Penny Spencer on luxury travel – ‘You must have experienced the product you are selling’

With more than 25 years of experience in luxury travel, Penny Spencer – founder of Spencer Travel and Travel Industry Mentor Experience (TIME) – knows what she’s talking about when it comes to selling luxury.
Spencer makes it clear that understanding the luxury market is not something that happens overnight – being a product expert is key. Read her insight on the luxury travel market here.
If you would like to find out more about luxury you can sign up to the Travel Weekly Luxury Roadshow, taking place in Sydney on 17 March, Brisbane 18 March and Melbourne 19 March.
How do you personally define luxury?
Luxury travel is a bit of an overused word at the moment, I feel that everyone is using luxury in the world of travel. True luxury is when you feel special, when you feel that you are getting something that makes you feel indulgent and exclusive. I know the feeling I get when I am in a luxury hotel or on a luxury cruise, or even walking into a luxury retailer you feel special and excited to be experiencing that feeling of exclusivity.
When did you start working in luxury travel and how have you seen the market change in that time?
I started working in luxury travel 25 years ago, it was different then, people’s expectations weren’t as high, there were no butlers, private jets and exclusive areas in hotels and on cruise ships. The destination or the places you booked were the luxury experience, we now have add on’s such as club access, separate areas on cruise ships and Airline lounges. Luxury was a beautiful hotel with amazing service. I feel that it has shifted from wealth and exclusivity to more about unique experiences and a little bit of bragging all due to social media.
What do you consider to be the key trend shaping luxury in 2025?
Everyone now wants personalised experiences, the rise in private jet itineraries, exclusive small islands, smaller luxury touring. Wellness and eco-tourism is also something that the luxury traveller is looking for, they are happy to go to a Health Retreat as long as they can still have their luxury experience. The same with Eco Tourism and giving back as long as they can be in a luxury tent and still have great food and a massage.
What are some of the most effective ways of selling luxury to clients?
You must have experienced the product that you are selling, or understand what the product is offering. It doesn’t work anymore to say you must stay at the best hotel in town to experience luxury, every product is unique and as Advisors selling luxury we must know the product. Being part of Virtuoso or other luxury consortia’s is a must, having relationships with the luxury suppliers, going to global trade shows to meet partners and learning about their products. Selling luxury is not a guessing game you have to be an expert in the field.
What is something you would like to see more of in this market?
We need to have more luxury lodges in Australia, New Zealand does this very well. The ones we have are great but we need more. Service service service, and this includes personalised service. A lot of the time I stay at a luxury property in Australia I am a little disappointed by the service. Making me feel special doesn’t happen as well as it does when you are in Asia or Europe. Going above and beyond those little touches that you get – I must say I had one at a beautiful lodge in Tasmania who saw that I was sunburnt when I came back from a walk and delivered me after sun gel to the room about 10 minutes after getting back…that is service and makes you feel special and that is what some of us call luxury.
Feature image: Penny Spencer Palm Cove
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