Luxury Travel Boom to continue in 2024, Say Tour Operators
04.01.2024 - 14:51
/ skift.com
/ Selene Brophy
Luxury travel planners are seeing an uptick in bookings, driven by a demand for remote destinations, exclusive group travel, and passion-centered experiences.
Virtuoso said that more than half of its network of more than 20,000 luxury travel advisers estimate their clients will spend more on trips this year. In the first half of last year, Virtuoso’s global sales were 69% higher than its pre-pandemic highs of 2019. Virtuoso’s booking trends for this year so far are on pace to make 2024 another record year.
The continued strength is remarkable, given how bullish sales were in 2023. Kensington Tours, a luxury travel agency, said luxury trip values rose 9% last year.
Skift spoke with leading operators in the space. We came away with seven emerging trends set to shape luxury travel in the year ahead.
Intimate group travel remains important for families and friends post-pandemic. Luxury private group tours continue to drive performance for Black Tomato, making up 30% of its bookings in 2023, and the luxury travel company sees continued momentum from its 2024 bookings.
Black Tomato revealed its “See You in the Moment” trips towards the end of last year, dedicated to this growing travel segment that “prioritizes coming together to share and celebrate special moments.” These itineraries are designed to “take the friction out of group travel,” as the company’s travel experts work with each individual to tailor flexible logistics around flights, hotels, andguided experiences.
Many families don’t want to be limited to staying inside a luxury vacation rental or resort. So some tour companies are responding with private tours with experiential elements to broaden the horizons of multi-generational group travel.
Last year, Kensington Tours introduced its Beyond Villas offering, letting families book private group travel that includes experiences like attending Hollywood screenings and parties or viewing car races from above a favorite team’s pit.
Developing new products is key for Kensington Tours as loyal guests return and look for novelty. It saw its repeat bookings companywide rise 30% year-over-year in 2023.
Private yacht charters are a fast-emerging luxury travel category for small groups of friends or families. Virtuoso travel advisors see new and experienced cruisers booking these “less-crowded, upscale voyages.”
Popular routes include Europe’s Danube River, the Mekong River in Asia, and North Africa’s Nile River in Egypt. Virtuoso is also seeing interest in adventure cruises to Alaska and Antarctica for 2024. (See Skift’s 2024 outlook for Active Adventure travel for more boat-based trends.)
Kensington Tours recently launched Kensington Yachts to tailor its offering for customers looking to combine