One thing is clear for 2017’s luxury travel trends: the costs are still up there and having one would still require an effort to save or earn extra income to afford. But luxury is now focused less on pleasurable materialistic amenities and more on its emotional content for travelers according to observers. Here are five trends for luxury travels this 2017.

During the International Luxury Travel Market Festival — a meeting of huge hotel chains in Cannes akin to the Film Festival — luxury is now a term brands are focusing on the “precious, rare” and something “invested in emotional value.” This also means possible drive down costs relatively. According to National Geographic Travel, AmaWaterways’ Gary Murphy believes “defining one’s luxury” could mean “a five-star river cruise” or “a surfing camp with no electricity.” Souvenirs were also said to be out of the question during the festival. According to Future Laboratory Co-Founder Chris Sanderson, a luxury item is not as much as it used to mean in the past. Travel experiences and social media validation have better value in today’s luxury travel.
According to Forbes — citing Virtuoso’s findings in its Virtuoso Luxe Report — luxury travelers want more travel in destinations with “a sense of urgency” or will soon disappear. Examples include the glaciers of the Arctic — affected immensely by the ...