PHOTO: Riding horseback through the dramatic landscape of Wadi Rum in Jordan. (courtesy Jordan Tourism Board/SITA World Tours)
Arguably, luxury is not what it was 30 years ago. Back then, it was easy to define and characterize luxury by comfort, pleasure, culinary delicacies, hyper-attentive service and travel to remote destinations. Those elements serve as a foundation for today?s luxury travel, whose centerpiece is authentic and adventurous experiences.
?We understand the importance of thread count. But that?s almost a given with us. We?re not afraid to go beyond that at times to create a better experience,? says Phil Otterson, president of Abercrombie & Kent. ?We think about the experience first. Sometimes on the private jet trips, we might stay at a place that isn?t a five-star hotel ? like a hotel in Papua New Guinea ? because of the experience of being with native Papua New Guineans.? For today?s luxury traveler, authentic experiences trump opulence and comfort. ?We are finding that clients really want to have the experience of living like a local, so in Cape Town we are taking them away from the waterfront more and more so they can be located in neighborhoods close to local eateries and smaller shops, rather than in a tourist area,? says Karin Jones, president of Anastasia?s Africa, ?Luxury is no longer just about creature comforts. Now luxury means having things just the way you want them.?
And what do people want" Adventure, of course. Travel has always ...