Virtuoso luxury travel network has revealed its list of the who’s who in Ultraluxe Travel experiences, comprised of over 50 operators around the globe, including Antarctica.
For background, Virtuoso introduced the invitation-only Ultraluxe “community” two years ago. CEO Matthew Upchurch previously described the niche to LATTE as follows: “Where the bulk of luxury travellers may spend the equivalent of $13,000 on a holiday, high-net-worth clients are spending $130,000 or more annually on travel.”
Ultra-high-net-worth customers may only account for 3% of Virtuoso’s clientele, but they generate 40% of revenue, Upchurch explained.
Companies operating some of the world’s “most exclusive and over-the-top experiences” on the latest list are split into regions of the world – Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia/New Zealand/Pacific, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean, United States & Canada, and Worldwide & Cruise.
They include bespoke tour operators, hotels, resorts, lodges and cruise lines, and are nested with the likes of the 7-star Burj Al Arab in Dubai.
The largest slice (nearly 30%) of those companies deemed “ultraluxe” are located across Europe, and include two Mandarin Oriental hotels, and tour operator Noteworthy which has offices in France, Ireland and the UK.
Also well represented on the list was The Travel Corporation, with brands featured including Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Luxury Gold and Xigera Safari Lodge in the Okavango Delta, Botswana which opened last December under the new management of Red Carnation Hotels.
Other top-of-the-line operators on the list included Abercrombie & Kent’s Private Jet Journeys and Inspiring Expeditions by Geoffrey Kent, Seabourn, One&Only Private Homes, and the yet-to-actually-launch The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
Notably, in Australia there are two businesses recognised in the Ultraluxe Travel subset; Southern Crossing Australia and The Tailor – Australia, both specialists in handcrafted journeys.
And the Antarctica company? That is White Desert, a remote luxury camp that’s operational between November and early February and features just six pods.
The list includes:
