Luxury travel agents from Protravel International share their insights on luxury journeys that go beyond amenities and sightseeing.
NEW YORK – Luxury is no longer defined by monetary value. Affluent travelers today want to immerse themselves in unique cultural experiences that lead to self-discovery and improvement.
"Our luxury travel advisors have seen a distinctive shift among their luxury clientele no longer seeking traditional luxury vacations," said Protravel International President Becky Powell. "The 'New Luxury' is really about finding some kind of emotional fulfilment through personalized, authentic experiences that widen their perspective of today's world."
"It's a tall order to expect travel to be transformative each time, but it can certainly be a conduit for self-discovery or enhanced wellbeing," said Powell. "Whether that means reaching a goal such as hiking to a glacial lake in Iceland, or experiencing a new culture, or gaining a greater sense of self through travel, our Protravel agents excel at custom-tailoring those experiences."
Increasingly, Protravel agents are planning trips around five emerging trends in luxury travel – disconnecting, bonding, achieving, discovering and healing. Below, top luxury agents from Protravel share their insights on some of the destinations and activities that tie into those themes.
Disconnecting
"I'm seeing more and more clients looking to travel to disconnect from technology and the news cycle. Recently, I sent four women to the little-known and incredibly tranquil Holbox Island, Mexico. They wanted to get off the grid and connect with nature. Holbox is a remote barrier island two hours northwest of Cancun with limited WiFi, sun, sand and breathtaking nature. Since it's separated from the mainland coast of Mexico by a shallow lagoon, thousands of flamingos, pelicans and other exotic birds and creatures take sanctuary there. My clients stayed at a boutique hotel without televisions, went bird-watching, fishing, swimming with whale sharks, ate great seafood and came back rejuvenated."
Marvelys Capote, Protravel International New York
Bonding
"Recently I sent a multi-generational group of 20 family members to a villa in Tuscany. They dubbed themselves the Tuscany Travelers and enjoyed exploring cities and towns, biking, and cooking. The children played in the pool and visited the nearby gelato shop, while the adults enjoyed cocktail hour on the terrace overlooking the surrounding rolling hills. The key to successful multi-generational trips is planning some activities geared to each age group and including others the group can enjoy together."
Loretta Carson, Protravel International New York
Achieving
"Often our clients want to learn to scuba dive to check that off their bucket list. We've arranged for families with members from 10 years old to grandparents to try an introductory dive at the Great Barrier Reef. The chance to dive among the incredible biodiversity of the sea is a reliably mind-blowing experience, and we often find clients propelled to become formally certified after the trip."
Roseann Iovine, Protravel International San Diego
Discovering
"New Zealand is one of my absolute favorite family destinations and perfect for any age. An experience of a lifetime for families is a stay on a working farm where you learn to milk and feed cattle, herd sheep and farm your own food. Then a move to a luxury lodge to fish, white water raft, explore geothermal sites, hike volcanoes and helicopter over some of the most impressive glaciers and lush landscape. All while golfing the best courses and drinking some of the best wines of the world. Top it off with a group bungee with the Kiwis and you have the most memorable holiday imaginable."
Michelle Rosen, Protravel International Encino
Healing
"Healing vacations can be very important to a traveler who has been ill, experienced a loss, or is going into a new phase in life such as being empty nesters or a recent divorce. Three resorts that stand out for their healing experiences are Miraval in Arizona, which offers mindfulness and appointments with spiritual healers; Golden Door in California, which is very deluxe and nourishing to the soul; and Ananda in the Himalayas, which offers a life-changing, spiritual experience, in part, because of its location in Northern India near the epicenter of where yoga began. Ananda provides different programs based on your needs, such as healing, rejuvenation, detox, all using Ayurvedic principles. My clients have come back refreshed and renewed from these trips of self-reflection." Stephanie Durst, Protravel International Long Island
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