by Angela Fairhurst
The French word, “haute” means high and is usually associated with a level of elegance and class in the world and is normally associated with the world of fashion or food, as in Haute Couture or Haute Cuisine, where the look or the taste is not an everyday experience. It’s unique, different… and expensive.
Five years ago, Quentin Desurmont launched TravellerMade®, a network community of 318 member agencies and 2,000 travel designers in 60 countries dedicated to providing unique and exclusive bespoke journeys to travelers looking for different and original experiences. Now, the network is elevating the world of travel with Haute Villégiature, a scientific approach to travel which focuses on the vacation habits of the rich and famous, elevating the concept and capturing the essence of the high-end experience. This year, the Essence of Luxury Travel Show hosted more than 750 travel designers, hoteliers and media at the four Barriere Hotels and the Cures Marines Trouville Hotel in in the picturesque town of Deauville. There, the members of the network shared the results of the research in the field thus far.
To reach a level of unsurpassed experience, it’s important to design and deliver travel experiences with the highest quality of standards to achieve a WOW factor for the client. It takes highly knowledgeable people who are experts in their business, fueled by a passion for travel to reach this goal. It’s not where you travel, it’s how you travel. Every client has different wants, needs and expectations. There are active travelers, passive travelers, those that travel for the setting and those that travel for the activities. Some travel with family, some for celebration; others prefer adults-only venues; there are people who travel for a cause, to pursue arts, artists, sports, or wellness; or to explore exclusive remote, dangerous or inspiring settings. Whatever the impetus, the teams assembled at TravellerMade® have the craftsmanship, destination expertise, client knowledge, supplier knowledge and crisis management skills to make these Haute Villégiature experiences happen with the highest level of service.
Photo by Angela Fairhurst
The prognosis for this level of travel remains strong with more hotels and private places offering elevated experiences, and an increase in the global confidence despite the world’s political uncertainties. Top destinations include the classics, such as Japan, the Maldives, South Africa, France and New Zealand, with recent interest trending in Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Botswana, the Nordics, Cuba, and private cruises.
