The Changing Face of Luxury Travel

I had the great fortune of having foresight into my "calling" many years ago when I worked at a family resort in Wisconsin as a hostess and entertainer, (picture a female Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing). I knew hospitality and tourism was my passion. Fifteen years ago as I contemplated selling my Marketing business, when I thought about "what's next"? I always knew if I needed to start a business in tourism. Fast forward to ten years go when I had the opportunity to intern for a vacation rental company in Costa Rica and learn the ins and outs of luxury villa rentals. I knew that I wanted to retire and Puerto Vallarta and find some luxury villas to represent, manage and rent. Seven years ago this was pretty straight forward, Airbnb was not really in that space yet and VRBO was a place you could rent Owner direct with not big fees, but having a high-ranking web site was really the most direct route at the time to Market entry - that and some direct mail and online and print advertising. I knew how to do all of this stuff so I launched a business. Escape Villas Vallarta. My customer base then was pretty easy to target - over 50, female, affluent well traveled. Most used Luxury travel agencies. I knew how to reach them - what they responded to and I was off to the races with great response and happy agent and customers. Then about 2018 - the game started to change. Airbnb bought Luxury retreats one of my highest producing agencies in the Luxury Villa Space - soon I was competing with myself as I had a villa listing on "regular" airbnb and also on airbnb Lux - then came a totally new type of client - I call them "babies with bank" . It seems like overnight luxury villas were being rented by college kids - not just for spring break but for "girl getaways" and "wedding showers". Then came the "insta" crowd who rented luxury villas to have a backdrop for their "influencing". Next the young guys for bachelor parties, once taboo in the luxury villa rental world, but now a norm, because these guys are not here to drink till they puke - they are here for 5 star chefs service, fine wine and tequila tastings and in villa spa services. Sure they may venture out to the local gentleman clubs but the groups I hosted were full of real "gentlemen". My average customer age seemed to go overnight from 57 to 27 and today still remains a mix, but the new face of the luxury villa market has far less fine lines and wrinkles. My biggest challenge is now to talk to them in their space - insta - snap chat - and yes tik tok. We now have a challenge of influencing the influencers. I strive to stay young enough in my mind at least - to meet the challenge of talking to this new audience in a way that they respond to - so far so good.