Top New Year Luxury Travel Trends
New Year Travel Resolutions to Better Treat Oneself and the World
Two top trends for the New Year involve growing eco-friendly travel resolutions through carbon credits, and fractional ownership of luxury travel good and services.
The largest ad agency in North America, JWT, predicts 80 top trends for the New Year; this list includes a couple that relate to, and are popular with, Luxury Travel resolutions. This is the third year of JWT's top New Year trends' predictions, and the annual trend spotting list has been pretty accurate in the past (although the Wii and iPhone would have been on anyone's trends list last year).
Two Top Luxury Travel Trends for the New Year
1. Carbon taxes and the color blue for environmental awareness, both on the Top Trends for the New Year list, affect luxury travel both directly and indirectly. Luxury eco travel has been growing steadily for several years now, as elite travelers use their wealth to both witness and help protect some of the more threatened areas on earth. JWT suggests that blue will replace green as the color of environmentally friendly tourism, since blue is the color of the ocean and the sky. Environmentalism should be part of the eco-friendly vacation, as people fly to see glaciers in Alaska, rainforests in Central and South America, and other disappearing parts of the planet. Carbon credits, and carbon offset programs for travel, are seen as related trends for the New Year: This pertains not just to the consumer of luxury and business travel, but also to the hotels and airlines which are major players in the tourism industry.
2. The second noted trend for the New Year that is of particular interest to this column is that of cooperative consumption, or fractional ownership. Like time shares for the elite class, fractional ownership allows the wealthy to own shares in yachts, private jets, luxury villas and ski chalets, even luxury luggage and handbags. Luxury Travel spoke with Fractional Life founder Piers Brown about the fractional ownership trend for the New Year. He said,
"Fractional ownership will continue to prosper in 2008 as the impending recession prompts many to reconsider their spending habits in the luxury landscape. To me 2008 is about experiencing quality time, discovery and fulfillment, sharing and networking, social interaction and a sense of community in the majority of what we do. 'Fractional lifers,' or 'transumers,' actively participate in this - something that whole ownership and 'wealth fatigue syndrome' can never give you." Anyone seeking more information about fractional ownership of luxury goods and services can check out the Fractional Life Expo - of course, it helps if you're planning to be in London April 28-30 of 2008!
From email etiquette to the Old World taking up some of the bad habits of the New World (smoking, fast food consumption), the list of 80 top trends for the New Year covers a lot of ground. It's interesting that resolutions involving both eco awareness and fractional ownership of luxury services and products is included. Luxury Travel appreciates life's rewards in seeing and helping to save the world. Perhaps its not too late for us after all.
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