THE luxury travel market is
set to boom according to
a report by international
research firm, Radiant Insights,
with almost 7% annual growth
expected from 2017 to 2021.
But luxury travel is no longer all
glitz and glam.
“Luxury in the past was seen
as being out of reach for most
people. But the meaning of
luxury has changed,” says
Seymour Brugger, luxury
brand manager at Cruises
International.
Seymour says it depends
who you ask. For some it
could be an incredible food
experience, others might think
it’s a beautifully furnished
room with all the amenities,
and for others it’s world-class
service.
“Luxury cruise brands have
adapted their offerings and
way of selling to capture a
far wider market of luxury
travellers,” he adds.
Janine Pretorius, director of
Encore Cruises, also believes
luxury travel is being reshaped,
largely because of consumer
behaviour. “More and more
consumers are seeking out
experiences,” she says.
Ramesh Jeenarain, md of
World Leisure Holidays, says
high-end clients now look for a
different type of holiday. “They
have moved from the cliché of
sea, sand, sun and relaxation
to an all-encompassing escape
that includes exceptional
service, an unparalleled
culinary experience and outof-the-box experiences. These
travellers generally want a
complete A-to-Z service without
any hassles.” For example,
World Leisure Holidays has
access to Yu Lounge at
Mauritius Airport, which allows
guests to be picked up in a
luxury vehicle straight off the
aircraft and taken to a private
airport lounge where they are
processed by immigration
and customs before heading
to the hotel by luxury car or
helicopter.
It’s getting personal
One thing the experts agree
on is that high-end travellers
are looking for bespoke travel
itineraries and experiences,
something that challenges
agents and suppliers.
Cruises International has
taken up the challenge.
Seymour says the new cruise
ships target adventurous
travellers and offer customised
options. “Crystal Endeavor
will launch in August 2020 as
the world’s largest expedition
yacht. It will provide private
helicopter experiences
and also have its own mini
submarine available to clients
while on board.”
Delta Air Lines’ new
business-class product – the
Delta One Suite – features
doors for privacy and flat-bed
seats with direct aisle access.
It is the only all-suite businessclass product on flights
between Africa and the United
States.
“Customers flying in Delta
One enjoy a personalised
travel experience with awardwinning service, delicious
dining and meticulously
thoughtful details,” says Jimmy
Eichelgruen, director of sales
in Africa, Middle East and India
for Delta Air Lines. He says,
apart from individual aisle
access, luxurious bedding
and customisable amenity
kits, Delta One passengers
have copious personal space
for greater privacy, abundant
storage and a power supply at
every seat.
Jimmy says Delta is investing
more into providing luxurious
on-board experiences. The
airline is refurbishing its B777
fleet, which is used on the
Johannesburg-Atlanta flight,
and adding new A350 aircraft
on international routes, making
the Delta One suite available
to more passengers.
“Delta flight attendants
use SkyPro devices that give
them information on each
passenger, so they can greet
them personally and engage
with them better,” says Jimmy.
Mladen Lukic, gm of
Travel Counsellors SA, says
the emphasis is more on
personal fulfilment. “Clients
are looking for unique,
bespoke experiences and
personal engagement. The
luxury customer wants an
immersive experience; they
want to engage with local
communities.”
Kelly Jackson, head of sales
for The Travel Corporation,
agrees that luxury travel
has become all about
personalisation. “We offer our
guests exclusive experiences
that are not available to the
general travelling public. Our
Luxury Gold guests enjoy
the service of a travelling
concierge on our journeys,
helping to tailor the experience
to their personal preferences.”
Kelly highlights The Travel
Corporation’s range of
exclusive VIP experiences,
from meeting remarkable
people to accessing iconic
sites after hours and avoiding
the crush of other travellers.
Upmarket on the up
In terms of overall tourism
numbers for South African
travellers, Seymour says the
luxury travel market is still
quite small but for Cruises
International it is the fastest
growing part of its portfolio.
“More clients are seeking
value for money and luxury
cruising provides this in many
ways.” From generous allinclusive options to bespoke
itineraries, luxury cruise ships
are capturing a new clientele
who have the money but want
the best experience possible
with that money, he adds.
MSC Cruises has seen an
increase in demand for luxury
travel over the past few years,
prompting the company to
focus more on this market,
says SA md, Ross Volk.
“Our definition of luxury is
epitomised by our MSC Yacht
Club. This is our ‘ship within
a ship’ concept that caters
for the high-end traveller and
features prominently in our
latest ships launched over
the past two years – MSC
Meraviglia, MSC Seaside
and MSC Seaview. It will be
part of two new ships being
delivered this year, the first of
which, MSC Bellissima, was
christened on March 2,”
he says.
MSC Cruises is also
investing heavily in the luxury
travel market by constructing
four ultra-luxury cruise ships to
the total value of R32bn. The
first of these, offering just 500
cabins, will come into service
in 2023. Ross says: “The
ships will feature the best
and latest environmental
and maritime technology,
showcase highly innovative
design and introduce groundbreaking options for guest
comfort and relaxation.”
Wouter Vermeulen, Air
France KLM gm Southern
Africa, says there has been
solid and consistent demand
on both Air France and KLM
from the luxury travel market.
“This is why we continue to
make significant investments
in this segment. Air France is
in the process of refurbishing
its long-haul fleet with the
Best and Beyond product,
which features the La
Première suite and new flat
beds in the business cabin.
Last year, KLM completed
the refurbishment of its
entire long-haul fleet with
the new World Business
Class product that has the
full-flat bed.” Wouter says in
the European summer, Air
France will operate the ParisJohannesburg route with a
B777-300 aircraft equipped
with the most modern seats in
business- and first-class.
Janine agrees that the luxury
travel market is growing in
South Africa. “2018 was one
of the best ‘new-to-Regent’
guest years.” Regent Seven
Seas Cruises, she explains,
offers excellent value for
money, including all-suite
accommodation, gourmet
cuisine, unlimited shore
excursions, WiFi, beverages,
on-board gratuities and a precruise luxury hotel stay for
passengers in a concierge
suite or higher.
According to Kelly, the luxury
travel market is fairly immune
to economic downturns.
“This year, we’ve seen
our luxury sales increase
dramatically across Luxury
Gold, Uniworld Boutique River
Cruise Collection and Insight
Vacations.”
Mladen says the luxury travel
market is a small component
of retail travel in South Africa,
but it is growing. “Before it
was the domain of the elite;
now we see younger people
who don’t have families,
and young professionals
aspiring to have luxury travel
experiences, bringing new
blood into the segment.
Selling luxury travel
AGENTS may
sometimes feel
intimidated by
the needs and
wants of highend travellers.
Here are some
tips on how
to confidently
serve this
market.
“Don’t ever
assume the
client can’t
afford it,” is the
number-one tip
from Cruises International’s
Seymour Brugger. He says
a luxury client wants the
best value for money, so
always start by at least
offering a balcony cabin
when selling a cruise.
“As the luxury client wants
bespoke experiences, make
sure that you focus on the
unique ports of call that
luxury cruise ships offer as
well as the unique on-board
dining experiences.”
Seymour says high-end
travel is often about beating
the crowds and
advises that
agents focus
on the space-toguest ratio that
luxury ships
provide, along
with no queues
and no crowds.
Wouter
Vermeulen from
Air France KLM,
reminds agents
to recognise
an opportunity
to upsell. “You
are not simply selling an
airline ticket, you’re selling a
complete luxury experience
that could include 24-hour
customer support, dedicated
lounges and a meet-andgreet service.”
Encore Cruises’ Janine
Pretorius says: “As soon
as clients see the value
of what you are proposing,
the scale tips toward the
product and price becomes
less of an issue.”
Kelly Jackson of”
The Travel Corporation says
it is important that agents
listen to their clients’ wants
and not sell on price.
“A luxury client is more
interested in the destination
and experiences and will pay
extra to have these. Don’t be
afraid to sell to luxury clients;
they’re looking for the kind of
holidays that will tick all their
boxes. Make sure you offer
them the best.”
Ramesh Jeenarain of
World Leisure Holidays says:
“It is very important to send
the right client to the right
hotel or destination as doing
otherwise can cause huge
frustration and unhappiness.”
Agents weigh in
Travel Counsellor Tamarin
Seymour says the biggest
challenge when selling luxury
travel is finding the luxury
that suits the client.
“Everybody’s idea of luxury
differs; you can never base
it on your own thoughts and
feelings.
“Instead you need to know
your client, ask the right
questions and offer the right
product. If you don’t, you
will either lose your client at
the enquiry stage or have
an unhappy client on their
return.”
Tamarin enjoys selling to
the high-end market and
sees it as an opportunity to
really offer something “out of
this world”.
“My high-end clients know
that they are taken care of,
that I understand their needs
and that I care about them.
We are putting together
dreams and memories.”
Roslyn de la Hunt, a Gold
Travel Counsellor, says the
biggest challenge is finding
the time to put together
the trip high-end travellers
expect.
“It becomes quite involved,
especially with add-ons such
as lunches. But I’m lucky to
have a number of upmarket
clients. I get nice requests.
“I learn about the
destinations. There’s always
something new; it’s always
different.”
Roslyn says luxury clients
want the best and are
prepared to pay for it. “But
it must work. They need
an itinerary from A to B in
place and in order. It must
be well thought out as they
are paying a lot, so they
want quality and reliable
suppliers.”
It’s rewarding
Seymour points out that
luxury travel bookings pay
really good commission as
the value is really high.
Travel Counsellors’ Mladen
Lukic says any segment
where there’s an opportunity
to craft something personal,
brings with it an opportunity
to charge for this service.
He says offering value
for money to those with
discerning tastes is often
more important than with
other segments.
Agents need to know what
they’re doing and dedicate
themselves to crafting
personal experiences, which
will make the luxury segment
lucrative.
Roslyn says a major plus
when it comes to high-end
travel is that the margins are
great, increasing the earning
potential, especially when
using STO rates.
Regent’s new ship takes to the water
THE new Regent Seven Seas
Cruises luxury ship, Seven Seas
Splendor, recently celebrated a
major construction milestone
when it moved from dry dock to
the sea for the first time.
The ship is now in the final
stage of construction, focusing
on the interior spaces, including
375 suites, elegant lounges
and gourmet restaurants. This
ship, the fifth in Regent’s fleet,
will set sail in February 2020.
“One year from now,
guests will begin immersing
themselves in elegance
and hospitality, while fully
discovering the hundreds of
destinations around the world
Seven Seas Splendor travels,
returning home at day’s end
to the exquisite comfort and
care on board with every
luxury included,”said Jason
Montague, president and ceo
of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
“I’m excited for our guests to
experience how Seven Seas
Splendor will perfect luxury,”
The new ship will boast one
of the highest space and staffto-guest ratios in the cruise
industry as well as the largest
suite on a luxury cruise ship.
The Regent Suite will comprise
28sqm of interior space
and a 121sqm wraparound
veranda, an in-suite spa retreat
with personal sauna; steam
room and treatment area,
unobstructed 270-degree
views and a glass-enclosed
solarium sitting area. There
will also be a dedicated butler,
a personal car with driver and
guide in every port and a handcrafted US$200 000 (R2,8m)
Vividus bed.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
has also ordered another
cruise ship to be built and
delivered by late 2023.
The way to a traveller’s heart…
“NOTHING can elevate travel
quite like cuisine,” says
Janine Pretorius of Encore
Cruises.
She says dining on board
the Regent ships is a
“gastronomic journey” with up
to five gourmet restaurants
to choose from. “From our
largest speciality restaurant,
Compass Rose, offering a
multitude of choices and
giving guests the ability to
customise their own meal;
to Prime 7, an elegant
steakhouse and seafood
option; Chartreuse, classic
French cuisine with a modern
twist; and Pacific Rim, which
serves pan-Asian dishes,
guests have the choice of
where they would like to dine,
all in their own time and
included in the cruise fare.”
Delta One customers can
customise their in-flight
experience by pre-selecting
their entrée before they fly
on all international routes.
“This gives them peace
of mind knowing they can
expect their first choice on
board and gives them control
in personalising their travel
experience,” says the airline’s
Jimmy Eichelgruen. He adds
that chef-curated meals are
created using fresh, seasonal
ingredients, served on elegant
Alessi ware and accompanied
by wines hand-picked by
master sommelier, Andrea
Robinson. “The feedback
from customers about the
pre-select programme has
been so positive that Delta
recently extended it to firstclass customers on domestic
routes where meal service is
available,” says Jimmy.
Seymour Brugger of Cruises
International, says the fiveand six-star cruise brands
have some of the very best
culinary offerings found
anywhere at sea. “Oceania
Cruises is renowned as
having the finest food at
sea – that’s its tagline. It has
its own culinary academy
on board, where clients can
learn how to cook. Seabourn
has a unique partnership
with chef, Thomas Keller, and
he has his own restaurant
on board the ships. Crystal
Cruises also takes culinary
experiences to new heights
with the acclaimed Umi Uma
restaurant, owned and run
by acclaimed master chef,
Nobu.” The best part, he
says, is that all these food
offerings are included in the
cruise fare.
“MSC Cruises is focused
on collaborating with awardwinning international chefs
who are renowned for their
skill and culinary delights,”
says Ross Volk of MSC
Cruises. He gives as an
example two-Michelin-starred
chef, Ramon Freixa, who
launched his first restaurant
at sea with MSC Cruises last
year. Ramon will also launch
HOLA! Tapas restaurant on
MSC Bellissima this month.
The ship will also feature
award-winning pastry chef,
Jean-Philippe Maury’s
Chocolaterie and Chocolate
bar.
In December last year,
the World Airline awards
named Air France’s La
Première as the best firstclass catering on board and
in the La Première lounge
at Charles de Gaulle. “In
La Première and business
cabins our meals are created
by Michelin-star chefs. With
France being synonymous
with gastronomy, it is natural
that this would also be
reflected in the air. To our
frequent flyers in first class,
we give the opportunity to
have a tailor-made menu so
we can offer them something
new on every flight,” says the
airline’s Wouter Vermeulen.
KLM introduced the Anytime
For You meal concept on
selected routes, including
Johannesburg. It lets
business-class customers
order their meals whenever
it is convenient for them,
meaning they don’t have to
wait for the meal service.
Through its luxury brands,
The Travel Corporation aims
to deliver unforgettable
dining, says Kelly Jackson.
“We take our guests to the
finest critically acclaimed
restaurants and offer them a
range of ways to dine, from
Dine-Around evenings to
cooking demonstrations and
the Dine-At-Home option with
EatWith. This gives guests
the opportunity to experience
an authentic dine-at-home
meal with locals,” she
explains.
Travel Counsellor Tamarin
Seymour says it’s best
to offer flexibility around
meal choices and tours,
but if she knows the client
is a foodie, she will make
recommendations. “Or if
there is a must-see or do,
I will offer that. I try and
include as much as possible
for the client beforehand
while still giving them the
flexibility and relaxation of
doing things in their time.”
AF brings B777-300 to JNB
From April 1, Air France will operate a Boeing 777-300 on its Johannesburg-Paris
route. This means passengers will get to sample the Best and Beyond product, which
includes the La Première suite (pictured), a business-class lie-flat bed and refurbished
premium economy and economy-class cabins.
Travel agent special
EXPERIENCE luxury service
aboard Singapore Airlines,
winner of Skytrax’s World’s
Best Airline 2018 award. The
airline is offering travel agent
rates from Johannesburg to
South East Asia starting from
R4 800 per person return,
inclusive of airport taxes. The
rate is valid on SQ481/482
from March 31 to June 13.
Terms and conditions apply.
To the point
Three new hotels will open on Sentosa Island off the coast of Singapore in mid-2019. These are the fourstar, 606-room Village Hotel, featuring themed pool zones, a lazy river pool and children’s play pool. The
adult-centric 193-room, five-star, Outpost Hotel will boast an exclusive rooftop pool and bar; while the
exclusive five-star-plus Barracks Hotel will offer only 40 rooms housed in a conserved colonial building.
TTC doubles up on specials
SECURE a luxury trip
for your clients with The
Travel Corporation before
the end of March and get
more bang for their buck.
Uniworld’s OBO offer gives
guests 30% off selected
cruises while clients can
save up to 20% on selected
Luxury Gold journeys in
Italy, Hawaii, France, Russia,
Canada, Ireland, Croatia
and Montenegro.
These are valid for
bookings made until
March 31.
Book it!
World Leisure Holidays is running specials for the fivestar Sugar Beach (pictured) and Long Beach resorts
in Mauritius during the South African winter months,
the perfect time for clients to treat themselves to a
luxury holiday on a tropical island. From R21 341pps,
clients can spend seven nights in a Garden Manor
House Room at Sugar Beach on a half-board basis
between May 18 and July 12, or from R21 802pps, they
can stay in junior suite at Long Beach on a half-board
basis over the same period. The packages include
return flights from Johannesburg to Mauritius and
approximate taxes, levies and surcharges. Kids under
12 stay and fly free, paying only the airport taxes.
