Heli-ski on pure snow in Antarctica for a cool $2.2 million. A polar bear safari in a “restricted” area of Norwegian Svalbard for $300,000. How about tracking snow leopards in the Himalayas with famous explorers for $100,000?
Big-ticket travel experiences like these are indicative of the “quiet luxury” trend that has begun in the fashion world, with timeless lines dominating the brand’s flashy clothing.
Now the stealth wealth is spilling over into the travel industry as the one percenters increasingly ditch glitzy destinations like Capri for more low-key getaways.
Less spotlight, more connection
Jacqueline Sienna India, the founder of ultra-luxury travel company Sienna Charles, said she considers herself a long-time quiet follower of luxury.
While others prefer the boulevards of Paris or the shores of Monaco, she escapes to the Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh once a year.
Monaco has long been a gambling destination for the elite, but wealthy travelers are increasingly opting for more remote locations, luxury travel advisers say.
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She said her clients are more focused than ever on their families, well-being and mental health “because the world is so much more stressful.” As a result, they seek more connection than the limelight when they travel.
But another important aspect of the quiet luxury movement concerns security. Because celebrity homes have been a target for burglars lately, major events like the Super Bowl are less attractive, India said.
Consequently, customers are looking to far-flung destinations, often in the moment, she said.
“We just booked a billionaire family on an island in a villa in Brazil. Brazil is not a place that immediately comes to mind… But for me it is a place that still has authenticity and soul. It has great food and an amazing spa and wellness culture,” India said.
Jacqueline Sienna India said she recently booked a “billionaire family” on a trip to a remote Brazilian island, although Brazil is not “a place that immediately springs to mind”.
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Africa is another place where clients can seek privacy, she said. It was the choice of former US President George W. Bush, whom she accompanied on an elaborate personal trip to Ethiopia in 2015, she said.
Exclusivity and privacy
Roman & Erica is a luxury lifestyle company run by husband and wife team Erica Jackowitz and Roman Chiporukha. Jackowitz, a native of New York, compares the quiet luxury to the understated elegance of cashmere, contrasting it with the 1920s trend of “wearing Chanel on your chest.”
Jackowitz manages the lifestyle needs of 30 families, from politicians and tech CEOs to hedge fund executives, she said. For them, quiet luxury travel means exclusivity and privacy, she said.
Africa is also a popular destination for wealthy travelers seeking seclusion, Sienna India said.
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But the pandemic has accelerated the desire among affluent travelers to have meaningful experiences — which can range from asking for recommendations on where to take a leisurely morning stroll to arranging a tennis match with Roger Federer, she said.
The next frontier
Yachting is more popular than ever because “more people … can afford these kinds of experiences,” said Roman & Erica’s Erica Jackowitz.
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Jackowitz said her clients never choose conventional cruises as they prefer to charter private yachts. Actually she said the booming charter market recently prevented her from securing a last-minute booking.
“Now you’re competing with 10 other people who are traveling with friends and family,” she said. “There are so many more people who can afford these experiences.”
That’s driving affluent travelers to seek out new places for privacy, she said.
Wealthy clients are more focused than ever on their families, well-being and mental health “because the world is so much more stressful,” Sienna India said.
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The next frontier? Space, she said.
For a client, Roman & Erica secured a seat on the first all-private astronaut mission for $50 million, she said. Space travel is in such demand that Chiporukha founded a separate organization, SpaceVIP, to meet the demand.
Space Perspective plans to begin six-hour flights to the edge of space aboard its spherical capsule next year. So far, 50 percent of bookings are for full eight-person pods, according to the Florida-based company. Price: $1 million.
