Virtuoso, the international community specialising in luxurious and experiential travel, has drawn upon its in depth community of travel advisors, most popular companions and high-net-worth/ultra-high-net-worth clientele to find out what’s new and subsequent in luxurious travel, whereas additionally revealing the information and insights that show it. Respected as the main “Voice of Luxury” and trade pattern forecaster, Virtuoso has based mostly its findings on a knowledge warehouse of (US) $80 billion in transactions and an ongoing sequence of surveys.
The outcomes of the in depth analysis had been shared at the 366h annual Virtuoso Travel Week, going down August 10-16, in Las Vegas at Bellagio Resort & Casino, ARIA Resort & Casino, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Vdara Hotel & Spa. Known as the Fashion Week of luxurious travel, Virtuoso Travel Week is famend for presenting the newest trends and information to 1000’s of trade leaders whereas driving multi-million-dollar travel gross sales annually.
The key takeaway is that travel stays sturdy, even in opposition to a backdrop of world challenges. Year-to-date gross sales have surpassed these of 2023 for the similar January-June timeframe by 14 % and skyrocketed 211 % over 2019, with future 2025-2026 gross sales already up 38 % over final 12 months. The demand for travel advisors stays excessive, with a 76 % enhance in shoppers in search of out travel advisors to date this 12 months through the community’s website, virtuoso.com.
Outbound excels
While home travel dominates in fall 2024, travellers are venturing afar in document numbers, with Italy, France, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Spain, Saint Barthelemy, Portugal, Canada and Japan topping the listing. The largest progress areas year-over-year are Canada (+168 %), Japan (+160 %) and Saint Barthelemy (+155 %). Major cities like Paris, London, New York, Rome and Tokyo are exhibiting important will increase in comparison with 2023, whereas locations comparable to Taormina (Sicily), Napa and Amsterdam are seeing price declines, making this fall a good time to go to.
For the festive season, Mexico, Hawaii, Anguilla, Costa Rica and Saint Barthelemy are the most sought-after locations, with Saint Lucia, the Dominican Republic and Grenada approaching sturdy with double- and triple-digit proportion will increase. Notably, Maui is up 66 % for the holidays in comparison with final 12 months. Fall and festive season bookings are anticipated to be sturdy, with fall bookings up 23 % and festive season bookings up 32 % in comparison with 2023. Additionally, Virtuoso’s most popular resorts are seeing price will increase of 46 % in the Caribbean and eight % in Mexico.
Hottest travel trends
When it involves the hottest travel trends, Virtuoso advisors have famous continued demand for exclusive-use experiences comparable to VIP transportation, luxurious yachts and personal residences, together with itineraries that incorporate next-level stimulation and engagement. Requests for these exceptionally high-end experiences have elevated for 89 % of Virtuoso advisors. Leading trends in ultraluxe travel embody expedition cruises, unique locations (comparable to Fiji, the Maldives and Thailand) and African safaris. Top motivations for ultraluxe travel are celebrations, passion-point experiences (like sports activities, arts, tradition, live shows and festivals) and once-in-a-lifetime journeys.
Of explicit curiosity is a notable shift from specializing in a visit to-do listing to an emphasis on how one feels throughout travel. Virtuoso’s analysis has recognized that travellers prioritise curiosity and exploration (77 %), pleasure and happiness (65 %) and awe and marvel of nature (57 %) as the prime emotional drivers for luxurious travellers. The intangibles of a travel expertise are extra compelling than checking off bucket listing objects.
Coolcations rise
Other trends embody an increase in travel to cooler climates, or “Coolcations,” to locations in northern Europe and Canada, that are up 44 % this summer time, whereas visits to hotter spots, together with Italy, Greece and France, have decreased by 0.5 %. Wellness travel is predicted to be a significant pattern this 12 months and into the subsequent, with a deal with “Silver Bullet” wellness – a sub-trend coined by Globetrender in a forthcoming co-authored report with Virtuoso – highlighting hyper-specific, focused “cures” tailor-made to particular person wellness wants. A survey revealed that 70 % of travellers are in search of rest and disconnection by wellness travel, whereas half are serious about hyper-personalised experiences and psychological resets.
‘Wander Women’ travel
Solo feminine travel, dubbed as “Wander Women” by Virtuoso and Globetrender, has additionally seen important progress, with girls making up 71 % of solo travellers. Additionally, as Gen Z begins having youngsters in 2025 (Beta infants), the trade for the first time will see seven generations touring concurrently. Legacy travel, or the act of bringing all these generations collectively to have a good time milestones or to hunt nostalgia and reconnection (24 % based on the 2024 Virtuoso Brand & Travel Tracker examine) is changing into more and more common. And Virtuoso shared that when surveyed, 32 % of Gen Zs had been planning to travel with youngsters over the subsequent 12 months, with 42 % of them planning to take action underneath the steerage of a travel advisor.
Travel to off-the-beaten-path locations and at off-peak occasions is rising in recognition, aligning with the pattern towards extra accountable and sustainable travel as a response to overtourism. Sales for Virtuoso’s sustainable companions are a formidable $700 million in 2023, with strategic alternate options comparable to Slovenia, Portugal and Croatia rising as enticing choices to keep away from crowded locations at peak occasions. Virtuoso advisors play a vital position in educating purchasers about sustainable travel whereas fulfilling their travel aspirations. These efforts are detailed in the 2024 Virtuoso Impact Report, the first ongoing examine that tracks luxurious travel’s optimistic contributions to sustainable travel.
