BUYER INTERVIEW
Sandra Maeus, Manager, Tresors Hideaway Voyages, France
Q: HOW HAS THE CONCEPT OF ABSOLUTE LUXURY CHANGED OVER THE LAST DECADE?
The luxury market is expanding worldwide. Over the last decade the luxury landscape has changed and luxury tourism is now a means of personal development. The focus is on creating unique and unforgettable experiences and to improve one’s mind.
A criteria of absolute luxury is the privatisation of services. To provide service at the highest level of quality it must be closely related to tailor-made, personalised and exclusive services.
For our clients luxury represents respect for the environment combined with comfort and quality of service. Sophisticated hotels, ethnic retreats, modern refuges, or private villas that blend harmoniously into their environment.
Society cares more and more about the world it leaves to future generations and therefore we are now saving energy and resources. Absolute luxury is an eco-resort developed with the principles of ecologically sustainable design with construction methods adapted to protect the environment as in Soneva Kiri in Thailand.
Q: WHICH DESTINATIONS ARE HOT WITH YOUR CLIENTS NOW? Asia, mainly Vietnam, Cambodia, Bali and Thailand. Safaris in Africa, especially Namibia and Botswana. The Seychelles and St Barth are always in high demand.
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Q: WHO IS A TRESORS HIDEAWAY VOYAGES CLIENT? A Tresors Hideaway client is a couple or a family. They are looking for custom-tailored itineraries. More often they look for unique moments, new experiences, preserved and exclusive places.
Q: IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACING THE INDUSTRY? HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE FRENCH LUXURY TRAVEL MARKET?
In France, as the luxury travel market is more resistant than others to the crisis, customers’ expectations are different. They expect more and require a higher level of expertise. Ostentatious luxury is no longer appropriate. The industry must constantly renew its offer and associate the core values of luxury - know-how and creation - to other values such as ethical values. The challenge is to understand the needs of our clients even before they have expressed them.
Q: THE FRENCH ARE SEEN AS SOPHISTICATED AND ELEGANT, IS THEIR TASTE IN TRAVEL SIMILAR? In travel, the French are looking for authenticity. They want to 'live' the culture and the social trends of the country they visit. They search for comfort, luxury, charm and also travel to meet each other.
Q: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO AT ILTM 2011?
As the industry changes so quickly, we are looking for new luxury products and to meet suppliers of destinations that we want to develop. We are hoping to find partners who can meet the requirements of our clients. And finally, to introduce our new company to suppliers who don’t know us.
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