Luxury Travel Trends 2023: What to Expect

Towards the end of the year we witnessed the much-needed return to travel as we took to the skies, seas, tracks and roads, eager to explore more than ever. Following this trajectory, we are highly confident that in 2023 travel will be an iconic year for travel and we have our predictions on how it is going to look for the rest of the year.

Based on our unique insight into the luxury travel industry, we explore what’s trending for 2023, from the exclusive all -inclusive to Set Jetters and destination dining. Here are our top 6 travel trends that are likely to guide how we see the world in 2023.

Exclusive All-Inclusive 

There’s been snobbery around all-inclusive retreats for decades, and it has almost been synonymous with budget travel. Many who consider themselves well-travelled often turn noses up at the idea of holidays where you needn’t step foot outside of the resort, and breakfasts, lunches, suppers and happy hours are taken in the same clutch of restaurants. But smart brands are now putting an innovative spin on the concept. Many of the world’s high-end resorts are redesigning the all-inclusive concept, but with a new level of style. No longer a dirty word, all-inclusive has become exclusive and not just a budget break.

In Sussex, Cali-cool beach hotel The Gallivant has long been turning the idea on its head from its spoiling position over Camber Sands. Stays here include a three-course supper that might spotlight wood-roasted Romney lamb rump, Kentish Blue cheese beignets or whole crab with Maldon rock oysters; breakfasts of Turkish eggs or fluffy pancakes; a 5pm English wine happy hour, Elevenses and more. It’s so popular, the team will open their second outpost on the Kentish coast in 2023. In France, 17th-century French country house Les Maisons de Campagne has reinvented the concept, with everything from help-yourself beer to yoga classes included in the price. Further afield, the Ikos brand takes things a step further – as well as five on-site restaurants at its 2023 opening in Mallorca, an all-inclusive stay offers the chance to book local restaurants at no extra cost – giving travellers a taste of the island and supporting the local community in one swoop.

Set Jetting 

Forget Jet setting and become a Set Jetter next year. More and more people are choosing to get off their sofas and experience their favourite TV shows and films first hand and embark on TV-inspired itineraries and experiences. Destinations are creating immersive trips to the places where binge-worthy series were filmed so travellers can live out their favourite shows.

Recent data from Netflix revealed that 70 percent of programmes watched by a typical Netflix user were filmed in a foreign setting, and the locations of chosen programmes were frequently their favourite holiday spots. “We’ve noticed this trend accelerating among our guests,” says Simon Lynch, global sales and product director of Scott Dunn, “with bookings for France in 2023 already 20 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels, thanks to the halo effect of hit shows such as Emily in Paris. The idyllic sun-drenched filming locations of HBO sensation The White Lotus also look to have inspired our guests seeking ultra-luxurious winter-sun escapes, with over 80 per cent of Scott Dunn Private members travelling to warm destinations this winter including Mexico, the Maldives, Oman, Australia and Barbados to name a few.

Swankier Airport Lounges 

While travellers are navigating the ways that they can access airport lounges with credit cards or memberships, airlines are increasing their efforts to distinguish their top-tier lounges are rarefied spaces. The most notable ones include a premium Champagne bar in British Airways and American Airlines’ just-opened lounge in JFK, a Clarins spa offering facials and other treatments in Air France’s business-class lounge also at JFK, as well as a forthcoming Delta One lounges in New York and Los Angeles, clocking in at 36,000 square feet and exclusive to the airline’s first-class customers. On the credit card end of the spectrum, Capital One will introduce a new culinary lounge concept with chef José Andrés focused on serving Spanish tapas-style cuisine in both Washington DC and New York. Meanwhile, Chase Sapphire is preparing for a spate of premium lounge openings across the US, following the debut of its first location in Hong Kong back in October 2022.

Those in the upper echelons of airline elite status schemes or with the most premium credit cards will want to arrive at the airport early to take advantage of the perks, and these revamped lounges will also make layovers less of a nuisance for certain passengers. However, as part of the lounge-reset process, travellers can expect to see airlines and credit card companies make the spaces more difficult to access throughout next year.

Luxury Yachts from Luxury Hotel Brands 

The announcement of a new breed of luxury yachts from the world’s leading hotel brands has been long-anticipated, by their loyal clients eager to take to the seas in the comfort and style their on-land counterparts have become known for. The dream first became a reality thanks to The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection – Evrima, the most sophisticated and expensive civilian ship ever built in Spain, was launched last October, 2022.

This is just the beginning of what we can expect to see from the luxury cruise world. At the end of 2022, Four Seasons confirmed the launch of a cruise ship with 95 suites. Its motto? “Love makes waves”. Although the first cruises won’t start until 2025, customers will be able to buy tickets as soon as the end of 2023. Four Seasons Yacht’s first itineraries in the Mediterranean and Caribbean will be centred around luxurious destinations that offer highly bespoke shore experiences, as well as one-of-a-kind overland adventures. Aman will launch its 600-foot luxury yacht in 2025, Aman’s Project Sama, with just 50 suites and partnered with Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design. Belmond was a pioneer, launching its river-focused péniche-hôtels in 2004. But the beloved LVMH’s travel brand has news for 2023 too: next summer, the Coquelicot will be launched as an updated version of the iconic Belmond’s Hirondelle barge.

Travel with Cevalon 

Overseen by our executive assistants, we operate a unique combination of luxury travel management services and an exceptional private luxury yacht charter service and private jet charter service.

Our aim is to move you, your family or your business around the world, or around the corner, in timely and efficient luxury.

Our unsurpassed global know-how ensures your destination is perfect. Be that a private island to be away from it all, or the most efficient location for a business liaison.

Contact us today…

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