Luxury is being defined by exclusive experiences

Steffen Boehnke, Director airtours, TUI Deutschland, and ITB Buyers Circle member, explains how exclusivity and luxury are on the rise

He discusses what kind of luxury products are the most appealing and why safety remains a key concern in an exclusive interview with ITB Berlin News.

Can you tell us more about your sphere of activity? airtours offers its guests exclusive experiences. Our portfolio includes the top luxury hotels worldwide with star-rated cuisine, slow food, wellness and yoga, special cruises from the Mediterranean Sea to Antarctica as well as individual private tours & safaris and private charter flights.

What segments of the travel and tourism industry will experience the highest growth ? We see more demand for limited adventure trips such as exclusive fly-in safaris in Africa. This is where airtours private travel comes in. We tailor holiday experiences to our customers’ wishes. Expedition cruises with ship-owned submarines and helicopters are also popular. These days, luxury is defined by experiences and they are not open to everyone.

In our digital world, being unavailable on vacation is also becoming increasingly popular. We see demand rising for multi-generational travel to enjoy once-in-a-lifetime-experiences. Finally, sustainability is also gaining in importance.

How are travellers’ expectations and demands changing? In the luxury segment, the all-round carefree principle is on the rise. The “all inclusive” in the luxury sector has however nothing to do with the “all inclusive” of usual package tours. Since the pandemic, safety is a priority for our customers. This explains a higher interest at packaging all travel components. We are fortunate to benefit from the good crisis management of our parent company TUI Deutschland.

What are the key trends to look out for in 2023? As I mentioned before, there is an increasing demand for exclusive tours and safaris, special cruises and luxury vacation packages. Our guests stay longer asking for higher quality. Private villas and suites with private pool continue to be in demand. The Maldives, Greece, Spain, Dubai, Germany and Thailand are the favourites for our guests this year.

Why is it so important for the industry to meet face to face at global events like ITB Berlin? Personal contacts strengthen trust, visibility and cooperation. ITB Berlin is the perfect place to meet existing contacts as well as new business partners.

“We see demand rising for multi-generational travel to enjoy once-in-a-lifetime-experiences”

Digital technology more important for the trade than the consumer

From airtours’ point of view, digital technology has become more important for holidaymakers (TO) than for guests. Luxury customers value personal advice and discretion. According to Steffen Boehnke, it explains why a majority of guests prefer to book with one of airtours’ partner travel agencies. Digital developments such as apps are likely to play a subordinate role. “On the other hand, as organisers, we must keep up with progress. The technology simplifies complex bookings, and I am sure that there will be a lot more developments in coming years,” explains Boehnke.