Northstar

www.travelweekly-asia.com | 21 COVER STORY Luxur y Travel "A room is a room – there are beds, bathrooms – it's all there. But guests are expecting more." – Danny Ojiri, vice president, market development, Outrigger Travel agents share 2017's Top Trending Destinations: "Sanya in China is increasingly popular with Indian travellers, thanks to its great beach, infrastructure, luxury hotels and ease of reach." – Ravishankar Krishna, chairman & MD, Orchid Voyages Private Limited "Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Luang Prabang and Bali." – Phassana Phudwanna (Nuch), sales & marketing manager, The ASA Group "North Island in New Zealand, which appears to be more popular with our clients than the South. Also, Fiji, with its cool climate, relaxing vibes, water sports and direct routes from Singapore, is a hit." – Alexandra Stewart, CEO, Antipodean Luxury Travel "Maldives, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam." – Kathryn Davies, manager, 360 Private Travel, Hong Kong. Next year, ILTM Asia will become ILTM Asia Pacific and move to Singapore, taking place May 21-24 at the Marina Bay Sands. ILTM China, a new event, will remain in Shanghai in October 2018 while ILTM Japan takes place February 26-28. Asia Pacific Takes The Spotlight In 2018 Insider Access The rule of thumb: the harder it is to get to, the more coveted the journey. More than branded bags, affluent travellers are lusting after exotic experiences. Rail journeys are fascinating, not only for their decadence and panache, but also for the setting and the landscape that one can experience on tailored routes. On Golden Eagle Luxury Train's ancient Trans-Mongolian route, passengers journey from Moscow to Ulaan Baatar – in handsome carriages preserved from a long-ago era, no less – with day excursions including a boat ride to Lake Baikal in Siberia where they'll enjoy freshly smoked omul fish prepared a la minute by the chefs. Also "massively popular" are geothermal adventures in New Zealand, said Alexandra Stewart, CEO, Antipodean Luxury Travel. With the help of helicopters, guests enjoy postcard views of White Island, the country's only active marine volcano, before walking on the crater floor of this lunar landscape. The Emotional Quotient Service is a big part of luxury travel, but beyond convenience, elite travellers want to feel like they matter as an individual. As Outrigger's Danny Ojiri, vice president, market development, puts it, "A room is a room – there are beds, bathrooms – it's all there. But guests are expecting more." This is encapsulated in the company's approach to cater to the burgeoning Chinese market. Said Ojiri, "We don't just provide Mandarin-speaking staff and offer tea and congee. Staff undergo training designed to help them understand the nuances of a Chinese guest." Similarly, Christina Spykerman, executive vice president of WorldHotels, Asia Pacific, believes it is crucial to look at emotion when talking about luxury. It is the reason why WorldHotels puts potential hotels through an 'emotional audit', conducted by LRA by Deloitte, which judges properties based on criteria such as how guests were made to feel upon arrival and during check in, before including them in their portfolio. Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort. One For The Family Travelling to exotic locations is no longer an experience reserved for passionate young lovers. Parents are taking their tykes to far-flung places for family bonding and to deepen their children's curiosities. It's a trend that Kathryn Davies, manager at 360 Private Travel, Hong Kong, is seeing among her clients, many of whom are expats. "I'm not talking about a kids club, which is passe. What matters is the type of experiences that properties can offer, especially those that combine the local environment and culture in a fun and educational way." For Davies' clients, brands like Ritz-Carlton, COMO, Four Seasons, Aman, Six Senses and Intercontinental are well-received. Four Seasons Hoi An offers a Junior Academy where kids learn how to roll rice papers and make biscuits. At Aman, "when staff notice that a child has finished eating ahead of their parents, they offer to take them to join in for some crafts or cooking, leaving the parents to enjoy their meal. That's luxury." A postcard view of New Zealand's White Island, taken from a helicopter.

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