TORONTO — A new luxury travel survey commissioned by one of the biggest names in high-end travel shows that price really is no object when it comes to ease of travel, convenience, service and making the most of holiday time.
Kensington Tours’ Luxury Travelers Survey, conducted with Opinium Research, polled 400 adults from households earning $250,000+ and with bookings for luxury trips worth at least $10,000 over the past five years.
The biggest take-away? It’s not so much about the destinations that money can buy, but mitigating the hassles of travel that affluent travellers are more than willing to pay for. A seamless travel experience is worth its weight in gold, as it turns out.
Key findings from the survey include …
- Nearly seven in 10 luxury travellers (68%) say they are willing to pay a premium for the ability to skip lines, avoid crowds, and experience private tours.
- Other offerings that luxury travellers would pay a premium for include personalized, bespoke trips tailored to their wants and needs (66%), one-stop planning (62%), and insider access to exclusive events (56%).
- Respondents also reported that their travel experiences would be somewhat or greatly enhanced by offerings typically provided by a luxury tour operator, such as access to popular attractions with no wait times (81%), privately guided tours without the crowds (78%), access to exclusive, world-renowned events (74%), and access to insider experiences not traditionally available to the general public (72%).
- A significant portion of luxury travellers (38%) report taking 3-5 trips annually, while 28% take 6-10 trips. Some 14% embark on more than 10 trips each year. Most of the trips average two weeks or more (57%).
- 72% of survey participants expressed their intention to enlist the services of travel experts for their upcoming vacation planning.
- 82% of those surveyed intending to increase their family travel this year, showing that the demand for intergenerational travel is alive and well
- A significant number of respondents – 89% – plan to explore new destinations in 2024 with Switzerland, Norway, and Portugal named as top destinations.
- Top-cited frustrations include locating appropriate accommodations (41%), avoiding tourist traps (38%), and coordinating activities (38%).
- More than 50% expressed interest in distinctive experiences such as luxurious villa stays featuring in-house amenities and private yacht expeditions.
“The outcomes of our recent survey confirm the trends we’ve observed among our clients, who value an effortless experience, unique insider opportunities, elite lodging, and tailor-made journey arrangements,” said Helen Giontsis, President of Kensington Tours. “With these preferences in mind and proactively meeting and exceeding our clients’ expectations, we are committed to continually developing unique offerings tailored exclusively for the luxury travel sector.”
Also in the survey, among respondents familiar with Kensington Tours, the company tied for the highest perceived quality rating with 77% of respondents ranking it with an above average perceived quality, the largest percentage granted to any tour operator in the survey.
Kensington Tours’ new programs include Beyond Villas by Kensington Tours, Kensington Yachts and Voyages by Kensington Tours.
