LUXURY TRAVEL: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF TOURISM IN AFRICA?
today, luxury has become intangible. It is subjective. Luxury means something different to each unique customer, and each customer will have different views on what luxury travel means to them. One guest may love to have their favourite range of Hermès bath products in their en suite washroom, another may wish for music to play via underwater speaker systems as they swim in the pool. Another may define luxury as having all the time in the world to spend with their loved ones. Past definitions and cost can no longer be used to identify luxury. Luxury is what the customer wants it to be. In Africa’s developing economies, the growing middle class markets are expected to begin to spend on experiential options rather than material items, similar to global mature market trends. Today, luxury consumers are focused on self-actualisation, and expect brands to connect with them on a personal level. Therein lie opportunities for the luxury market to proactively offer a guest what they want, before they have even asked for it.
Emily Segal, co-founder of K-Hole explains, “We’re living in an age, where civilians can travel to outer space on Virgin Galactic. Where you can rent a private island on Airbnb for US $500 a night. It’s become clear that mass luxury is no longer a new thing, yet it creates this contradiction: how can you offer ‘luxury’ in the traditional sense and ‘mass’ at the same time?”
To stay competitive, brands will need to introduce smarter ways of connecting with customers. The new era of luxury travellers will expect an experience, when dealing with a brand, something that makes them feel it was designed with them in mind. Customers do not want to feel
