Hotelbeds is seeing a notable rise in consumer demand for luxury travel with travellers around the world seeking more premium experiences than ever before. The trend has led the TravelTech company to respond by signing new partnerships, including The Lux Collective.
The United States, Mexico and Europe are among the largest source markets for luxury travel for Hotelbeds, while travellers from India (109%), Australia (216%), China (78%) and Spain (66%) have been increasingly looking for a premium experience over the past year versus the previous 12 months.
Nicolas Huss, Hotelbeds’ Chief Executive Officer, doesn’t see this momentum subsiding any time soon. “The post-covid ‘carpe diem’ mentality shows no sign of abating,” he said. “Travellers want to make the most of every day and they don’t want to compromise. We’re seeing spend on travel remain a top consumer priority with people actively seeking unforgettable trips and are willing to pay for a high-quality experience.”
Within Hotelbeds’ country portfolio, the UAE, Mexico, Turkey, U.S. have the largest concentration of 5-star hotels with Thailand its fastest-growing destination. Meanwhile, Dubai, where Hotelbeds is exhibiting at Arabian Travel Market this week, continues to maintain its status as one of the company’s largest luxury destinations with growth up 10% over the past year versus the previous 12 months.
This view is shared by other industry leaders, including Olivier Ponti, Vice President-Insights at ForwardKeys, who told the audience at Hotelbeds’ MarketHub Europe last month that the luxury sector is a huge opportunity for the travel industry. “This year, premium travel is recovering much faster than economy, which is still 19% behind 2019 levels. It is even growing by 4% compared with pre-pandemic levels. Premium travellers represent a very interesting visitor profile because they tend to fly a lot, spend more than average, and also tend to spend more time at their destination than the average traveller,” he said.
The Lux Collective (“TLC”) is a global luxury hotel operator headquartered in Singapore and manages brands LUX*, SALT, TAMASSA, SOCIO and Café LUX*. Other properties managed by TLC include Hotel Le Recif, Reunion Island and Ile des Deux Cocos, Mauritius, a private paradise island.
