A high-profile panel of luxury travel specialists at World Travel Market 2014 will share new research on affluent travellers and debate how not only luxury product, but also the theory and practice of selling that product to new customers is changing.
In a session called “Evolution of selling luxury: what do affluent travellers want and how can we give it to them?” the panel will talk about how the boundaries are shifting on the creation of luxury experiences for travellers and discuss what anyone’s guidelines should be if they are serious about selling luxury travel.
Timetric Analyst Oliver Williams will begin the session with an analysis of affluent consumers worldwide and changes in what they want from travel and services.
The confirmed panel speakers are:
- Brown + Hudson Founder, Philippe Brown. Brown + Hudson works with high and ultra-high net worth clients and is set on redefining what bespoke travel should be, using a method Brown calls “part journalist, part therapist”.
- Kuoni UK Managing Director, Derek Jones. Kuoni is a tailor-made and luxury tour operator and Jones has also now grown its retail estate in the UK to 30 branded stores, including concessions within John Lewis, as well as branded partnerships with selected independent travel agents.
- andBeyond CEO, Joss Kent. andBeyond runs more than 30 luxury lodges and camps of its own in Africa and India and works with other partner properties in Asia. A former guide in Africa, Kent has also previously headed up Abercrombie & Kent.
- Volcanoes Safaris Founder, Praveen Momam. Volcanoes Safaris has a strong grounding in sustainability and community and owns and runs four eco-luxury lodges in Uganda and Rwanda, specialising in safaris to see mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in the neighbouring forests.
- Virtuoso SVP of Global Member Partnerships, Becky Powell. Virtuoso is a luxury network with more than 340 agency members who between them have 8,900 elite advisors in 20 countries throughout North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia, and New Zealand. Powell supports the network’s agency members, managing professional development and training.
April Hutchinson, editor of ttgluxury, the UK-based magazine for premium travel professionals, will moderate the session. It takes place on Tuesday 4 November from 15:30 to 16:30 in the South Gallery, Rooms 13-14.
World Travel Market Senior Director Simon Press said: “Luxury travel continues to evolve and this seminar will look at how the product itself is changing and how new approaches to creating travel and marketing can help companies retain existing clients and attract new ones.”
