The key facts
- Per the Virtuoso 2027 Luxe Report (a survey of 3,100+ travel advisors from 50+ countries), 7 of the 10 top destinations are in Europe; Japan leads, followed by Italy, France, Greece and Spain.
- Privacy is called 'the new luxury': demand for private villas, remote lounges (DiamondAir at Heathrow) and access to attractions away from the crowds.
- 'Slow luxury' (Northern Belle, La Dolce Vita Orient Express), river cruises (Viking Sekhmet on the Nile from November) and mindful spending — the 'great trade-off' per Lemongrass — are growing.
Luxury is changing its meaning
In 2027, luxury travelers, according to industry experts, will value what is hard to buy with money — quiet, calm and authentic experiences. 'Today the notion of luxury is nothing like it used to be. It is no longer about the standards of conspicuous opulence we are used to imagining,' said Marie-France Perrel, head of hospitality development at Michelin Guide, at the Euronews Travel & Tourism Summit 2026 in Brussels. According to her, attention has shifted to properties that 'give a genuine sense of place.' The overall trend: luxury is less and less about excess and more and more about thoughtfulness.
Where travelers will go
According to the Virtuoso 2027 Luxe Report, based on a survey of more than 3,100 travel advisors from over 50 countries, Europe will dominate the luxury travel map: seven of the ten most popular destinations in the world are on the continent. After Japan, which took first place, the top five include Italy, France, Greece and Spain; the top 10 is rounded out by Croatia, South Africa, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. Abercrombie & Kent recommends adding Chile's Easter Island, with its 'open-air museum' and at least a thousand moai statues, to the bucket list — many filming locations of Martin McDonagh's film 'Wild Horse Nine' are located there. The company also highlights 'iconic' destinations: China, which has 'firmly come back into view,' and Egypt with a 'renewed interest' showing no signs of weakening.
The return of the travel agent
Although artificial intelligence can put together an itinerary in seconds, according to Elle magazine, the travel agent has become 'fashionable again.' Rebranded as 'travel advisors' or 'travel designers,' they are actively present on Instagram with carefully curated content. Today's luxury travel experts not only build itineraries but also solve problems, negotiate and sometimes 'work miracles.' Wealthy clients value the human touch — knowing when to go, which room to request and which restaurants live up to the hype — things automation cannot replicate.
Privacy as the ultimate luxury
In an era of hyperconnectivity, private experiences have become especially sought after. Virtuoso notes that privacy means 'avoiding queues and camera clicks and moving through the world with minimal friction.' Sherif Khalil, on A Luxury Travel Blog, calls privacy 'the new luxury': 'Today privacy can mean, for example, having a museum entirely to yourself before it officially opens. Honestly, this may be the rarest thing money can buy at all.' Demand is also growing for renting private villas instead of hotels — without shared spaces and rigid dining schedules. For air passengers, DiamondAir has launched a private off-airport check-in lounge, 'The Lounge,' a few minutes from London Heathrow: an intimate space with à la carte service and a wellness area, where departing passengers check in with advance baggage drop, and arriving passengers can relax before the airport's concierge service.
Slow luxury, trains and river cruises
Against the backdrop of an anxious 2026, travelers, it is predicted, will seek formats that 'regulate the nervous system': slow tourism with deep immersion in a place's culture without compromising the level of service. Instead of a plane, one can choose a luxury train: the restored 1930s-style Northern Belle will offer day trips across Britain in 2027 with caviar blinis and afternoon tea, while La Dolce Vita Orient Express offers a two-day 'truffle itinerary' from Rome to Alba and back. River cruises, whose vessels carry a small fraction of the passengers of ocean liners, will be joined by Viking Sekhmet: the launch is scheduled for November, the ship for the Nile is designed for 82 guests; among the 2027 itineraries are 'Pharaohs and Pyramids' and a new 12-day tour, 'Total Solar Eclipse on the Nile.' Scenic Cruises plans a 27-day river and land journey for 2027 with a 13-day gastronomic tour of Switzerland: making risotto, 29 breakfasts, 15 lunches and 19 dinners, plus a stay in Interlaken.
Wellness and mindful spending
Hotels are 'rethinking wellbeing,' according to the Lemongrass Annual Travel Trend Report 2027. The successful luxury properties will not be those that add more treatments and diagnostics, but those that 'eliminate sources of stress, pay attention to restorative lighting and acoustics, reduce sensory overload and integrate nature' — the goal is not simply to impress but to help guests recover. As an example, the report cites Estonia's Eha Retreat: every stay begins with a consultation and a personalized program, the rooms feature, among other things, sleep audio meditations, and the offerings include a salt pool. At the same time, luxury does not necessarily mean spending at every step: in Lemongrass's 'great trade-off,' travelers combine expensive purchases with budget ones — for example, an economy or premium economy ticket instead of business class in exchange for more luxurious accommodation. Signature Travel Network notes growing demand for holidays that are 'truly personal and almost impossible to replicate,' with private cultural encounters and trips to rare natural phenomena.
