by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 3:00 PM ET, Fri April 4, 2025
A new report from global payments company, Flywire, titled Unlocking Ultra Luxury Travel in 2025 compiled the travel preferences of 500 ultra-luxury travellers to reveal their preferences — and the implications for travel advisors who want to help them.
Simply put, these high-worth clients are looking for “highly-personalized, exclusive travel experiences that will enhance their own wellbeing.”
A massive 96 percent of respondents indicated that a travel advisor was key to curating the kind of travel experience they are looking for. Nearly 9 in 10 working with travel experts believe it is the only way to have a truly luxury travel experience.
Among the reasons respondents gave for using a travel advisor:
- Expert advice on destinations, activities or operators.
- Deep understanding of personal travel preferences.
“Our research shows us that ultra luxury travelers are as motivated by the ability to unplug from the world in their travels as they are to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” said Colin Smyth, SVP and GM of Travel at Flywire. “Many of them are planning to spend more in pursuit of these experiences than before, reflecting luxury travel's resilience and expanding global appeal.”
These elite travellers are willing to pay for what they want. Among those who spend more than $25,000 per vacation, almost half say they are prepared to spend much more than before for once in a lifetime travel experiences.
Prioritizing wellness and minimizing stress was of the utmost importance to travellers. Nine in 10 said they are interested in taking a wellness vacation, including self-discovery, spa and nature-based retreats. 93 percent say they have taken at least one slow travel trip in the past year, and 95 percent say they are likely to take the same number or more slow travel trips in the coming year. Preferences for "calm-cations" and "analog vacations" are trending in many demographics.
Lastly, the survey asked about payment preferences for these big ticket trips, an important aspect for travel advisors to be aware of. According to the report, almost all luxury travelers who responded (95 percent) say that the ease with which they can pay for all parts of their trip is important to them. Elite travellers expect a positive payment experience, and, when booking travel, most say they choose who they work with based on a positive payment experience.
Additionally, travelers look to avoid certain pain points when paying for their experiences, such as:
- Unexpected fees and exchange rates (34 percent).
- Inability to use their preferred credit card (23 percent).
The full report is available online from Flywire.
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