Luxury Travel & Lifestyle Trends

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.

While it may sound odd to buy virtual merchandise – whether it be buying a few outfits, shoes, jewelry or getting your nails done – these are among a plethora virtual merchandise that one will never hold in their hand. To proponents, the beauty of such low cost purchases is that they are inexpensive entertainment, and work the same magic as a $30 game, a movie or a salon treatment.

First it was hotel bed linens, then spa-like bathrooms. Now it seems that hotels are influencing our interior and exterior home décor, design elements that only used to be seen at five star hotels and resorts.

Recently I was a guest speaker at a Preferred Hotel Group conference, and a question on the minds of many was, “Do the affluent use social media?”

Want to get off the tourist trail? You’re not alone. Today’s travelers are looking to collect a string of experiences from their journeys. A trip is much more meaningful for the participant if they are more than just a witness to the attractions of a destination and can instead have an experience that they will remember forever.

It’s permeating everything from gifting and wedding registries to personal enrichment and self-reinvention, so that creativity and artistic expression are accessible to everyone, not just reserved for the affluent.