BUYER INTERVIEW
Roger Kershaw, Custom Travel Designer
Q: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST IMPRESSIVE OR MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AT ILTM? The enriching and continual learning opportunity from interested, and interesting, worldwide purveyors of travel luxury. My most single memorable experience was walking up to the Palais the first day of my first time and realizing what I've accomplished and how much farther I can go. A seminal moment for me.
Q: AFTER 10 YEARS YOU ARE A REAL ILTM INSIDER. WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES ILTM SO SUCCESSFUL? ILTM always provides a great mix of fresh prospective and old acquaintances, new properties and suppliers along with the familiar, and every year several absolute jewels are discovered that benefit my clients and myself. The luxurious environment of Cannes is certainly key to the success.
Q: WHAT ARE THE KEY CHANGES AND TRENDS IN THE LUXURY TRAVEL INDUSTRY OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS? Clearly a trend away from simply checking off destinations to 'marinating' in a culture. For example, I have clients change hotels within a city-stay of seven days, rather than changing cities every three days. Travel itself has become so difficult and time consuming that clients are inclined to spend longer at rest. And, while clients have no issue with spend, there is definitely a trend to showing value, whether in the service level or end cost.
Q: IN YOUR OPINION, HOW DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPING IN THE FUTURE? WHAT ARE THE KEY CHALLENGES? The process of getting from home to away must be improved. Travel, itself, used to be an attraction; now it's a necessary evil to get to your destination. Aging populations have more time, and money, to travel, but will lack the necessary energy to board a flight. VIP arrival and transfer services are one step in the right direction.
Suppliers must continue to nurture and embrace the travel industry distribution model rather than rely on direct access to the consumer.
There is already critical mass in internet information that is now confusing the client resulting in an increasing, and delightful trend, of a return to travel professionals. It is how we as a group handle that return and continue to enhance the fee-based model.
Q: WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING NEW SUPPLIERS TO WORK WITH? Unique product offering and something not already on the table. Automatic commission payments without hassle or invoice. And the opportunity to build a long-lasting and sustainable mutually beneficial relationship. The travel professional and supplier are equal partners. Equal is not just a word... we need each other.
Q: HOW HAS THE CONCEPT OF ABSOLUTE LUXURY CHANGED OVER THE LAST DECADE? WHAT DOES ABSOLUTE LUXURY MEAN TO YOU? Ten years ago absolute luxury meant you could travel to the Maldives, Mauritius, and Seychelles for example. A client in a villa on North Island, for example, may now be looking at a buy out for a family reunion or other gathering. I've booked luxury barge trips in the past, now I'm concentrating my efforts on private charters and have had 2 in the past year. Yes, it's absolutely changing. Clients want and need privacy, and a room at a luxury property no longer guarantees this. They want it all.
NOVEMBER2011 21
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