Traveller Made’s decision to move its Essence of Luxury show beyond Europe wasn’t made lightly but has become a key part of the luxury travel network’s plan to tap into immense global potential, says Founder and President Quentin Desurmont.
Speaking to LATTE at the inaugural Essence of Phuket travel show last month, Desurmont revealed that the company had carefully researched potential locations for the new shows, ensuring a good global spread and conducting multiple site visits to find the right fit. “We’ve been working on this for three years,” he said. “We came here twice to inspect.”
Desurmont shared his excitement about the company’s increasing footprint in North and South America, with Panama selected as the second location of the Essence shows, with Essence of Panama to take place from 12 to 16 May 2025. “Panama is opening up. We’ve had agencies calling us constantly to come,” he said. “It’s a complicated market, but it’s full of potential.”
With Sardinia selected as the location for the final show of the year, to take place from 22 to 26 September 2025, Desurmont explained the complexities of finding the right destination to partner with. “It’s like a wedding. It’s absolutely a tango,” he said. “We needed to find the right size, the right community, and the right partners who truly understand what we do.”
Sardinia, he noted, struck the right balance—small enough to foster a close-knit, engaged community, yet big enough to offer the luxury experiences for which Serandipians and Takumians by Traveller Made are known. “If we go to a place that is huge, people won’t love it,” he added. “We need people who want to understand what we do.”
With these three shows in place, Serandipians and Takumians by Traveller Made can embrace their global identities, both in terms of partners as well as members. “We’ve been Europe-centric for a long time, but we’ve expanded to all continents. It was a very important move for us,” Desurmont said. “In an era where it’s easier to be international, I didn’t want to remain Europe-centric.”
While the network remains committed to its “small and beautiful” approach, it has gathered momentum, fast approaching its target of 600 agencies under its Serandipians community, with its Takumians community, launched last year, already exceeding 80 agencies.
As the brand continues its international expansion, North America remains a critical focus. “It’s the biggest market for luxury travel in the world,” Desurmont said. “Americans are our ideal clients – educated, book well in advance, and love culture.”
The goal is to grow slowly, ensuring that each new member shares the brand’s values and philosophy. “We wait for people who truly understand and believe in what we offer,” he stressed. “We’re not pushing. We’re waiting for the right opportunities.” he explained. “People come to us because they understand what we do.”
Traveller Made is already “very strong” in India, and also in China. In Australia, its presence is somewhat smaller, due in part to the prevalence of cruise, but Desurmont still sees great potential Down Under. “It’s not a big market for us, but it’s very important market, because Australians spend a lot of money and they stay longer,” he said. “We have some agencies there and now that we have a reputation, more agencies want to come.”
