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Mr. Nick Perry, Chairman of Ultratravel Limited and organizer of the Premium Travel Expo in UK Along with Haymarket Exhibitions, analyzes in TravelDailyNews the trends in UK ‘s luxury market.
TravelDailyNews:More and more luxury travel fairs are making their debut in UK. Do you feel that there is a strong competition between Premium Travel and the other luxury fairs especially in the European continent and in what level?
Nick Perry: At the moment, Premium Travel is the only trade show in the UK solely dedicated to the luxury end of the travel market. As the UK is such an important outbound individual market for so many luxury travel suppliers, it needs its own show and is not really competitive with shows which take place in other parts of Europe.
TDN: How would you characterize the UK luxury market?
N.P.: Growing, and growing fast. UK travellers increasingly want great experiences when they travel and are willing to pay top prices to suppliers who can provide them.
TDN: What are your expectations for Premium Travel 2007? Are you going to introduce something new for 2007?
N.P.: Haymarket Exhibitions (who organise the show) and I expect Premium Travel to grow each year. The 2006 event was the largest collection of luxury travel suppliers ever to be assembled under one roof in the UK and we expect to build on that success.
TDN: Luxury traveller is becoming younger. Does he/she has different preferences from the traditional luxury traveller and what are they?
N.P.: As I mentioned above, upmarket UK travellers are seeking luxury products and experiences and this is also becoming true of other markets. Every new luxury travel product will say that the UK is a major target market for them.
TDN: How well prepared are luxury hotels and destinations to fulfil the needs for more and better luxury products?
N.P.: They are becoming better and better prepared and, with the market becoming increasingly competitive, they need to match facilities provided by new products. For example, a few years ago it was quite rare for a hotel to have a spa, now it is a basic requirement for any luxury property.
TDN: Which destinations are in the top list of UK luxury travellers and why? What kind of luxury products are they seeking for?
N.P.: The Middle East, highlighted by Dubai, Africa, India and Asia are the current top areas providing great experiences with superb luxury facilities.
TDN: How does internet affect the luxury travel market? Do you believe that online luxury goods and services will replace the traditional distribution channels?
N.P.: The internet is a wonderful tool to find information on new products and destinations, but there is still a great demand to have contact with people who know the products and can give advice and personal service, something the luxury traveller is very prepared to pay for.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
