Cuba Tops Virtuoso’s 2017 Luxe Report

Virtuoso has released its 2017 Virtuoso Luxe Report, which forecasts the top luxury travel trends and destinations for the coming year.

This year the report finds interest in destinations with a “sense of urgency,” Virtuoso’s term for places that are changing rapidly or disappearing. These include Cuba, the melting glaciers of the Arctic, and Lanai in Hawaii, which is set to grow in popularity soon.

Adventure travel also continues to be a dominant trend, including African safaris, swimming with whale sharks in Mexico or Australia or hiking the Swiss Alps. Other top trends include exclusive experiences, like personal guides or private jets, cooking classes and local market visits for foodies, and cruise travel.

In terms of top luxury destinations, Cuba is at the head of the list, as well as the polar regions of Antarctica and the Arctic due to the threat of global warming. Other rapidly changing destinations travelers expressed interest in include Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, which is losing its coral due to pollution, and Venice.

Virtuoso also reported more requests for business and first class air travel, as well as nonstop flights. A total of 772 advisors from Virtuoso's travel agency partners in North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and the Middle East were surveyed.

Source: Travel Agent Central