The profile of the new-age luxurytravellerhas evolved in the era of social media. DanielWelk, VP-Operations, Luxury and Lifestyle, Asia Pacific, Hilton Hotels, talks about how the tech-savvy luxurytravelleris changing the hospitality industry.
How would you define the new-age luxury traveller?
Well, I can speak from the experience we have had at Hilton’s luxury hotels. We have three luxury brands: Waldorf Astoria, an 84-year old brand with 31 hotels around the world, Conrad which has 33 hotels (19 in Asia Pacific), and now the recently launched Canopy by Hilton. We will be bringing it to Asia in December this year, with Canopy by Hilton Chengdu. What is common among the luxury travellers we attract is the search for experiences that money cannot buy. The new-age luxury traveller is looking to achieve social currency. Today, everyone is taking photographs to post, to tell their travel story. Hotels have to offer such instagrammable moments, create memories that travellers can take back home with them, visually and otherwise.
Instagram, very recently, hit 1 billion monthly users and it is clear that, when it comes to millennials, social media will continue to play a critical role in defining their travel experience. Knowing this, we need to continue to give our travelers those “Instagrammable moments”.
If I talk in relation to my experience with Waldorf Astoria — an iconic classic luxury brand — then luxury travellers are seeking unparalleled experiences, inspiring and personalised stays, and a timely but timeless environment that allows guests to make the most of their time.
Do you think exploration of new cultures and destinations by luxury travellers leads to a better understanding of the world?
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