoy the essence of these places through interactions with local people and culture, and the industry has responded with innovative offerings to satisfy evolving preferences.”