The luxury travel market is on track to make over $1.1 billion by the year 2022. According to Allied Market Research, the industry is made up of desirable destinations, luxurious accommodations, convenient transport facilities, and authentic travel experience. Luxury travel aims in giving exotic experience to its travelers. Private jet planes, spas, special menus, private island rentals, and private yacht are some of the unique services offered to luxury travelers.
The key drivers of the rising luxury travel trend include sheer inclination of people towards unique and exotic vacation experiences, increase in the middle & upper-class disposable income, and growing need and interest of people to spend more time with family owing to increasingly hectic lifestyles.
Over the last few years, we have seen the Who’s Who of travel influencers posting pictures from luxury destinations and accommodations that would make any traveler jealous. Whether it’s from the tops of the hills of beautiful Santorini, Greece or walking out over the crystal blue waters of the Maldives from an over-water villa, we all want to be there. When looking at these posts, it causes one to ask “how do they afford to go to places like this?”
Contrary to what social media and some blogs would want you to believe, experiencing a luxury vacation is not completely out of reach. There are ways to experience luxury on a budget.
Francesca Murray of One Girl One World, has mastered the art of doing “luxe for the low.” She has learned that you don’t have to break the bank to travel in style. “There are plenty of ways to travel the world comfortably, or even luxuriously without breaking the bank,” Murray said. “One thing I like to do is stay in an Airbnb for a few nights while I explore and do all the activities on my list. Then I like to spend the last night or two at a nice hotel where I can fully relax and enjoy the amenities. It’s a great way to have the best of both worlds.
“Another trick I like to do if the hotel I’m eyeing is simply too far out of my budget, is set some money aside to splurge on a cocktail at the hotel bar or by the pool. That way I can enjoy a bit of the ambiance of the hotel and experience luxury service without spending my entire vacation budget. The same goes for having lunch or dinner at a luxury hotel. If you’re collecting miles with an airline you may also be able to apply those to upgrade your hotel room. Where there’s a will there’s a way.”
Recently, expert traveler Toni Tone released an entire Twitter thread that dished on how she was able to experience the luxury of Santorini without truly spending the money that most would expect.
She shared with Travel Noire the following: “Some luxury hotels let you use their facilities if you spend money in their restaurant or at their pool bar. Be sure to email them in advance for permission or reservations though. Don’t just assume you can rock up! When you think about it, it’s great marketing for them. Not only do they end up making money from non-guests, but they also get free online promotion from people taking photos at their establishments and posting them on social media.”
She further suggested not actually staying in Santorini, but simply staying right outside of the city and using public transportation to go into the city. This way, you will still get the experience and feel of the luxury destination you are seeking without paying the price that those actually staying there would.
It seems that most travelers, seek out the same luxe destinations over and over. Once you become fixated on a particular destination, you just have to find a way to make it happen. Trip Savvy suggests that travelers choose destinations that are not as popular. You should look for places that will provide most of what you are seeking in a luxury vacation but may not be as common. This will save significant money since the demand is not quite there.
As you can see, living your best life on vacation is attainable. You just have to know the tricks that will provide the most savings. As you seek out your next “luxe destination,” remember the advice of the experts listed above.