Luxury travellers demand less opulence, more sophistication

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ILTM will take place at Le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France, from December 8 –11.

Luxury travellers are demanding less opulence and more subtle sophistication, according to ITLM exhibition director Christina Wood.

“There is a move away from the ostentatious towards the discreet and because of the credit crunch, people can’t be seen to be conspicuously spending,” she said.

Top-end clients are also “looking for something a little bit different”, Wood continued.

“They want exclusivity and authenticity - something that’s not available to everyone,” she added.

She noted that regions such as the Middle East were known for their “glitz and glamour” and stressed that if destinations portrayed that luxury was “accessible to all”, they could actually alienate top-end tourists.

“But mass market destinations do have exclusive luxury offerings and can reinvent themselves - an example of that is Spain,” said Wood.

The destination, she revealed, had successfully launched a campaign to eradicate its mass-market reputation and in ILTM’s recent Buyers’ Survey, Spain had been noted as one of the fastest growing luxury markets.

As a result, Turespana will debut at ILTM 2008, which takes place at Le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France, from December 8 –11.

Spanish Tourist Office director Ignacio Vasallo said: “For the first time, the best accommodation and experiences Spain has to offer will be exhibited to this elite audience.”

Italy, which last year was found to be the most popular European destination for luxury travellers according to ILTM research, is also boosting its ILTM presence this year by showcasing more travel partners.

The Middle East’s presence at International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) will increase for this year’s installment with Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman ramping up their presence and Qatar taking a group stand for the first time.

“The Middle East is becoming increasingly important to us in terms of our exhibitor base,” said Wood.

“The big guys are getting more competitive. They are not just turning up [alone] but getting more interest from their partners.”

Wood said she was in negotiations with both Abu Dhabi and Dubai regarding sponsorship packages and noted that the Middle East area had been re-positioned to a more prominent location at the show.

For more information visit www.iltm.net and see the August edition of Arabian Travel News.

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