Our third annual trade mission to New York introduced a new hospitality-focused event, held in association with VisitBritain, and unveiled a new report 'The Art of British Luxury Hospitality', published in partnership with Notable.
The report was launched at a thought leadership seminar at The Whitby Hotel, bringing together leading British luxury hotels, travel companies and research partners to shine a light on the best of British luxury travel and global trends in the hospitality industry.
The event featured a host of speakers from the world’s finest luxury and hotel brands including Michael Ward, Managing Director, Harrods; Thomas Kochs, Managing Director, Corinthia Hotel London; Adam Sebba, CEO, Cookson Adventures; Philip Barnes, Regional Vice President & Managing Director, The SAVOY; Andrew Stembridge, Executive Director, Iconic Luxury Hotels; Arnaud Champenois, Senior Vice President Global Brand & Marketing, Belmond; Frazer Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Chapel Down; Anastasia Seebohm, Group CEO, Quintessentially; Gavin Landry EVP Americas Visit Britain and Clare Risman, Head of Marketing The GREAT Campaign.
Exploring the enduring appeal of the UK’s 5-star hotels and wealth of travel opportunities for modern American luxury travellers in the U.K, The Art of British Luxury Hospitality report gathers insight from 25 leading voices in British luxury hospitality and examines consumers' desire to be immersed in an authentic sense of place.
From London’s rich arts and diverse cultural scene to the dramatic landscapes of the Scottish Highlands and West Country, the blending of homeliness and luxury hospitality and the rise of elevated adventure experiences allows the UK travel market to set the new benchmark in travel.
The report highlights sustainability, quickly becoming a key driver of the modern travel market. Sensitive to their environmental and social impact, the luxury traveller now looks to the hotel and travel experiences for opportunities to feel good about the environment and in turn pushes the places to stay to introduce visible sustainable elements such as an organic kitchen garden or bottling their own sparkling water.
As the global luxury market keeps its eyes on future and evolves to stay relevant to the modern luxury traveller, they also look toward their roots. This compelling mix of old and new is where Britain excels in terms of evoking a sense of place. Being comfortable with heritage and modernity is a uniquely British trait that comes from having a rich history and yet an open, global outlook. This fuels the travellers desire to gather unique stories and experiences.
"The new codes of luxury - experience, emotion, environment - are nowhere better captured than in British luxury hospitality. The British scene offers a unique, heady blend of heritage and modernity, unforgettable authenticity and a hyper-localised experience unavailable anywhere else in the world - all of this is perfectly placed to attract the discerning, affluent American traveller."
Helen Brocklebank, CEO, Walpole.
"In true British style, we are quietly leading the way in understanding the modern luxury traveller. In creating a sense of place and a home-from-home, hotels are setting the scene for epic stories and lasting memories."Hospitality in Numbers: 2018 brought 37.9 million inbound visitors to the UK with the ambition of bringing 40 million by 2020 (according to VisitBritain)
Laura Tan, Co-Founder and Strategy Director of Notable.
"VisitBritain is telling the story of people and places, aligning the passions that motivate travel with world-class experiences that you can only have here. We hope to inspire visitors to explore more, travel further and discover the very best that Britain has to offer."
Gavin Landry, Director of the Americas, VisitBritain.
US tourists to the UK were the fastest growing visitor group, up 33% on the same period in 2018
It is predicted that hotel openings will reach nearly 8,000 in 2020 vs 3,000 in 2010 (according to London & Partners)
The next three years will bring major international hotels to the UK including Raffles, Peninsula, Cheval Blanc and Four Seasons
