For a growing number of travellers, luxury isn’t about where you stay. It’s about who you spend time with, and the access that relationship unlocks. Entire Travel Group has stepped into that space with a new program called ‘Locally Made’.
Managing Director Brad McDonnell says client demand has moved toward experiences that are limited in access and delivered by people with deep local knowledge.
“We work with an incredible range of suppliers, and these people are the best of the best when it comes to passion and skills,” says McDonnell.
“It could be an intimate experience exploring a local wine cellar or learning the secrets of artisan cheese making in France, joining a truffle hunter and his dog in the forests of Italy, or learning about history and culture from a local indigenous woman in Canada.
‘Locally Made’ brings together pre-designed itineraries built around those kinds of encounters, developed with hand-picked local artisans, gastronomes, historians, conservationists and cultural leaders across Entire Travel Group’s catalogue.
Experience, not amenity
McDonnell says the program reflects how premium travel is now being defined.
The focus is on experiences that are difficult to replicate and rely on trust and access.
“Luxury now is about enjoying experiences that very few people get to do,” McDonnell says. “It’s about spending time with someone who is deeply connected to their local community and willing to open their door.”
Examples within the Locally Made collection include private cellar experiences in France with long-standing wine partners, truffle hunting with local specialists in Italy, and cultural encounters led by Indigenous women in Canada.
Demand is moving earlier and outward
Sales and Marketing Director Greg McCallum says demand for this type of travel is firming earlier, particularly where access is limited and numbers are controlled.
McCallum sits on Destination Canada’s Strategic Advisory Group, alongside Karryon founder Matt Leedham, where the focus is on sustainable travel that works in practice. Regional and seasonal dispersal, he says, plays a central role, creating space for travellers while ensuring destinations are visited on terms communities are comfortable with.
The goal is to steer travel into regions and shoulder seasons where visitor spend supports local economies without adding pressure at peak times.
Built for agents to sell confidently
McDonnell says ‘Locally Made’ has been structured so agents can sell these experiences without having to build them from scratch.
The program sits within Entire Travel Group’s broader packaging system, which includes more than 600 itineraries across its destinations.
Packages can be booked as presented or used as a base for further customisation, with delivery supported by destination-specific teams who sell only the regions they cover.
McDonnell says this specialist structure is critical when itineraries involve multiple services and tight sequencing, citing destinations such as Tahiti where a week-long stay can involve more than 20 individual components.
“That’s hard to do,” he says.
Locally led, deliberately small
McDonnell says ‘Locally Made’ is not designed to scale through volume.
The emphasis is on depth of experience, limited numbers and relationships built over time with operators who live and work in the destination.
“It’s about going beyond the big cities,” he says. “Spending time with people who are willing to share their passion and give you an insight into their world.”
The program was outlined this week at Entire Travel Group’s annual Showcase and Soirée, where the wholesaler brought together travel advisors, suppliers and tourism boards ahead of the key February–March selling period.
For more information visit https://www.entiretravel.com.au/experiences/locally-made.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Entire Travel Group has launched Locally Made as demand builds for sustainable, experience-led travel that limits overcrowding and delivers clearer benefits to local communities.
