all, clients increasingly appreciate that
seeing more unusual places means
sacrifi cing levels of super-luxury.
“The experienced luxury traveller
wants to participate and be an actor
not a spectator. They also hope to learn
and evolve through a destination,” said
Liza Masias, director of business
development at Inkaterra.
“Visitors are also less afraid to throw
themselves into local culture,
traditions and cuisines than years
ago,” according to Cox and Kings
agency sales manager Catherine
Standring.
“And they aren’t necessarily looking
for international hotel chains.”
SELLING EXPERIENCES
This shift in the market is also
infl uencing how high-end agents sell
holidays to their clients, with travel
businesses using their knowledge of
experiences to differentiate themselves
in the market.
First off, agents must try to
understand their clients’ perceptions
of adventure and luxury, “as these are
enormously subjective terms,” said
Standring.
Richard Hume, UK agent for the
Sarojin, a boutique property in
Thailand, added: “The trade needs to
sell the holiday experience to the
customer and not solely the product
and destination.”
Exsus’ Clark explained: “They also
need to make sure they are
communicating exactly where they can
add value to a client’s itinerary.
Perhaps it’s a local art historian to
show people around Buenos Aires, or
an expert South African winemaker to
show you his personal wine collection.
We need to show how we can bring a
holiday to life.”
There has also been a large increase
in passengers wanting to learn
something new while they’re away.
Photography, cooking and language
courses have all seen an increase in
sales over the past 12 months. Clients
are also looking for trips that include
visiting locals in their own homes.
“Agents should fi nd out what unique
experiences are included on the trips
they sell – they may not always be
obvious to the traveller,” said Gillian
Pearsall, direct marketing manager at
Intrepid Travel.
“For example, you could visit
Varanasi in northern India, but do they
know about the candle fl ower
ceremony on the banks of the River
Ganges at sunset?”
Hotels are also getting in on the
act; for example the Angsana Velavaru
in the Maldives now has its own
marine lab.
“In many cases it is the authentic,
local, off-the-beaten-track
recommendation that really appeals,”
said Jenifer Zeigler, who works in
brand management for
InterContinental Hotels and Resorts.
4 | TWLuxury | March 2009
Pure Life Experiences
Pure Life Experiences kicks off in mid-November in
Marrakesh, Morocco, and is a travel marketplace focused
on those companies off ering trips that are “more
rewarding, more in touch with the destination, more
experience-led and where people come back transformed
not just relaxed,” according to founder Serge Dive.
“There is a clear need from small operators in this fi eld
to have a specialist marketplace for their high-end
holidays. Many of these suppliers have been in business
for some time but until now have not found the right
positioning, in terms of price or branding, for their
product,” explained Dive.
“In my opinion the high-end market is morphing. We are
now seeing clients of two distinct characters; one wants to
go away and indulge in all things luxury and return
relaxed, and the other wants to participate in life-enriching
experiences and return transformed.”
8 See purelifeexperiences.com
Elephant training,
Thailand
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