Fresh from attending Virtuoso Travel Week, Sheila Gallant-Halloran of Lush Life Travel reveals some of the top trends that are shaping the luxury travel industry from safari spots that go far beyond the typical South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania circuits to epic expeditions and cool escapes.

#1 Being cool is in! Cold places are bringing the real heat for travellers

While sun-soaked beaches will always have their place, the real heat is in cold places right now, according to a trends report presented by David Kohler at Virtuoso Travel Week in Vegas.  Iceland and Norway are all the rage with bookings up 62% and 89% respectively across the network this past year; with cold destinations in general up over 44%.

I know that I’ve seen a spike in my client bookings for Arctic and Antarctic trips this year. I’m even joining the club with my first Antarctica adventure this November. When I talk to my clients, the focus of late seems to be about going somewhere different. And places like the Arctic and Antarctic deliver dramatic landscapes, quirky wildlife, and the thrill of untouched wilderness.

My clients are chasing the extraordinary, and these frosty frontiers are calling their names. And I work with folks like Lindblad, Silversea, A&K and more to get my clients to be cool.

What’s hot? Antarctica, Arctic, Norway, Iceland.

#2 Expedition cruising is booming

I love recommending expedition cruising to my clients because it’s the perfect blend of adventure and purpose. Why stick to the usual when you can sail to the far corners of the Earth, leaving only footprints and taking home memories that make your heart swell? With expedition cruising, clients can visit the two poles of Antarctic and the Arctic. For example, Lindblad Expeditions have 11 different journeys just to Antarctica (everything from an eight day Fly the Drake option, to 25 day Wild Coast of Argentina, South Georgia and the Falklands), and another 17 in the Arctic region including Svalbard, Greenland, Norwegian Fjords, Newfoundland, and Iceland.

All my expedition partners offer a wide array of expedition cruises, which allow you to go where the bigger boats can’t, and to really immerse yourself in a destination. Some neat destinations are Australis taking you to Cape Horn and Patagonia, Silversea taking you to the Kimberley, Seabourn to Indonesia, Lindblad taking its Orion ship to the Med, and Ponant doing the St. Lawrence River in the Boreal Winter.

And some neat itineraries and combos with other partners has HX doing a Galapagos cruise partnering with Audubon, A&K offering a last sunset of the year cruise to Antarctica, Paul Gauguin offering scuba certification programs in Tahiti, Ponant getting the Paspaley Pearl going in the Kimberley and Papua New Guinea, and Lindblad’s affiliation growing with National Geographic as well as partnering with Food & Wine magazine.

As a former actuary, I love it when travel has ‘return on investment’ meeting ‘return on life.’ Of course, me getting to meet inspiring folks like Sven Lindblad of Lindblad Expeditions in Vegas just fuels my passion for this top travel trend. Lindblad has been taking non-scientists to Antarctica, and beyond, for over 50 years; and they emphasize conservation and sustainability. To me, travel is not just about seeing the world—it’s about saving it. Why not make your travel contribute to making a place better because of your visit, and then you can be a force for good. Expedition cruises immerse you in local cultures, support economies, and gently protect our planet. Ready to trade crowded beaches for penguins? Let’s make your travel matter!

What’s hot? Antarctica and the Arctic (including Greenland, Iceland, and Alaska), as well as Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea), the Galapagos, Costa Rica, Patagonia, Newfoundland, the Pacific Northwest, Australia, New Zealand, and more.

#3 Size matters when it comes to cruises

As a luxury travel advisor, I believe the words of Pico Iyer that “luxury is what you don’t have to worry about.” I have a deep passion for expedition cruising, river cruising, and small ship adventures. I specialize in these more intimate experiences rather than the ‘moving city’ size ships.

There’s something truly special about traveling with smaller groups on nimble ships that can explore destinations the big ships simply can’t reach. 

This past year, I led a Virtuoso group around the Greek islands with Azamara, which was absolutely wonderful, and I also journeyed with my daughter to Tahiti and the Society Islands with Windstar as part of the Virtuoso Cruise Icon program. I’ve also taken several river cruises with folks like AmaWaterways and Uniworld, and I’m about to travel with Explora Journeys, and Silversea Cruises as well.

Small ship cruise adventures offer a seamless experience—no long lines to embark or disembark, exceptional cuisine, and immersive local experiences that foster meaningful connections with the communities we visit. For me, I’m driven to provide travel experiences for my clients that respect and protect the culture, the economy, and the planet. Small ship cruising is a hot trend among my clients, and Virtuoso Travel Week really highlighted its growing appeal.

#4 There’s a growing interest in Africa beyond the usual South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania safari circuits—destinations like Uganda, Rwanda, Botswana, and Namibia are gaining popularity.

At Virtuoso Travel Week in Vegas, I visited the adventure pavilions, and took in all the updates for Australia, New Zealand, and, of course, Africa during the globetrotting Saturday and Sunday, and Monday’s “Under One Sky” luncheon. One of the big trends I discussed with Alison May of Wilderness Safaris is making sustainability resonate with clients who might not be familiar with the industry jargon. What’s fascinating is that when you talk to travellers, they often express a deep desire to protect the culture, economy, and planet of the places they visit, even if they don’t use those exact terms. Alison shared a beautiful quote by Bridget Dore that really struck me: “You cannot leave Africa,” Africa said. “It is always with you, there inside your head. Our rivers run in currents in the swirl of your thumbprints; our drumbeats counting out your pulse; our coastline the silhouette of your soul.” It speaks to the profound and lasting impact that travel can have. With that in mind, I’m excited to share that Alison is encouraging me to plan my first trip to Africa soon—it’s a journey I’ve been dreaming about, and I can’t wait to experience the connection firsthand.

Of course the typical safari circuits of South Africa, either by itself, or in combo with east Africa favourites of Kenya and Tanzania are always appealing. My partners at A&K have a Africa Idea Book to help clients work with their advisors to know what safari is best for them. And partners like Big Five Tours publishes a terrific hardcover exploration book that teases with spots like Malawi and Morocco and Egypt. Destinations like Uganda and Rwanda are increasingly popular, with folks like A&K destinations offering Gorilla Habitation Experiences, and andBeyond Rwanda offering hikes to Dian Fossey’s research base as well as Forest walks to find the golden monkey. I’ll be headed to Botswana with Wilderness Safaris, but they also do Zambia and Zimbabwe and more, and also do a fantastic job in Namibia where they won an award for their Desert Rhino camp. My partners at African Travel offer trips to see the regular Big 5, but also the Marine 5; and A&K also has shark cave diving options as well as Kilimanjaro climbs or running with the Masai. I’ll be going for my first trip, but I have a feeling that I’ll return again and again.

What’s hot? Uganda, Botswana, Rwanda, Malawi and Morocco, Egypt, South Africa and Namibia.

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