Business View Magazine | May 2019

10 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE MAY 2019 L uxury travelers today are seeking personalized itineraries in out-of-the-ordinary destinations that offer them exclusiveness and all of the VIP amenities of the more iconic, top- visited destinations. As a result, travel advisors, such as the luxury travel specialists at Travel Leaders Network, are catering to their requests, uncovering experiences and locations not yet at the top of the average tourist’s radar. “I had a client who wanted to rent a private island for his wife’s 40th birthday,” said Rey Alton, a Travel Leaders advisor in Houston, Texas. “He wanted space for a total of five couples, so they could include their friends, and he wanted a private chef capable of unique culinary options. We found them the perfect island – Cayo Espanto in Belize. It has only seven villas – the ultimate in privacy and an on-site massage therapist. At $25,000 a night, it is also the ultimate in luxury.” Not all luxury travel is as pricey or as remote. “Luxury travel is trending toward unique vacation locations such as Greenland, which is only a 90-minute flight from Iceland,” said Valerie Lederle, a Travel Leaders advisor in Colleyville, Texas. “A unique hotel with a small spa, a hot springs experience, a private champagne lunch overlooking the fjords or staying in a deluxe safari-style camp on the edge of the Greenland Ice sheet is a very unique and appealing experience.” “Luxury travel has evolved from being more than just five-star accommodations. It is also five-star itineraries,” stated Allegra Lynch, a Santa Rosa, California-based Travel Leaders advisor. “For example, consumers don’t necessarily think of traveling to the Arctic Circle, but they are open to the idea if they are able to join a luxury winter safari, complete with traditional igloo stays,” she said. Luxury travelers are most interested in exclusive access, including VIP tours, private cars and drivers, and customized culinary experiences, according to results from the most recent Travel Leaders Group travel trends survey. However, sometimes their customized experience is through community service in a foreign land. “Some want to help with a community project or spend time, for example, in an orphanage in Africa for an extended period of time, not just for an hour or two,” said Tom Mieczynski, a luxury Travel Leaders advisor in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. “They fulfill deeper connections with themselves by stepping out of their comfort zones and finding real meaning in their experiences.” pictured Tasiilaq, Greenland