Luxury Travel & Lifestyle Trends

Look for growth in mini-indulgent services. Spa “tapas” are being offered at some of the top spas around the globe, allowing guests to pick and choose from a variety of abbreviated treatments. Want a first class travel experience without the full fare? Munich Airport just opened a VIP wing. London’s Heathrow by Invitation provides clients with personalized VIP airports services.

In 2010, mobile shopping activity began to have a noticeable influence on ecommerce sales. Shopping-related Google searches from mobile devices were up 230% by mid December, reported Internet Retailer. With this in mind, consider this eye-opener: Among 72 of our best-known luxury brands, none bother with user reviews, even though they are now catnip to most prospective buyers.

The country of Lithuania is pioneering a new type of national symbol to convey the character of the ex-Soviet Baltic state – a perfume called “Lithuania” They say, the scent is a good example of how to communicate Lithuania to the public in an innovative way.

AP foodie, JM Hirsch suggests what to get our culinary lovers for Christmas. From smaller indulgences, like hand crafted collection of intensely rich sweet treats from Dufflet Rosenberg, a Toronto pastry chef who has been earning accolades for more than 30 years; to some of Norman Love’s artistic chocolates or jars of Jamie Oliver’s artisanal Marvellous Mayo or jams.

Effective crisis management can help to limit the damage caused by intense, negative media coverage. To be prepared, an organization must create a detailed crisis communication plan with a crisis communication team assigned to execute the plan that spells out the official spokesperson, key audiences, and internal and external communication chains of command. Practice crisis scenarios and recommended action, and have prepared fact sheets, statements and news release templates on hand. Sometimes, the best course of action might be to “wait and see” rather than risk fanning the fire.