Top "Money Well Spent" Item Sought by High-End Travelers is Luxurious Accommodations

Recent survey results also identify top "region" of the world for luxury travel, increase in comparable bookings, and top "up and coming" luxury destinations

News provided by

Travel Leaders Group

Jan 27, 2014, 02:26 ET

PLYMOUTH, Minn., Jan. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- While "jet-setting" is synonymous with luxury travel, the release of the top luxury travel trends for 2014 from Travel Leaders Group indicates that cruises are most favored among its top echelon of upscale clients seeking premier travel experiences. Specifically, two of the top three luxury destinations internationally are cruises – European river cruises and Mediterranean cruises. In addition, survey data also indicates that over 86% of luxury agents polled state that their luxury travel bookings are higher than or equal to their luxury travel bookings at that same time one year ago, and the most important component of a trip for their luxury travelers is luxury accommodations. Conducted November 11 - December 14, 2013, these luxury travel trends are based on responses from 924 Travel Leaders Group owners, managers and frontline travel experts throughout the United States who identified themselves as luxury travel advisers.

"While private villas, exclusive luxury resorts and world-class spas are often considered the preferred 'playground' of elite travelers, our Travel Leaders Group survey results indicate that a large, significant percentage of them are opting for cruise vacations in 2014," stated Travel Leaders Group CEO Barry Liben. "From penthouse and 'owner's' suites on large ships to luxury small ships and around-the-world cruises, traveling the oceans and waterways of the world appeals to a large number of discerning travelers – and bookings for clients who desire high-end travel experiences continue to rise. Nearly 46% of our luxury-focused travel agents throughout Travel Leaders Group state their luxury travel bookings are higher than last year and another 41% have indicated their luxury travel bookings are at least on par with last year. Those positive numbers are a testament to the kind of specialized and personalized service our luxury travel agents are able to offer affluent travelers."

According to the latest Travel Leaders Group survey, these are the top trends in luxury travel for 2014:

Top "Region" of the World for Luxury Travel: Travel Leaders Group's luxury travel agents were asked, "When considering your luxury travelers, in which 'region' of the world are the majority of your luxury travel bookings?" The top responses included:

1	Cruises	20.3%
2	Europe – Western (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, etc.)	16.7%
3	Europe – Southern (Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal, Spain, Monaco, Italy, etc.)	15.0%
4	South Pacific & French Polynesia	5.8%
5	Americas – North America	5.1%

Top International Destinations for Luxury Travelers in 2014: The following list displays the top international destinations for luxury travelers in 2014. (Agents were asked to name up to three top destinations they're already booking for 2014):

1	CRUISE – Europe (River)	33.1%
2	Italy	28.5%
3	CRUISE – Europe (Mediterranean)	23.8%
4	Mexico	18.4%
5	Australia	13.5%
6	France	10.8%
7	Dominican Republic	9.1%
8	England	9.0%
9	Costa Rica	7.1%
10	CRUISE – Europe (Baltic)	6.5%
11	Ireland	5.8%
12	Bora Bora	5.3%
13	China	4.8%
14	St. Lucia	4.6%
15	Turks & Caicos	4.5%

Luxury Travel Up-and-Coming Destinations: Among the top responses when asked, "What would you say is the top up-and-coming destination for your luxury travel clients?" were such exotic destinations as: United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Tahiti, Antarctica, and Vietnam.

Luxury Travel Bookings in 2014: When Travel Leaders Group agents were asked to compare their overall 2014 Luxury Travel bookings so far to their luxury travel bookings at this time last year, over 86% of those surveyed say bookings are higher than or equal to 2013 (45.7% sat "higher" while 40.5% say "even"). That compares to 41.5% "higher" and 44.6% "even" in 2013.

Most Important Component of a Luxury Trip: When Travel Leaders Group agents were asked, "When spending money for travel, what is most important to your luxury travel clients?" the top responses were:

1	Accommodations – Luxury	38.3%
2	Experience – Unique activities	17.6%
3	Air – First or Business Class	16.9%
4	Experience – Exclusivity	11.2%
5	Accommodations – Ultra luxury	8.4%

These luxury trends are part of a comprehensive travel trends survey which included responses from 1,358 U.S.-based travel agency owners, managers and frontline travel agents from the flagship Travel Leaders brand, along with those affiliated with Travel Leaders Group's Luxury Travel Network, Nexion, Results! Travel, Travel Leaders Corporate, Tzell Travel Group and Vacation.com units. To view the results from the Travel Leaders Group 2014 Travel Trends Survey, click here.

About Travel Leaders Group
Travel Leaders Group (www.travelleadersgroup.com) is transforming travel with a commitment to our vacation and business travel clients via our progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. Having already assisted millions of travelers – through our beginnings as Carlson Leisure Group, a division of Carlson Companies, TraveLeaders and Tzell Travel Group and through the additions of Nexion, Vacation.com and Protravel International – Travel Leaders Group manages leisure, business and franchise travel operations under a variety of diversified divisions and brands. With annual sales of approximately $18 billion, Travel Leaders Group not only ranks as the #1 corporate travel management company by Business Travel News, but it is also among the top ten travel companies on the 2013 Travel Weekly Power List and the 2014 "Franchise 500" list by Entrepreneur ranks a Travel Leaders Franchise Brand #1 in the category of "Travel Agencies-Miscellaneous."

Contact: Kathy Gerhardt, 763-744-3710, [email protected]

SOURCE Travel Leaders Group