Artisans of Leisure has compiled its latest “Luxury Travel Trends List” based on the company’s intimate knowledge of the luxury travel market. The tour operator arranges private, customized international tours for high-net-worth travelers.
Here are Artisans of Leisure’s top luxury travel trends for 2024:
Luxury Is Leading the Way
High-end travelers continue to splurge on travel—with over-the-top tours that include ultra-luxury services. Travelers are also booking private tours in dozens of the most popular destinations, especially across Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. Affluent travelers want private services during their trips. They want tours filled with private insider experiences, exclusive access, private tours, private drivers and more. Many also want to incorporate travel by private yacht charter and private jet.
Pop Culture Dominates
The Taylor Swift effect is real. Travelers are booking trips around the pop star’s concerts and when and where they can get tickets. Travelers also want to incorporate destinations featured in productions such as “The White Lotus,” “Emily in Paris,” “Outlander,” “Anyone But You,” “Perfect Days” and “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I.”
Many travelers additionally want to participate in activities popular with locals, such as exploring K-pop locations in South Korea, shopping at anime stores in Japan and attending soccer games in Spain.
Special Interest Travel
Travelers are choosing destinations based on where they can indulge their interests, such as their love of art, music, cuisine, wildlife-spotting and spas. Special interest tours, including culinary tours, music tours, garden tours, history tours, hiking tours, biking tours and art tours, are especially popular. Further, these travelers want unique and authentic hands-on experiences and activities based on their interests. Travelers continue to have a keen interest in history and want to tour the remains of ancient civilizations such as the Pyramids and Machu Picchu, explore the historical centers of Rome and Istanbul, and visit World War II sites such as the D-Day Landing Beaches.
Culinary experiences continue to draw interest, as well. Travelers want activities that immerse them in local food and drink traditions, such as a foodie walking tour of Shanghai, visiting a winery in Georgia, taking a soba-making lesson in Japan, learning to make gelato in Rome, visiting tea plantations in South Korea, and having reservations at the best restaurants in London, Lima and Paris.
Along those same line, traveling to see major art exhibitions—such as Mark Rothko at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, John Singer Sargent at the Tate Britain in London, and the Venice Biennale—is trending. Similarly, planning around major events and festivals is popular. These might include the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland, Formula 1 races, tshechus (religious festivals) in Bhutan, Holi in India, Day of the Dead in Mexico and the Al Dhafra Festival in Abu Dhabi. Even seasonal inspiration is trending. This could include tours focused on spring flowers, summer festivals, fall foliage and winter holiday markets.
Traveling with friends ties in with these trends, too. Groups of friends continue to request fun, customized tours that often include shared interest activities, such as golfing, shopping, design-focused touring, wellness experiences, meeting with experts, hiking and cooking.
Family Travel
Multi-generational private tours are in demand, especially customized trips hosted by grandparents who want to treat their grandchildren to the trip of a lifetime. These bucket-list trips might include iconic destinations and experiences, such as luxury safaris in Africa, seeing the highlights of Australia, taking a Nile River or Galapagos Islands cruise and touring Machu Picchu in Peru, are in huge demand.
Travelers researching their family history continue to be inspired to plan trips, as well. Popular destinations include Sicily, Scotland, Ireland, Poland, England, France, Vietnam, China, Taiwan and Portugal. Additionally on the family travel side, travelers continue to book big trips to celebrate milestone birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, retirements, career accomplishments and honeymoons.
Interestingly, solo travel is more popular than ever—and not just among singles looking to explore the world. Married individuals are also taking solo trips for quality “me time” away from their partners and families.
Experiencing Nature
Seeing natural sites and phenomena—such as the Northern Lights in Lapland, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Uluru in Australia, Milford Sound in New Zealand, Iguazu Falls in Argentina, Torres del Paine in Chile, and volcanoes and glaciers in Iceland—are piquing people's interest. To that same point, wildlife experiences—like seeing gorillas in Rwanda, snow monkeys in Japan, the Great Migration in Tanzania and Kenya, Bengal tigers in India, giant tortoises on the Galapagos Islands, whales in Iceland and koalas in Australia—are popular, as well.
Similarly, requests for off-the-beaten-track destinations are increasing in popularity. These might include Yakushima in Japan, Malta, Bhutan, remote parts of Australia, Uzbekistan, remote parts of China, lesser-known areas in Scandinavia, and less-visited islands and the Peloponnese in Greece.
Other Trends
Beyond those above, Artisans of Leisure is seeing the following:
- Many travelers are booking multiple tours at the same time, often planning two or three years in advance. Many are also planning last-minute trips.
- Visiting multiple countries on each trip. Luxury travelers continue to take extensive multi-country trips throughout the year.
- Travelers are asking for e-biking, golfing, walking tours, hiking and other active pursuits on their trips.
- City-focused trips are very popular. Top destinations include Rome, London, Paris, Lisbon, Salzburg, Seville, Istanbul and Budapest.
- Many travelers are incorporating trips on luxury trains, such as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the Royal Scotsman and the Andean Explorer, and small-ships, such as the Aqua Mekong, the Aqua Nera and others, into longer tours.
- No more peak season. Travelers travel when they want to and when they are free, regardless of crowds, weather, prices and other considerations.
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