Luxury Travel & Lifestyle Trends

Until not so long ago, we lived in a throwaway society. But then a thrifty culture was born out of the global economic downturn, which saw frugalistas come into their own (persons who lived an economical lifestyle but stayed fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.) Non-disposable fashion is a current trend, and stemming from this are a new wave of services for those wishing to repair or revamp classics and couture items, which have been buried in the deep dark depths of closets.

Travel marketers take note: A December 2009 MarketingSherpa survey indicates that deals aren’t the top motivation for social media engagement, but users also want deeper engagement - learning about new products, features or services. Sharing interesting content that users care about, alongside the deals and discounts they have come to expect, will keep users engaged and spur them to pass along your marketing messages.

French born Dr. Clotaire Rapaille, author of the “The Culture Code: An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around the World Live and Buy as They Do” gave a thought provoking talk this week at Miami’s Luxury Marketing Council.

No one knows for sure what 2010 will bring. Most economists say the global recession has probably peaked, but what will the recovery look like? In some sectors, consumer spending is on the rise, and we’re spotting more and more post-recession flowers blooming. Whether their pocketbooks were squeezed or not, many affluents are now transformed. They want value, quality, and products with a “moral conscience.”

Just about everyone is in agreement, and above all affluent travelers, that the hotel star system worldwide has lost credibility. The proof of the pudding? Hotels have had to call themselves six or seven star to affirm their luxury credentials.

With the arrival of the New Year, there are some encouraging signs that the travel industry is poised for a gradual recovery, although not as quickly as many travel service suppliers would like. The culprit remains the languishing economy. While recent GDP numbers reflect a positive path and job losses have subsided, American consumers have adopted more conservative spending patterns and now maintain the highest savings rate observed in the past eight years.

Count on Miami’s Luminaire to come up with thought provoking, very smart, sometimes playful, and always stylish, exhibits at during Design Miami 2009. Another one of my favorites this year was an installation called ‘The Third Space’ an experimental project created by 52 interior design students from Germany.

Hats off to Veuve Cliquot’s promotion at Design Miami. They commissioned U.K. designer Tom Dixon to design sculptures with the iconic orange packaging.

We used to go to culinary school. Now we want to make the cheese, not just watch the process on TV. Farms schools are the next big thing in foodie vacations, burgeoning from the current farm-to-table trend.

Voluntourism has become the holiday of choice for those keen to give something back. From charities and tour companies, to luxury hotels and cruise ships, there’s no shortage of for profit and not for profit companies willing to organize a volunteer trip for philanthropic travelers. For good reason: Nearly 1 in 20 U.S. travelers has taken a trip to help the less fortunate or support a humanitarian cause, according to research firm Y Partnership’s 2009 National Leisure Travel Monitor.