Every year, global luxury travel network Virtuoso surveys its industry-leading force of travel agencies and advisors in 50 countries, including 82 locations in Australia, to forecast what the coming year will bring.

And the report findings are out, people!

The latest Virtuoso Luxe Report shows travel in 2019 will be highly personalised and inspired by a desire to experience new destinations in unusual ways.

Through the Luxe Report, Virtuoso uncovered five trends – all with an overarching movement toward personalisation – shaping how Australia’s most affluent travellers will roam the world in 2019.

Motivation: Social media’s influence is unmistakable, as it drives travellers’ desire to find the most captivating backdrops and the best time of day for snapping images.

Clients are requesting on-site photography sessions to create Instagram-worthy content, including replicating shots they admired online. Virtuoso advisors are arranging themed photoshoots characteristic of destinations, such as wearing traditional geisha attire in Kyoto or ball gowns in Venice.

Transportation: When flying commercial, airlines with state-of-the-art business and first-class cabins are a favourite. Upon landing, VIP airport arrival services that whisk travellers through customs and ease tight connections are growing in demand.

Requests are on the rise for private helicopter transfers to and from airports as well as from one city or resort island to another.

Accommodation: Experiential travellers who have seen it all are craving stays in unconventional accommodations.

Those range from a treehouse to a monastery to an igloo in Norway, a tent in the Moroccan desert, the shores of the Red Sea, and even a bubble nestled in nature so they can gaze at stars before drifting off to sleep.

Recreation: People want to explore their passions through bucket-list experiences. Sports fans are asking for tickets to major events such as the Olympics, Super Bowl and Wimbledon. Art aficionados are inquiring about private tours of locales like the Vatican after hours.

Shoppers want appointments at high-end stores such as Hermès to purchase signature items like a Birkin bag. Music lovers are booking trips to summer festivals and concerts. Advisors are also arranging private dinners with influential local figures.

Conservation: Travellers are expressing heightened interest in animal-related experiences. Some request visits to animal protection facilities or to observe animals in the wild, such as whale watching and viewing rhinos at close range.

Some want to interact more directly with animals, such as at the Giraffe House in Nairobi or dog sledding to the North Pole. They also exhibit concern for animal welfare and want to ensure that interactions are sustainable.

Crossing off bucket-list items is the prevailing travel motivator for Australians in 2019, and Japan tops their list of emerging destinations, as it did in 2018.

Multigenerational travel maintains its number-one spot from last year as the biggest trend among Australians, with luxury cruising rising to second place from third the previous year.

Italy continues its reign as the top global destination, while also finishing in the top five in the honeymoon, Millennial travel and family travel categories.

Key findings from the Australian version of the 2019 Virtuoso Luxe Report:

Top Global Destinations

Italy
United States
France
Japan
Fiji
Canada
Croatia
Bali
Spain
England

Top Emerging Destinations

Japan
Iceland
Sri Lanka
Egypt
Cuba
Croatia
Sardinia
The Arctic
Portugal
Antarctica

Top Travel Trends

Multigenerational travel
Luxury cruising
Active or adventure trips
Ocean cruising
River cruising

Top Adventure Destinations

Antarctica
Botswana
New Zealand
Kenya
South Africa

Top Millennial Destinations

Croatia
Bali
Greece
Italy
Peru

Top Cities

New York City
Paris
Rome
London
Tokyo

Top Family Destinations

Fiji
Italy
Hawaii
Thailand
Japan

Top Honeymoon Destinations

Maldives
Italy
Fiji
Oahu, HI
French Polynesia

Top Cruise Itineraries

European river
Mediterranean
Alaska
South Pacific
Australia/New Zealand