17 August 2007

Ultraluxe: Absolutely affluent travel

How do the absolutely affluent look to spend their excess(ive) wealth? Well, in part, through profligate tourism. Here, from Travel & Leisure magazine, we find "luxury travel" explained:

Ultraluxe is a state populated by all three strata of the rich (super, really, and merely, along with those extravagant souls who want to travel like them). Its denizens demand experiences filtered by inaccessibility and extraordinary expense, experiences defined by the fact that few can have them.

And here's where the merely, really and super rich find their wanderlust ("wanderluxe") being serviced, here's where they can find "filtered experiences" tailored to their every whim:

  • Welcome to Elite Traveler, the private jet lifestyle magazine. For connoisseurs of the affluent lifestyle, a magazine that has set standards for providing the most affluent audience in the history of media (household income of $1 million+). Elite Traveler: The Essence of Luxury.
  • Why settle for less than the best? Travel & Leisure Elite Traveler looks to our magazine’s annual World’s Best Awards to deliver great deals on the crème de la crème of travel experiences.
  • The Luxury Travel Fair gathers together an audience of travellers with a shared passion for discovery. ... they are affluent, discerning, ... and searching for new adventures. Joining this already high-quality audience are carefully selected, wealthy individuals, personally invited as VIPs.
  • The Luxury Travel Expo is the only travel event entirely dedicated to providing suppliers and agents a forum for dialogue and education concerning all things luxury.
Clearly, no small market, no small demand.

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