UNCHARTED TERRITORY
Humans have only explored around 5% of the world’s
oceans, according to the US National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.BESPOKE OFFERINGS
Sujata Raman, Australasian Managing Director of
international luxury travel company Abercrombie &
Kent, echoes Beirman’s sentiment, emphasising
the importance of personalisation to her well-
heeled client base. Raman, a pioneer of tailor-
made and luxury holidays, says demand for unique
offerings, which at A&K range from US$14,700 to
US$147,000-plus, is stronger than ever.
“There is a lot of customisation, so certainly,
even within group tours, things are not
regimented,” she tells The CEO Magazine. “We
try to build in days or half-days where there are
optional activities so guests don’t all have to do
everything together.
“Designing personal experiences is
approximately 75 per cent of what we do now –
it’s actually a tailor-made itinerary.”
Another factor making bespoke luxury offerings
increasingly popular, she says, is the hectic pace of
modern life, especially for business high-flyers.
Whether it’s deep-sea tours, exploring
Patagonia, or travel through the Arctic, Raman
says it’s about creating “an experience they could
never find on their own”. “They don’t have the time
to design it, so it’s precious to assist and make it
really special,” she says.
For Beirman, the innate human desire to
explore the unknown is another contributor. As
wealth increases in many parts of the world,
particularly in China, it enables more people to
go out and explore even further afield, he says.
“Human beings want to explore new frontiers
and it’s reflected in a lot of areas.
“Whether it’s the Kimberley in Australia, Papua
New Guinea, or the Solomon Islands, travellers are
wanting to do something different. There is now
enough of a total market to enable those very
high-end, niche markets to actually work.”theceomagazine.com | 141“This is clearly one of those areas where
you’ve got great point of difference,” he tells
The CEO Magazine. “We’ve had enormous growth
in the international tourism market so we’re seeing
different types of markets developing.”
Another selling point of deep-sea travel for
high-end consumers is its uniqueness.
This, Beirman says, is one of the big drivers
for the rise in demand for far-out activities like
deep-sea travel, space tourism, and adventure
travel generally.
“When you start looking at the top end of the
market, bragging rights start to become a big part
of the tourism experience,” he says. “If you’re a
CEO who can say ‘I took a trip down to the Titanic’
it’s going to go down pretty well with your peers.
“Part of the attraction is the fact you get to say
you’ve done something that is different or unique
- it becomes a big influencer at that end where
money is no object.”
What lies beneath | INVEST