Virtuoso® Announces Top Seven Travel Trends From Virtuoso Travel Week

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- International luxury travel network, Virtuoso^®, reveals the top seven travel trends to emerge from Virtuoso Travel Week, luxury travel's preeminent event.  Yesterday, Virtuoso travel providers announced breaking news to media in attendance.  From these headlines, "catering to the individual traveler: personalized travel is the new definition of luxury" emerged as the overarching trend.  The six others range from health and wellness travel to "culture coming to life."

"Travel has been trending for some time toward authentic experiences," says Virtuoso Chairman and CEO, Matthew D. Upchurch, CTC.  "And now we're seeing our travel providers take it one step further by catering to each individual traveler's wants and needs.  It's not enough to experience a destination; travelers want to do so in a way that is completely unique to them. This trend of individualized travel aligns perfectly with what we're seeing on the agency side: clients want an advisor who 'specializes' in them as well as products and destinations. Completely customized travel experience is exactly what Virtuoso-affiliated travel advisors do best."

The top seven trends follow:

1.       Catering to the Individual Traveler
As travel companies continue to perfect and enhance their offerings, this leaves travelers more discerning than ever – expecting and wanting more.  No longer is it enough to merely travel to the latest, off-the-beaten path destinations; personalized travel is the new "luxury."  Experiences have to go deeper and appeal to personal interests. Tailor-made excursions continue to become de rigueur.  Travel must also address certain desires and needs whether health allergies or food preferences.  Companies are even changing their entire brand proposition to better support this trend.              

2.      Special Interest Travel
Travel is deeply personal.  Travelers more than ever can connect to a given destination by exploring their passions and interests.

• Isramworld, one of America's leading tour operators, enables travelers to experience the people and unique attributes of a destination.  The company unveiled new Jewish heritage and GLBT tours to Cuba – the #1 Emerging Destination from Virtuoso's 2013 Luxe Report – to experience previously unexplored sides of the destination.  
• andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve launched a new safari concept: it now offers a four-day yoga safari program in South Africa; guests are able to spiritually connect with the magnificent landscape through the open-air yoga.
• For stargazers, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay offers an astronomy discovery with Parag Mahajani, one of the most respected field experts in astronomy, for nightly discussions and solar flare sightings by day.

3.      Health and Wellness Travel
Interest in improving health and remaining physically active while on holiday has only continued to increase. 

• In an industry first, Crystal Cruises broke the news that it is introducing hypoallergenic cabins for guests – Deluxe PURE Staterooms. Crystal is partnering with PURE Marine Solutions, sister company of leading allergy-friendly hospitality innovator PURE Global, for a comprehensive transformation utilizing the only hypoallergenic process patented and proven to deliver a safe and healthy environment.   
• In addition to rolling out a series of new spa offerings with ESPA, Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo is partnering with the spa company and celebrity chef Joel Robuchon to introduce a new spa culinary experience at Odyssey, his 3^rd restaurant within the hotel, designed by Karl Lagerfeld.
• COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali has created a new Traditional Oriental Medicine Program in which expert practitioners create a comprehensive and bespoke healing plan based on classical systems of health and longevity, such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, and meditation.

4.      "Culture Brought to Life" Experiences
Art, television, music and books have influenced travel for years, but never before like this. Travelers can now experience the place or time of their favorite artists or characters through exclusive access and unforgettable events.

• NoteWorthy Events, the United Kingdom's leading personal travel specialists, announced its ability to gain private access to the sold-out Highclere Castle, Hampshire, England – home to the real 'Downton Abbey' – where guests can walk in the shadows of the Crawley family.  The company also can provide access 'Behind the Getty Gates' of Buckinghamshire, England, to view John Paul Getty II's famed library with literary treasures such as a first edition of William Caxton's printing of "The Canterbury Tales;" Anne Boleyn's Psalter or Book of Psalms and the first folio of William Shakespeare's "Comedies, Histories and Tragedies."  
• Ballyfin has opened its famed costume department to transport guests through time and allow them to live out their favorite Jane Austen novel against the backdrop of this fully restored manor home.
• GoldenEye Hotel and Resort in Jamaica, once the home of Ian Fleming and where he penned all 14 James Bond novels, allows guests to embrace the rich history of his storytelling by staying in his original villa, complete with his writing desk.

5.      Living Like a Local … Only Better
No one knows how to navigate the places of the world better than a local. City hotels are catering to guests' adventurous sides and providing them with authentic and localized experiences.

• The highly anticipated Park Hyatt New York's savvy concierge team will direct guests to all of Manhattan's best kept secrets, such as the hottest boutiques for one-of-a-kind pieces.
• In London, Rocco Forte Brown's Hotel is introducing the exclusive "Virtuoso Dream Teen Team" program, a concierge-designed experience exclusively for young adults. Rooms are outfitted with games and snacks, and each teen gets an Oyster Card to go off and explore the city as they please.
• Anantara Phuket Villas can arrange visits to the heart of the island's historic district for guests to discover local markets, temples, and interact with descendants of the Koh Sireh people, Phuket's first inhabitants.

6.      Private Residences
In the spirit of living like a local, private residences and villas continue to increase in popularity, with top travel companies enhancing the design, amenities, and services of these offerings.

• The K Club announced the opening of Straffan House, a private residence on the grounds of the Club owned by founder Sir Michael Smurfit available for exclusive hire.  The new building took inspiration from the original "Staffran House," now the hotel at the Club.
• In South Africa, Singita Castleton will reopen in October. Reminiscent of an African farmhouse, it comprises six individual cottages that are privately staffed with a guide, tracker, and chef.
• Villas of Distinction now offers exclusive tours and experiences that can be customized to complement guests' stays in its private residences; travelers no longer have to choose between tours and a villa stay – they can have both.

7.      Destinations Making News … and Why the Time to Go is NOW

• Brazil – home of the 2014 World Cup – is the destination on everyone's lips according to Embratur, the country's tourism board.  Not only was Rio de Janeiro voted #6 in the "Cities That Excite" list from Virtuoso's "2013 Travel Dreams Survey," but LATAM Airlines Group is announcing new routes to JFK and Miami by November.
• Travel to Turkey has increased by more than 18 percent since last year. Turkish Airlines, recently voted Europe's Best Airline at the 2013 Skytrax Passengers Choice Awards for the third consecutive year, saw a 26 percent increase in global ticket sales from the same time period in 2012 – a total of more than 22.4 million passengers. Consumer interest and tourism is also driven by the May 2013 opening of the country's newest luxury hotel, the Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul.

About Virtuoso:
Virtuoso^® is the industry's leading luxury travel network.  This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 340 agencies with more than 7,200 elite travel specialists in 20 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,700 of the world's best travel providers and premier destinations.  The network's member agencies generate over $9.6 billion annually in travel sales, making the group the most powerful in the luxury travel segment.  Their relationships with the finest travel companies provide the network's affluent clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com. To view Virtuoso's latest videos, go to http://www.youtube.com/user/VirtuosoTraveler.   

Media Contacts:                                                                     
Misty Ewing, CTA                                                                    
Virtuoso – Director, Public Relations                              
Phone: 202.553.8817                                                       
E-mail: [email protected]                                      

Charles G. Curkin
Senior Account Executive          
Alice Marshall Public Relations
Phone: 212. 861.4031
E-mail: [email protected]

Katherine McPherson
Account Executive
Alice Marshall Public Relations
212.861.4031
E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Virtuoso