REVEALED: Virtuoso’s hot list for 2020
Aussie travellers are prioritising customised trips and have a thirst for new destinations, according to the 2020 Virtuoso Luxe Report.
The luxury travel network’s annual report surveys its agency members and their advisors across 50 countries to predict what lies ahead in the coming year.
This year’s stand out finding is that “carpe diem” travel is fuelling Aussie travellers to seek out new destinations and experiences in more authentic ways and their definition of luxury is changing.
While they still want to journey in comfort, personalised adventures with friends and family are more important than traditional elements of luxury.
Japan is continuing its reign as Australians’ top emerging destination, jumping from fourth to the top slot as global favourite and appearing on this year’s lists for Millennial, family and solo travel destinations. Antarctica tops the adventure destinations list and places as an emerging destination – with more cruises available now to carry travellers to the pristine continent. Croatia also finished strongly this year, taking the top spot in the Millennial destination category again, while appearing on the top global, emerging and adventure lists.
The Luxe Report unearthed six trends highlighting how upscale globetrotters continue to assert their influence in the travel-sphere for 2020.
Untouristed and Unexpected: With some favourite destinations seeing an untenable rise in demand, the well-travelled luxury set is seeking remote, unspoiled destinations to avoid crowds at over-touristed locales. Virtuoso advisors report a rise in requests for places ranging from the culturally distinct to those steeped in nature, including Borneo, Greenland and Oman.
Country Coupling: Trips that mix locales are trending, especially ones with surprising combinations. Travellers may pair a ski adventure with a beach finale, or a city stay with a jungle adventure or a well-travelled place followed by a little-known spot to mingle with locals. The focus is on varied experiences that enrich the trip with each stop.
Tasty Travels: Cooking classes, eating in private homes, Michelin-starred restaurants, farm-to-table visits, truffle hunting – culinary experiences are as varied as travellers themselves, and allow foodies to go beyond just having a seat at the table. Dining has become such a focus that some travellers are requesting restaurant reservations at the same time they book their flights – sometimes even before.
Group Getaways: Gen X-ers, boomers and even matures are travelling to bond with friends and others who share their passions or are at the same life stage. Women’s travel is on the rise as well, including soft adventure trips and affluent girl getaways to unplug, relax and play. Groups of couples are also travelling together, including buddymoons, where newlyweds bring pals along for the fun.
EQ Encounters: Foregoing the usual attractions, Virtuoso clients are instead opting to tap into their passions, such as a tasting with the owner of a local winery, a motorcycle tour or a personal shopper to guide them through the latest pop-up stores. They also want accommodations that reflect the destination – inns full of character, small neighbourhood hotels and private homes.
Enjoying the Journey: Embracing the philosophy that the journey is half the fun, upscale voyagers are using exclusive services including meet-and-greets plane-side to avoid the stress of changing terminals, locating gates, or waiting in customs lines. The Private Suite at Los Angeles International Airport offers a members-only terminal where travellers are escorted through TSA screenings, driven to and from aircraft in BMWs and provided a room to relax in between flights.
Here are some more key findings from the report:
Top Travel Trends
- Adventure cruising
- Ocean cruising
- Multigenerational travel
- Active or adventure trips
- Authenticity
Top Global Destinations
- Japan
- Italy
- Croatia
- U.S.
- Iceland
Top Millennial Destinations
- Croatia
- Bali
- Cambodia
- Greece
- Japan
Top Family Travel Destinations
- Fiji
- Hawaii
- Italy
- Japan
- Australia
Top Solo Travel Destinations
- Italy
- Japan
- U.S.
- France
- New Zealand
Top Emerging Destinations
- Japan
- Croatia
- Iceland
- Antarctica
- Egypt
Top Adventure Destinations
- Antarctica
- Iceland
- Alaska
- Kenya
- Croatia
Top Cities
- New York City
- Tokyo
- Kyoto
- Lisbon
- Budapest
Top Honeymoon Destinations
- Maldives
- Fiji
- French Polynesia
- Greece
- Bali
Top Travel Motivations
- Celebrating a milestone
- Spending time with loved ones
- Excitement of discovering new destinations
- Rest and relaxation
- Crossing off Wanderlist items
Latest News
Hapag-Llyod Cruises announces a chance to win an exclusive 18-day cruise
You'll need to pack your thermals for this one. Is Greenland the icy one and is Iceland the green one? We forget.
dnata Catering & Retail expands Melbourne Airport facility
25 million meals, that's a lot of breadrolls and would you like the chicken or the beef with that?
Perth tops Australian hotel occupancy in 2024, WA regions see surges over 10%
We've long been fans of the west and it's news like this that has us thinking about another trip.
Uncertain future for The Star hospitality venues if casino operator goes bust
There will be more than gold stars on the yearly report of the accountant who can get them out of this mess.
Tour operators given under two years to ensure all new buses are equipped with seatbelts
Incredible that protocols like this haven't been in place for years, but we are now moving in the right direction.
Journey Beyond launches ‘The Ghan Experience’
We'll be checking the experience out with our own eyes tomorrow, stay tuned for the video review!
Disneyland Paris set for AU$3bn+ expansion
With the amount of money being spent, we're expecting a seamless experience when lining up in the Paris heat.
REVIEW: Our family Anthem? Dad, please make the next cruise a longer one
Despite its size and scale, there are always pockets of serenity and enjoyable downtime to be had on Anthem.
Collette’s new agent incentive taking winners to the Swiss Alps and Italy’s Prosecco region
Plenty of agent incentives to kick off the year, but this 12-day jaunt might just take the glass of sparkling.
Warrawong on the Darling welcomes guests with pets
Yes all will be fine, and enjoy the serenity, that is until your fur baby hears the words 'Possum!' or 'Lizard!'.
NSW Tourism Association welcomes former tourism minister as new chair
There are some heavy hitters in this roll-call of travel professionals. Let's see what they can do for the state.
Virgin Australia triples number of reward seats between Sydney, Brisbane and Perth to Doha
What came first, the chicken or the egg? Or in this case, Qantas' 72 hour flash sale or more VA's Frequent Flyer seats.
One million discounted seats on offer as Qantas puts 100 domestic routes on sale for 72 hours
There's nothing we love more than a 72-hour flash sale, apart from maybe a 96-hour sale, but let's not be picky,
THE YEAR AHEAD: Brett Jardine, Council of Australian Tour Operators
Put a ring on it, goes the lyric, just like a lemur's tail at Brett's honeymoon destination of Madagascar.
Atlas Ocean Voyages announces special President’s Cruise
We are pretty sure this cruise will not include the presence of the new US president.
Wendy Wu Tours announces three new cruise itineraries
We are 100 per cent sure Wendy Wu would have checked out these river cruise and tour itineraries herself.
European Waterways expands its fleet with the Shannon Princess
You just need to choose nine of your closest friends to book this one out. Oh, and the better half! Make that eight.
Fiji hits the magic million mark for visitors in record year
It was a big hill to climb but going from almost zero during the pandemic to 1M is a huge accomplishment.
Virgin Australia rejects ‘unsubstantiated assertion’ that it turned a blind eye to staff safety risks
Young staff need to be protected, but trawling their social media profiles smells of shaming to us.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises elevates onboard entertainment
We expect Tina Turner songs like What's Love Got To Do With It, not the Beyond Thunderdome version of Tina.
Holland America Line welcomes two celebrated chefs onboard Grand Voyages
Worried that you'll be bored eating the same thing on a 100 plus-day cruise? Not with Holland America you won't!
AmaWaterways adds complimentary land packages on hundreds of sailings
And clients can use these added extras by combining them with them with loyalty schemes. Bonus!
Hong Kong Airlines celebrates resumed service to the Gold Coast
We've said it before and we've said it again, we'll never get bored of happy 'resume' service stories
Intrepid Travel launches exclusive culinary journey
Visitors should expect to come back with a brain full of food knowledge, as well as a belly full of produce.
Webjet & Experience Gold Coast partner to offer $50 off flights to OOL
Just what Sydneysiders need to escape the run of bad weather and Melburnians to escape the tennis.
THE YEAR AHEAD: Joel Katz, Cruise Lines International Association Australasia
With record numbers last year, read all about what Joel is planning for a bumper cruise year in 2025.
Singapore Tourism Board partners with Komodo for TikTok travel mini-series
We don't know who a lot of these people are, but this sounds like a pretty creative idea!
Bunnik Tours launches its ‘Hot Deals’ sale
Head off the beaten track with Bunnik and you never know, Dennis or his mum might be on the trip too?
First set of Qantas engineering apprentices arrive at Brisbane training facility
Qantas will be hoping to keep the claws of unions like the TWU away from this group of fresh faced engineers.
CATO Touring Academy doubles achievements
The Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) Touring Academy has surpassed all expectations, with over 1,000 enrolments, 11,000 course completions, and more than 600 agents earning their CATO Touring Certification since its mid-2024 launch. As the travel industry gears up for another dynamic year, the CATO Touring Academy is empowering travel professionals to elevate their […]
Explore remote Antarctica by ship and helicopter this year with Quark
A helicopter ride over some of the most incredible parts of the planet sounds like a dream. With Quark, it's a reality.
Sapporo to become Qantas’ 100th destination with arrival of new direct flights to Chitose Airport
Just in case there aren't enough Australians going skiing in Japan...
Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours advises final call for Anzac Day 2025
Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours has advised that the final call for Anzac Day 2025 is on 31 January 2025 with pre-registration also available for Anzac Day 2026. Travellers are encouraged to book their spot for either the 10-day Anzac Day on the Western Front departing on 19 April from Paris or the 8-day Anzac Day […]
Two destinations to visit in Mexico for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and here are two romantic getaway destinations in Mexico to make any traveller’s day with their special someone even better. Casona Roma Norte, Mexico City This Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to visit Mexico City, as the streets come alive with roses, heartfelt gifts, and the city basks in […]
Emirates debuts new uniform for Premium and VIP Passenger Services team
Coming soon to a flight near you!
Exclusive: Infinity Holidays redundancies after API hotel business shutdown
Christmas seems a common time for these things to happen. Time to start the new year afresh!