Travel

EMERGING LUXURY TRAVEL TRENDS FOR 2022

Following a boom in private travel since the pandemic, Air Charter Service (ACS) outlines the key themes and luxury travel trends that will continue to grow this year…

• Ultra-luxe pet travel: Research shows that 3.2 million UK households have adopted pets since the start of the pandemic, and the rise in luxury pet travel is guaranteed to follow in 2022. • Private jet destinations: As travel to USA and

Asia recovers more slowly, ACS reported that the most popular destinations last year for UK travellers (based on the airports travelled to by private jet) were: Nice and

Cannes, France; Faro, Portugal; Palma, Mallorca, Ibiza,

Spain and the Greek islands. Factoring in the continued popularity of short-haul travel and the recent boom in the yachting industry, the company predicts that these destinations will continue to be popular this year, along with port towns Olbia and Ajaccio in Sardinia, and

Antibes and Monaco. • The net-zero carbon movement: The world

is growing increasingly eco-conscious and with that, ACS predicts that the new wave of customers coming into private aviation will drive an increased uptake in carbon offsetting. It is becoming clearer that, unlike many other industries, the technology to make aviation carbon neutral isn’t available yet. However, there are industries where the technology to offset carbon exists, but the funds do not. Carbon credit systems are a way of funding investment in green projects, which would otherwise not receive the investment they need. As a result, offsetting more than 100% of carbon from private aviation flights will be an option taken up by more customers, either directly through charter providers or through their own schemes.

THE BEST TIME TO BOOK A HOTEL

Hotel booking platform, hoo, has analysed the cost of hotel accommodation across six continents throughout the year to reveal which month makes for the most affordable option depending on where you want to travel…

Globally On average, the most affordable month to book a hotel is March at £86 per night versus £98 per night in September. South/Central America At £49 per night during the month of June, South America presents the most affordable of all continents when it comes to booking a hotel, while January is the most expensive month to head there at £57 per night. Asia At just £72 per night, the cheapest time to visit Asia is in June, while heading to the continent in January will see this cost climb to £85 per night.

Africa

Heading to Africa in either February or March will cost the least when looking to book a hotel (£73 per night), while December is the most expensive time to stay in the continent (£81 per night).

Europe

Heading away to Europe in September will cost you £120

• Ultra-luxury lifestyle concierge services:

The pandemic has caused a monumental shift in the priorities of the ultra-wealthy traveller, with factors such as privacy, safety and reliability taking precedence over cost. As sectors outside of hospitality (e.g. private jet charter) saw a subsequent boom in demand, travellers are looking for more than just a flight – with customers saying they prefer one point of contact for the whole journey, including hotel and experience bookings. Businesses that will stand out are those that not only look after the flight, but provide luxury concierge services for the client that ensure they feel protected and well catered for throughout the process.

per night to stay in a hotel - the most expensive month in the year. By adjusting the time of your trip to February, this cost falls to just £96 per night - the second biggest saving of all global continents between the most and least expensive month (-£23 per night).

Oceania

The cheapest month to book a hotel in the Oceania continent is October at £102 per night versus £111 in the most expensive month of February.

North America

Finally, those heading away to the States will find the cost of a hotel at its lowest in February at £110 per night currently. This is £47 cheaper per night compared to the most expensive month of September - the biggest drop in the average room rate of all six continents.