The Luxury Travel Collection (LTC) FCTG’s Global Managing Director of Luxury and Independent Brands, Dani Galloway says when looking at growth, the younger luxury traveller is at the centre of its strategy.
Speaking at the recent showcase and soiree for the Luxury Travel Collection in Brisbane, Galloway says when looking at growth for the 14-month-old collection, the real differential is about experiences and targeting the changing luxury consumer.
“We always talk about the customer being at the forefront and if we can define our strategies and growth pathway with that traveller at the centre then we are at the forefront of innovation.
“That’s required to meet the needs of the growing and changing luxury consumer – this younger generation is screaming out for a different offering that has historically been given in terms of luxury travel and that’s exciting.”
“We’re positioning ourselves well as to what future growth looks like. We’re thinking about the here and now, we’re thinking about tomorrow and what that luxury traveller looks like tomorrow.”
LTC General Manager Nikki Glading says that person wants to create “envy”.
“They are the “Henrys“, the high-earning, not-rich-yet travellers who are not saving to buy into the housing market, they’re spending their money and they love to create envy.”
Galloway adds, “They’re choosing Instagrammable moments and luxury destinations and the properties that are unique”.
“We’ve got a shelf of products that will cater for that new luxury consumer and every partnership brand will have a different strategy on how they’re monopolising on that.”
The changing face of the luxury traveller
Hurtigruten APAC Sales Director, Andrew Eddy, who attended the showcase, says it too is focused on the new luxury traveller.
“The luxury traveller is evolving and it’s no longer simply about thread count, champagne on arrival and fine dining – yes, for sure, these elements are important and valued to the luxury traveller, but increasingly we’re seeing that bespoke and unique experiences is what they value most.
“It’s the way that an experience leaves them feeling – the way they connect authentically with a local community, what they learn along the way, having unique, private access with no others around.
“Understanding local stories that enrich what they’re seeing, eating, feeling – ultimately its experiential travel, matched with a beautiful boutique, authentic accommodation at the end of the day – that’s luxury now.”
PONANT CEO Asia Pacific, Deb Corbett, who was one of the final speakers at the soiree, says it’s also focused on the experiential.
“People don’t want to bring home ‘stuff’ anymore. They want to bring home stories. PONANT’s current campaign embodies the five senses of smell, touch, taste, see and hear, bringing alive the guest’s imagination on what they can experience when cruising with PONANT.”
Adventure World Managing Director Neil Rodgers announced at the event that it’ll offer a complimentary annual membership to a Natural History Museum of the traveller’s choice to meet the growing needs of this new discerning luxury traveller.
“For the well-educated traveller, this initiative resonates with a lifelong pursuit of learning. It is an acknowledgment that travel is not a passive consumption of scenery, but an active engagement with the world’s complexities.
“Museum memberships provide ongoing access to curated exhibitions, expert lectures, and behind-the-scenes tours, fostering a continuous dialogue with knowledge.
“This is a subtle, yet powerful, signal of status, a recognition of cultural appreciation, a membership in a select community of intellectually curious individuals”.
For more information, visit the Luxury Travel Collection.
