Karryon Luxury speaks to Rachel Kingswell, General Manager Travel Associates, Australia and New Zealand for more details on the exclusive partnership.
The partnership will see boutique luxury travel agency network pairing with New York City Tourism + Conventions on its 2024 Australian marketing campaign, promoting one-of-a-kind luxury holidays and bespoke touring experiences in New York City.
These will only be bookable via the Travel Associates expert advisor network in Australia and New Zealand.
Last week, Kingswell spoke to more than 1,800 representatives from luxury hotels and DMCs in New York City on a ‘Meet the Market’ webinar organised by NYC Tourism.
Here, she shares more insights with Karryon.
What aspects will the one-of-a-kind luxury holidays and bespoke touring experiences in New York City include? For instance, will they be themed around different categories such as arts and culture, fashion, culinary, design, architecture, wellness etc?
Our theme is ‘all things luxury in NYC’ and sharing the hidden gems throughout the five boroughs – culture, food, design and more. Our advisors are the experts in crafting personalised itineraries for their clients, and our campaign will inspire them with ideas to do so no matter their personal interests.
We will be showcasing iconic experiences (e.g. hotel stays) with special upgrades and extras for Travel Associates clients, with some exclusive packages with business class flights included just around the corner.
Our Signature Itinerary is the epitome of the one of a kind experiences our advisors can create in NYC. It includes:
- 5-star luxury accommodation at Aman New York
- VIP Shopping Tour with your own personal stylist
- New York City Helicopter Flight
- Celebrity Chef dining experience
- Private tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Broadway show with a behind-the-scenes tour with one of the cast
- VIP All-access tour of the Empire State Building
- 2-hour Hudson River cruise on a vintage yacht
What will be the advantages to the end traveller in booking through Travel Associates into one of these experiences?
With a Travel Associates advisor, you can trust your experience will be seamless from start to end, and you’ll have the support of an expert if something doesn’t go to plan along the way. You can truly relax!
Our advisors are connected and can secure special upgrades and offers for their clients to enhance their experience, thanks to our global membership programs and exclusive partnerships.
There’s so much to see and do in NYC – planning an unforgettable itinerary can be incredibly overwhelming, time consuming and never quite perfect. Having an expert that can share their decades of knowledge, personal experience and access is invaluable.
Travellers can let a Travel Associates advisor get to know them – what they love and hate; and receive a completely personalised itinerary that ticks all their boxes.
What are the travel patterns from Australians to NYC looking like at this time? Why this destination and why this timing?
NYC is synonymous with luxury – some of the world’s most outstanding hotels, museums, entertainment, food and culture lives here. And over the last few years these luxury experiences have sprawled out over the banks of Manhattan to touch other trending boroughs like Brooklyn. There’s so much more to uncover in the city each time you return.
Our luxury clients have most likely travelled to NYC before, but are eager to return to experience more and more, not just the common trip to Times Square, but the hidden foodie and cultural experiences that are hard to simply ‘Google’.
Europe was the buzz of 2023, with many prioritising the continent for their first post-pandemic holiday. Our clients are now looking at what’s next on the travel bucket list – and we can see that the interest is moving to NYC and the wider USA now.
In 2023, we saw February, March and August peak, followed closely by November, with NYC bookings and we expect to see similar peaks again this year. This aligns with the key ‘bursts’ of our partnership activity, which we know will accelerate bookings further in 2024.
What will the series of trade and client events involve and in which Australian cities? Who can attend?
Our trade events will allow our network of over 300 advisors to upskill in the latest news from NYC Tourism + Conventions directly to ensure they’re delivering the most up to date information and experiences for their clients. These will be hosted in key cities around Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane/Gold Coast.
Our client events are incredibly popular and will allow our advisors in key states around Australia to personally share their love for New York City and the incredible and exclusive experiences on offer. The clients invited will be hand-picked based on our personal knowledge of their travel wish lists and travel style.
First time’s a charm
Maddison Done, Head of Marketing, Travel Associates Australia/New Zealand will be heading off in seven weeks to New York City, on her first trip to the Big Apple.
“It’s been my dream to visit for many years,” said Done.
“Our Travel Associates’ Signature Itinerary is my absolute dream itinerary packed into six incredible days, pairing the city’s best fashion, art, food, entertainment and views into one iconic trip.
And Aman New York is the perfect calming oasis in the centre of the city to retreat to after navigating the busyness of the “concrete jungle.
For me personally, I’ve had several of our Travel Associates advisors recommend to me the best places to stay, things to do, most incredible views you wouldn’t expect, eats to devour and coffee that will satisfy my high Australian expectations.
I would have been lost without their advice and certainly wouldn’t be experiencing what I plan to without them. I feel incredibly lucky to have their guidance and recommendations,” she said.
For more information, visit travelassociates.com/nyc