Luxury Travel

The luxury hospitality industry is trying to help guests unwind in these anxiety-ridden, tech-addicted times. It's refreshing to think that something as simple as a book can make a difference — plus drive repeat hotel visits and even foster community. Luxury properties should take note.

Although CEO Sébastien Bazin said the transformation of Accor was pretty much done, he's not taking his foot off the pedal just yet in terms of moving the company more toward the luxury and lifestyle end of the hospitality market.

As luxury resorts jockey for ways to differentiate themselves from the pack, a shift toward more environmental practices may help them find new customers. The key, though, is making sure those green efforts come from an authentic — and not purely financial — place.

You may start seeing the term "eco-resort" pop up more and more. But in investigating the trend, we discovered a variety of definitions, which makes the actual meaning of the term nebulous. It’s best to look to Europe for clarification.

Lifestyle brands can feel like the forced product of one too many focus groups. Potato Head is the opposite: It's an Indonesian-born lifestyle brand that has been slowly built from the ground up with an emphasis on community, art, and culture.

This seems like a win-win for TUI Group. It gets an established partner to help grow its luxury and expedition cruise line — while also keeping a share of the business — and at the same time it gets the cash to help pursue its digital strategy.

The future of luxury family travel is sustainable, eco-friendly adventures. Luxury properties would be wise to think about how they can appeal to this environmentally-conscious set of travelers.

The hospitality industry has found that the higher a family's budget, the more concerned they are about environmental and cultural sustainability. Luxury operations that craft experiences that engage the family, and especially Gen Z, will see the long-tail impact as this generation has more control over vacation decisions.

South African tourism is on the decline. There are several factors at play, but given the diversity of experiences that can be had in this country of 58 million people, what's needed is a new and sharper narrative.

There is no doubt that the latest wellness trends will impact the travel space. Just how fast companies will begin implementing the trends is the real question.