Private travel used to be just for the super-rich and super-famous. Now, however, COVID-19 has forced us to reconsider who we travel with — and how we travel.
“Every service provider across the hospitality ecosystem is thinking about [private travel experiences,]” said Luis Vargas, CEO and founder of travel operator Modern Adventure, to CondeNast Traveler. “People want to be in smaller groups and with people that they know. And private travel is not just for the people for whom budget is no object.”
Basically, people no longer want to travel with people they don’t know — simply because it’s not safe to do so. And with the travel industry currently taking a nosedive thanks to the pandemic, affordable and intimate travel is becoming more affordable than ever before.
If you’re interested in trying out private travel for yourself — and even if you want to take a group of your close, fully-vaccinated friends with you — these seven things will help you make the most of it. You’d be amazed at how fun private travel can be when you try it out. You might never even go back to “regular” travel again!
Whether you want to book intimate travel close to home or in a far-away place — whether you prefer jets or sports cars — these tips and tricks will help make your intimate travel experience that much better.
It's Part of "The New Normal"
“We think small, private tours will definitely be the area of travel that bounces back first,” said Elizabeth Crabill, the CEO of CIE Tours, to Forbes. “Smaller groups and private tours have already seen significant growth in the past few years, especially with an increased interest in specialty itineraries as well as multigenerational families looking to travel together. As travel recovers, these small, intimate groups will likely be the travel style of choice for people transitioning from social distancing back to “normal” behavior across travel segments.”
And It's Not Just For The Super-Rich
“No longer just the preserve of the super-rich, who have long preferred exclusivity and isolation to mass tourism, nowadays people of all incomes are seeking ways to vacation away from crowds within their own bubble of friends and family,” says Jenny Southan, editor, founder, and CEO of Globetrender.
Driving Tours
A quickly-growing trend in the world of private travel is the world of self-driving tours. Aman is one such company that offers self-driving tours — you can even do it in a Lamborghini! — all across the United States, Europe, and Japan.
Consider Using A Professional Company
With the rise of private travel in the United States, companies that specialize in booking all-inclusive trips for elite clients. Two of our favorite companies are Travelsphere (for the UK) and Trafalgar (for the United States).
Bundling Private Jet Services With Other Travel
Many private jet companies offer bundled services with private travel. For example, ANI Private Resorts in the Dominican Republic (which also has resorts in Anguilla, Thailand, and Sri Lanka as well) has partnered up with The PJS Group to offer a joint marketing partnership.
ANI clients can receive a $5,000 flight credit on their first trip with PJS, and PJS clients can receive a $10,000 credit for their stay at any one of ANI’s private resorts.
Private Travel Close To Home
When people think of “private travel,” they often think of far-flung locales in remote locations all over the world. But the reality is, private travel can sometimes be found in your own backyard.
For example, the San Diego Zoo offers a private VIP safari, and New Yorkers can book a private yacht charter on the Hudson River for an afternoon.
Facebook Groups
Private travel can sometimes be just as simple as joining a Facebook group featuring like-minded people that share your goals — and just booking it from there.
One of our favorite Facebook groups is the Black Travel Movement, which has over 500k members as of this writing.