Luxury Travel is Big Business: 5 Companies Making High-End Travelers’ Dreams Come True

Despite rising travel costs and inflationary pressure on personal budgets, 91% of Americans plan to take a trip this year. Helping drive the travel surge are high-earning households who frequently travel and are spending even more on vacations in 2023.

Luxury travel is projected to be the fastest-growing portion of the vacation market, the world’s largest industry by number of employees.  A key driver of this growth is millennials, who prefer to spend money on new experiences rather than material possessions and travel more than any other generation.

What Do High-End Travelers Want In Their Vacations?

Globally, the number of upper-middle-class, wealthy, and high net worth individuals with disposable income is growing. These big-spending vacationers want to explore destinations with unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experiences. In addition, they are looking for a mix of entertainment, adventure, relaxation, and unique activities to do as a family.

Established brands, companies expanding their offerings, and new start-ups are stepping up to give these travelers what they are dreaming of. Here are five businesses offering what today’s luxury traveler craves in their next getaway.

Ultra Personalization Made Easy

Launched during the pandemic, Origin saw where luxury travel was going and launched a white-glove vacation planning service via a convenient all-in-one mobile app. 

“We created Origin because modern travel has become extremely complicated,” says Eli Bessert, Origin CEO. “The barrier of travel planning, the time it consumes, and insider knowledge on destinations are holding people back from maximizing their travel experiences. Origin removes all those obstacles and makes the end-to-experience a breeze.”

And based on their increasing amount of customers, this custom-curated travel planning service is a hit with luxury travelers. On average, their 10-day trips for four cost close to $20,000 and almost all their customers request a new trip after getting home.  Their set of luxury travelers is going to remote destinations like Bhutan and New Zealand instead of crowded summer European destinations such as Italy and Greece.

They’ve also noticed a rising interest in personalized meal experiences, from arranged breakfasts to private dinners in stunning locations. 

A Bespoke Offering in The Culinary Capital of the Caribbean

One company offering these culinary experiences is Chellamella, an exotic fine dining experience celebrating local Caribbean ingredients in The Cayman Islands. They offer private dining services in villas and condo rentals and unique pop-up events in extraordinary destinations around the island. A small but highly passionate three-person team includes Chef Gaia Tomasin and Cayman Native Jack Barwick, M & Bookatable’s Young Chef of The Year Award Winner in the kitchen. 

“As a team, we wanted to create an approach that contrasts the Island’s usual a la Carte format or private catering menus usually formulated in advance. Our guests very kindly trust us to design a menu with local and regional produce and not rely on shipped-in goods,” explains Ryan Reed, Co-Founder of Chellamella.  

“We write, prepare the menu, set up, and host the event all within 24 hours,” he continues. “This approach creates freedoms that allow us to host fun events in notable locations around the Island where good food usually is hard to find. We have had great fun with groups visiting the Island and enjoy showing them the island’s exotic ingredients.”

For example, they offer a 30-person dinner at The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park at the end of every month to coincide with the full moon. It provides a chance to experience their unmatched service and delectable 6-course dinner, with ingredients right from the Botanic garden, and the rare opportunity to explore the park after dark in the moonlight. 

Cruising to New Heights

In the next ten years, luxury cruising is expected to triple. To help meet this demand, half of the new 2023 cruise ships are small luxury vessels built for less than one thousand guests. Those travelers looking for 5-star service on the seas will continue to have an abundance of choice.

“Many luxury vacationers today have traveled fairly extensively with their families from a young age. They’ve seen the top tourist destinations. As adults, they’re looking to avoid overcrowded tourist traps and seek out unique adventures that allow them the freedom to experience nature and beautiful destinations from a different vantage point,” says Dan Lockyer, Chief Revenue Officer of Dream Yacht Worldwide. 

One such person is Mikkel Woodruff, a full-time traveler and Founder of Sometimes Sailing, a website dedicated to small-ship cruising. In addition, Jennifer Coleman, a travel industry veteran of 20-plus years well versed in 5 Star and 5 Diamond travel standards, is integrating cruising into her adventures. 

“Sailing on the yacht, Emerald Azzurra, was a truly luxurious experience. From sipping cocktails in the spa pool overlooking Mt. Vesuvius in the port of Naples one afternoon to enjoying the state-of-the-art infrared sauna included in every cruise fare, our Mediterranean Sea vacation was truly an incomparable experience,” remarks Woodruff. 

“My experience onboard UnCruise’s Safari Voyager in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez was an unpretentious luxury experience filled with a rich assortment of unforgettable experiences. The ship only had 34 cabins, so it could get up close and personal with the enchanted islands that make up the UNESCO site dubbed “The World’s Aquarium” by Jacques Cousteau,” says Coleman.  

“My days were filled with bucket list adventures like swimming with baby sea lions and visiting grey whale birthing lagoons. We spent our evenings enjoying chef-prepared dinners with an extensive wine menu and desserts made by an onboard pastry chef,” she continues.

A Luxe Theme Park Experience Wowing Guests for More Than 20 Years

An all-inclusive 35-acre tropical theme park experience has been hiding in plain sight for over two decades. Voted Orlando’s Best Theme Park, Discovery Cove caps ticket sales at approximately 10% of Magic Kingdom capacity, so it feels exclusive and relaxing even during peak travel periods. 

Discovery Cove offers guests a one-of-a-kind opportunity to snorkel among thousands of tropical fish and rays and hand-feed exotic birds. Their hallmark is the opportunity to get up close with an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Accompanied by a trainer, groups of seven to nine guests interact and swim with a dolphin in a naturalistic lagoon.

Additionally, guests can book a private Animal Trek or do the impossible – walk underwater on the lagoon floor. Guests ten years and older can wear dive helmets, sink to the bottom of the Great Reef to view dozens of sharks, and experience one-on-one touches with unique animals. Guests can even swim with sharks under the careful guidance of the park aquarist team for a memorable, white-knuckle snorkel experience. 

Luxury Travel Continues to Be Refined

The pandemic created a seismic cultural shift globally, and the values and aspirations of luxury travelers changed along with it. And brands that want to remain relevant to this group are making changes fast. For example, Marriot International is adding 35 resorts to their portfolio of luxury brands, which include The Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, St. Regis, W Hotels, The Luxury Collection, EDITION, JW Marriott, and Bulgari Hotels & Resorts. 

“More than ever before, our guests are prioritizing more meaningful travel and time spent with loved ones, looking for experiences that reflect their personal values and enhance their overall quality of life,” says Tina Edmundson, Global Brand and Marketing Officer, Marriott International.