IN FOCUS
CONCIERGE SERVICES Going the extra mile
Client requests are becoming more obscure and extravagant. Charlotte Brook explores how luxury agents are meeting demand
A last-minute flight change is one thing. Privatising a lake in Switzerland for a spot of carp fishing, tracking down a bottle of Irn Bru to deliver to a remote safari camp in Tanzania or setting up a hot tub on a Canadian mountainside for a lofty proposal is quite another. Yet for many luxury agents, these requests are simply part of the job description. The role of high-end advisors has evolved
far beyond booking holidays. Today, they’re a one-stop shop for securing coveted restaurant reservations and sold-out tickets for major sporting events; arranging meet-and-greets at the airport and handling complex visa requirements; and unlocking money-can’t-buy experiences. “Now, all those extra things that travel agents do come as standard. It’s expected,” says Dan Salmon, owner of agency Never A Wasted Journey. This rise in demand for concierge-led services
is felt by operators too: Elegant Resorts has reported a “rapid” increase in demand, with concierge enquiries up 30% year on year, while specialised requests have risen by 20% at Carrier.
Many requirements can be anticipated, such
You market yourself as a personal assistant: someone who is constantly
available and can arrange anything
as transfers, restaurant bookings and excursions, but increasingly it’s the niche and outlandish requests – and being able to deliver on them – that define the modern luxury travel agent.
Beyond the expected Membership-based concierge agency Quintessentially Travel, which specialises in ultra-high-net-worth bookings, has handled its fair share of unusual requests. Alongside arranging a private lake and mountainside hot tub proposal, the team has facilitated a wellness retreat for a client travelling with their support cat – complete with a separate room and round-the-clock care for the pampered feline. They’re also in the midst of orchestrating a 40th birthday gift from husband to wife that involves visiting one country per year in alphabetical order (they’re currently up to the letter M). “Demands are rising. Everyone has the world in their pockets on their phones, and if they can see it, and have the money to make it happen,
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aspiretravelclub.co.uk JANUARY 2026 ASPIRE 31
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