Luxury travel not what it used to be

Cape Town - Luxury travel isn’t what it used to be.

The reality of travel today is that consumers are more concerned with the narrative of their trip than the brand-based luxury elements that traditionally drove travel purchase decisions.

The evidence of this shift in perspective and priority is clear through travel trends such as Adventure Travel and Experiential Travel.

M. Paul Munford says in the 2017 Skift Travel Trends Report that “the new luxury is defined by small brands with big stories".

Ker & Downey Africa, an adventure travel company operating throughout Africa, has seen the evidence of this first hand.

CEO Lee Kelsall said a large part of what it does revolves around tailor making trips for international guests.

"This gives us first-hand experience with what the market is looking for. Travelers are less and less asking after names of luxurious lodge brands and increasingly, essentially, asking for experiences that will make a great story or that have a powerful story attached to them,” said Kelsall.

As further confirmation of the market’s movement, an entirely new genre of travel has recently gained traction, known as flashpacking - backpacker style travel for the affluent. Flashpacker Connect is one such company that partners with Ker & Downey Africa in satisfying adventure travel needs globally.

Shifting emphasis

There are a few key reasons for the shifting emphasis of travel from premium brand names to authentic experiences and powerful narratives.

The travel industry is one of the most competitive, lucrative industries in the world, showcased by the expected $12trn that the industry will contribute to global GDP by 2025, according to the Skift report. Where there is competition, there is an expectation on service and product providers to continually improve satisfaction levels of their customers.

In this case, the industry has followed closely the heightened satisfaction customers feel when their travel experience has consisted of unique moments, fulfilling encounters or adventurous thrills. As global awareness around the power of experiential travel has grown among travellers and suppliers alike, a new expectation has been set in the market.

These expectations cannot be met simply by placing a well-known name on the cover of an itinerary or hotel lobby wall. Brand experiences are amplified globally through social media, in real time.

According to Forbes, approximately one-fifth of leisure travellers worldwide turn to social media platforms for inspiration within different categories of their travel planning. The sharing of unique and powerful travel experiences further increases the value that the market places on, and the amount that travellers are willing to pay for these travel experiences, when compared to purely premium brand luxuries.