Luxury Travel

It's a difficult topic for the travel industry to discuss, especially as experiences get more immersive. But just because it can be uncomfortable doesn't mean we should shy away from confronting it and calling out bad behavior.

Education delivered directly from local communities, and informed by tradition, is what distinguishes immersion from appropriation. It's the job of luxury professionals to facilitate the experience without adding the influence of their own lens.

As we have seen in recent years, new multi-use developments can have transformative effects on under-utilized sections of major cities. Zurich is banking on The Circle to create a new reason for tourists to visit the city.

Even if you think you've heard enough about millennials and Chinese consumers, it's worth keeping an eye on how both are reshaping the luxury travel industry — especially as brands are looking to target them in the coming years.

The luxury goods market is going to be worth more than $450 billion by 2025 and many of its trends are relevant to travel as well. Younger consumers see brands in a different way than previous generations — and for them consistency is key.

Hotel loyalty programs are evolving especially with new forms of accommodation coming online. Change is inevitable but that doesn't mean everyone is going to be happy.

Now that Royal Caribbean Cruises and Carnival Corp. have made serious moves in the expedition space, is it still a "niche" sector of the cruise industry? We expect to see more activity in the coming years from players big and small.

With older people much more confident about travel than they were a couple of decades ago, it's perhaps understandable that they are happier to travel on their own.

Forget millennials. It's their parents who have the money and time to sign up for luxury experiences around the globe. With the aid of digital communications, going alone no longer feels like tragedy but an asset.

With expedition cruising set for serious growth over the next few years, it is understandable that one of the big cruise companies has decided to get more involved. The question now is will the others follow?