We care a lot about the passenger’s experience, no matter their income bracket. We do, however, keep an eye on certain demographics, like the corporate sector and the luxury travel sector. We do this to ensure our services respond to the needs of different groups. Luxury travel is one of the sectors we watch closely. This year we’ve noticed a few things, and tried our best to cater to the needs of luxury travellers.
Travelers favor “authentic” and “unique” experiences
An increasing number of vacationers say they focus more on the experience of the destination over the trinkets and tourist traps that are set up to attract travellers. Luxury travellers are looking for authenticity when they select the food, landmarks, and cultural activities they will include in their experience. This is a great way of supporting local communities. If you’re a tour operator or concierge, look for special local businesses that you can support while catering to your clientele’s desire for authentic experiences.
High tech services free up staff for personal touches
The tech world is catching up to the tourism industry, with many startups providing online tools to make the travel planning process simpler and more efficient. Tools, like Bus.com’s booking tool, make it easier than ever to organize travel. Now that there are so many ways to save time on logistics, staff have more time to create personal touches that ‘wow’ clientele. Luxury travelers might have expensive taste, but it’s that little extra that stays on their mind. For an extreme example, look at Eleven Madison Park in New York. They employ a “dreamweaver” whose job it is to create over-the-top experiences for their guests, like turning the restaurant into a secluded island.
Micro travel
There is a new term in town, “micro travel.” It means short trips over a weekend. Luxury travelers are taking more and more quick getaways, breaking up the work month with jaunts in the country and romantic road trips. According to a Booking.com survey, 53% of travelers report planning more weekend trips. A large portion of that group of micro travelers are foodies. Many of these foodies travel in small packs, operating like a special interest group. Plan a tour of Texas BBQ joints or East Coast breweries in a mini coach bus. These small but comfortable buses cost between $475-$900/day, depending on how much time you spend on the road.
Green, responsible choices
According to a Booking.com survey, 72% of travelers want to make greener choices, with many of them reporting that they would not visit a destination if they thought it would be an irresponsible choice. The fact is that, due to their buying power, luxury travelers have many, many options. They can and do make green choices that support sustainable businesses. Group tours by coach bus are a great way of responding to this trend. A full bus produces fewer megajoules of emissions per passenger kilometer than cars, trains, and planes.
Architectural travel is hot!
Luxury travelers are making architectural destinations a focal point of their vacations, choosing a beautiful church or historic institution over big tourist attractions. Notable places like the Boston Opera House and Coit Tower in San Francisco are very appealing to this sector of travelers. If you’re planning a tour for luxury travelers, make sure to include monuments to the history of architecture in your itinerary.
Fewer souvenirs
As mentioned earlier, luxury travelers favor experiences over trinkets. They want those “authentic” trips, but they also want to be comfortable. And since air travel is so hard on the environment and many luxury travelers are making greener choices, travel professionals need to try to make choices that can cater to the expectations of those used to first class travel. The coach bus is a great option. Every bus is equipped with cushy seats, and can be equipped with extra amenities like air-conditioning, wifi, power outlets, and audio-visual equipment.
Solo travel
As experiences are becoming more popular, more people are trying to enjoy those experiences on their own. Bus.com offers rideshare service for festivals and events to help solo-travelers take advantage of bus travel. You can purchase a ticket on a bus to music festivals, football games, and more. View the events we’re currently servicing here. And if you’re an event planner, speak to one of our booking specialists to organize shuttle service.
Wellness tourism
Wellness tourism isn’t new. People have been traveling to ashrams and spa resorts for a very long time, but traveling for #selfcare has become increasingly popular in 2019. Solo travelers are traveling for wellness and health reasons, but so are groups like bridal parties and corporate employees. If your group isn’t big enough to fill a full coach bus, opt for the mini coach. It’s very comfortable and can transport small groups with class.
How a coach bus supports the luxury travel experience
When we think about luxury travel, we don’t always think of the bus, but travel by coach bus can be quite comfortable. It’s also sustainable, budget-friendly, and customizable. And the difference in price between a school bus and a coach bus is not that big. A coach bus can have air-conditioning, audio-visual equipment, and wifi—everything you get on an airplane, and you don’t have to go through security.
Conclusions
Most of these trends support one truth: experience over everything! In order to respond to these trends, travel providers need to create complete experiences that are authentic, comfortable, personal, and easy to book. Bus.com helps event planners and travel professionals book travel by coach bus. Our booking tool searches a North America-wide network of bus operators to find the one that can accommodate your luxury clients.
