Las Vegas in August is not a place travelers want to be in. With average highs ranging around 40°, people on the road definitely feel the burn.
For most of us, it is a nightmare, but for others it is the golden hour they have been waiting impatiently for to make a mark.
Flights were full with travel leaders, including Israelis, flocking for what is recognized as the “fashion week” of luxury tourism - Virtuoso Travel Week. An opportunity for the crème de la crème of professional advisers to connect with representatives from hotels, cruise lines, and tour companies from all around the world.
The lead story in Las Vegas last month: travel shows no signs of slowing down, despite inflation and global economic challenges. Virtuoso advisers have noted continued demand for exclusive-use experiences, such as private aviation and yachting along with itineraries that incorporate next-level stimulation and engagement including scientific expeditions in Antarctica.
“The luxury travel market has gathered momentum post-COVID, returning to levels higher than those in 2019,” says Zach Havard, a reporter from the renowned Travel Weekly news portal. “According to Virtuoso sales data, the network’s preferred hotels are experiencing extreme levels of demand with bookings 193% higher than in 2019 and 77% higher than 2022.
“During the pandemic, many luxury advisers were forced to totally shut down their operations for extended periods of time. Some agents were able to transfer their specific skills to new well-paid roles. However, they returned to their role as luxury travel advisers simply because they love their job and helping people make the most of their holiday.”
While bolstering the connections that get their clients access to the world’s best travel experiences, one question remains: Is Israel a luxury travel destination?
A lot of criticism has been said about the local tourism industry – battered by endless disruptors such as wars, violence, and political unrest, and soaring airlines and hotel rates. Some might even argue – a poor level of service in hotels.
However, the feeling was surprisingly positive if you were among the participants of this Virtuoso convention, a reputed global network of agencies, specializing in luxury and experiential travel, with more than 20,000 advisers.
Thirteen Israeli hotels
Thirteen hotels in Israel, seven of them represented by global brands, are on the Virtuoso wish list. Six are in Tel Aviv, four in Jerusalem, two in the Negev area, and one is in Herzliya.
Although the Dead Sea and Eilat, major local travel destinations, are not on that list, neighboring Jordan has no hotels recommended and Egypt has only four on the Virtuoso list.
Taking into consideration that 3.9 million tourists are expected here in 2023, while Egypt is expecting 15 million and Jordan 6 million, this is evidence that Israel is definitely on the luxury map. With almost half of the Israeli hotels being “homemade,” this is indeed remarkable.
“These luxury travel advisers are actually a mixture of a personal hotel concierge and a butler, and they will do everything needed for their wealthy client,” says David E. Cohen, the former successful flamboyant general manager of the David Intercontinental Tel Aviv.
“Israeli hotels, particularly in Tel Aviv, discovered the importance of luxury travel only 15 years ago, and ever since, their presence in global luxury gatherings is constantly growing. The initiative comes from the global brands that urge their Israeli hotel to take part in these activities. Ever since, everything is done by our upscale hotels to be associated with luxury.
“The representation of the hotels in Las Vegas includes the general managers themselves, as these agents prefer to meet the Israeli hotel bosses in person in order to secure [deals] for their clients. Nowadays 15% of the hotels’ income comes from luxury travel advisers activities,” he says.
VIRTUOSO IS definitely not the only luxury representation in Israel. Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR), a program that allows eligible American Express card members to book stays at over a thousand lavish hotels around the world and receive access to exclusive perks, is another key player. So is Forbes Travel Guide, a global authority on luxury hospitality, and there are numerous others.
“Most of our luxury guests are old-school oriented and a luxury travel adviser is an extremely important player for them,” says Ofer Avisror, manager of the King David Hotel Jerusalem.
“We believe in the importance of these advisers, and after COVID we witnessed a growth and we formed a new position in the hotel called ‘KD loyalty.’ Designated team members are now serving specifically these guests. Indeed 15% of the hotel customers arrive via luxury advisers and the numbers are rising,” he says.
Yaniv Kesten, CEO at Hadassim Travel, who represents Virtuoso as a local travel adviser, revealed that Israel is indeed offering a variety of quality luxury hotels that our attractive neighboring countries just do not possess.
“These tourists are mostly American and they will demand the impossible – the most prestigious hotel suites when the city is busy, a visit to Masada with a private helicopter, a seat in a fully booked high-end Tel Aviv posh restaurant – insisting to be guided by the chef himself – a private tour in the almost impossible places to book, the Jerusalem Kotel tunnels in the hours they wish, or to quietly enjoy a museum exhibition outside visiting hours,” he says.
So are luxury travel advisers back on the map big time with this August Virtuoso event?
Max Starkov, an American Travel & Hospitality Tech consultant and adjunct professor of hospitality technology at New York University says we “ are under the spell of a glitzy performance.”
“Virtuoso has been around for many decades now and is not growing fast,” he says. “From 36,000 travel agencies in the US back in 1996, today there are less than 8,500 – mostly corporate travel and cruise agencies. The majority of people with means today are tech-savvy. They do everything online by themselves – why would they need someone else to book their travel arrangements? At best, we are talking about a diminishing niche of luxury travelers.”
Kesten thinks otherwise.
“All luxury hotels in Israel will do everything to please these Virtuoso guests, and I assure you this trend will increase even further in the post-COVID period,” he says.
“Technology has been with us for quite a long time, but a human touch is not replaceable. A hotel in Israel might offer an online room-only rate without breakfast. A luxury travel adviser, because of his status and connections, will get the breakfast included and additional perks at the same rate.”
In an era of artificial intelligence, with ChatGPT and bots also taking control of our future travel adventures, these advisers are a relieving beacon of humanity, away from the do-it-yourself travel trend.
Or, are they just “the last of the Mohicans,” soon to be sole survivors of a once noble race?
The writer is the Travel Flash Tips publisher.