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Why Luxury Travel?
December 8th, 2009

I recently returned from the Luxury Travel Expo in Las Vegas. One of the best industry events I have attended in a while, the expo gave me inspiration for this first blog since returning.

A major focus of the show revolved around the question “why luxury travel?”. Furthermore, what exactly defines luxury travel? The second actually is a bit trickier, and as there really is no set definition, I’m going offer my own based on personal experience, that of my clients and my education as a luxury travel specialist.

Luxury travel provides an exceptional experience that caters to the specific preferences of each client and offers the highest quality for each and every aspect of your vacation.

The tricky thing about incorporating the word luxury into a phrase is that it tends to scare off a large number of people. They think that luxury equates to expensive. While it is true that luxury hotels are going to be more expensive than your Holiday Inn, the term luxury is actually referring to the experience, the way you feel during your flight, hotel, cruise, transportation and every other aspect of the trip. Personally, I have experienced luxury at hotels that did not cost much more than any other major hotel brand in the city. Instead, it was the impeccable service, unique amenities and customization of my vacation that made me feel more like a queen.

Given this (rather loose) definition of luxury, it is easier to address the question “why luxury travel?”. Simply put, who doesn’t want to feel exceptional, one-of-a-kind and well taken care of on their travels. Certainly there are travelers who are purposely “roughing it” because that is the point of their journey – to stay in the wild, live like the locals or experience a habitat in its absolute raw form. For these people, luxury travel is obviously not the way to go. For others however, here are a few examples of how luxury travel differs:

Luxury Cruises: Larger cabins, personalized meals, customized shore excursions, on board lectures and private events, unique ports of call not available to tradtional mega ships.

Luxury Hotels: VIP service for everyone, large rooms and suites as the standard, included amenities that usually cost at traditional hotels, top-rated restaurants and spas, butler service

Luxury Air: Things like food, blankets, pillows and drinks are actually included! Plus larger seats, more leg room, more personal service.

Luxury Rail: Private suites, lounge cars, club cars, conference cars for business, complimentary snacks and drinks, meal services

These are just a few examples of the benefits of luxury products offer. This is not to say that every traveler can afford to enjoy South African’s Blue Train or stay at the Ritz Carlton. Instead, it’s to point out that often, for not that much more, you can find an accommodation, cruise or transportation option that caters to you, the traveler, as you wish to be catered to and it doesn’t necessarily have to cost you an arm and a leg. With the economy as it’s been through 2009, people tend to focus on price. What they forget to focus on is value. While the price may be right, who knows what you are actually getting for that price? Instead, focus on getting the best quality possible for what you can afford. Luxury can, and often is, a great value for the service and amenities that you receive, and this is what truly makes your travel experience exceptional.

To learn more about your luxury travel items, subscribe to our blog – we will be focusing on various luxury options throughout the next several weeks.