The very nature of luxury means that it is constantly evolving to wow and surprise guests. That can be by upping the ante on extravagance but increasingly it is to do with tapping into traveller sentiment at the time.

While service that pre-empts asking is always welcome, other attributes that touch into social consciences, discovery and health are coming to the fore as 2015 draws near.

The Virtuoso Luxe Report for this year pinpointed that the desire for luxury travel is the same as other sectors: authentic experiences, rest and relaxation, and time and connection with loved ones.

The report also found that luxury travellers would prefer to book a lower class room in a high-end hotel than a high-end room in a less salubrious property.

1. Extravagance in unexpected places

Would you be surprised to find one of New York City’s top bars and bartenders floating down the Mekong delta? With exclusive rights to small batch liquor producers, Aqua Expedition’s new Mekong ship has just that.

From glamping to river cruising and far-flung islands, it seems that the more remote the luxury location, the more likely it will be mind-bogglingly exclusive. The Aqua Mekong also boasts one of the world’s top chefs, David Thompson, of Nahm renown.

Then there’s The Small Maldives Island Company, which has employed the cooking prowess of Australian chef Luke Mangan. You can be in as far flung an atoll as the Maldives and still be treated to the comforts of home.

As for glamping, has there ever been so thin a line between wilderness and luxury as a sheet of khaki brown tarpaulin? And yet no accoutrement is scrimped on, with Southern Africa offering some of the most unforgettable glamps.

2. Personalisation

Luxury needn’t necessarily come with a hefty price tag. There are other avenues to such experiences without the expense. Luxury can be a trip that tailors to individual wants and desires.

For foodies, this could be something as inexpensive as an Eatinerary, of which there are many built by online service Culinary Backstreets. Clients are sent a survey with questions based around their food preferences and eating styles – whether high-end or street stall. They are then sent a custom eating destination plan for visits in six cities – Barcelona, Istanbul, Rio, Shanghai, Athens and Mexico City.

3. Immersion travel

Experiential travel has been on the up and up for years now, but shows no sign of abating. No longer is it enough to visit a place – you also need to cook in it, paint it and stay with a local.

This trend has trickled through to the accommodation sector, with Luxury Lodges of Australia executive officer Penny Rafferty saying that guests want to see what happens behind the scenes, such as where the chef picks ingredients in the gardens.

“It’s about immersive, connective and particularly food experiences,” she said. “It’s very different to the resorts of the 80s which were all about fine service.”

The Luxperience expo, which pairs luxury with experiential travel, proves the appeal and weight of this niche sector.

“Next year is seen as the year for experience-led consumption; the immersion in a destination or activity with experiences tailored to individual travellers,” Luxperience director of marketing and buyer relations Michelle Pappas said.

4. Wellness travel

The buzzwords for 2015 are all to do with health, rejuvenation and a holistic lifestyle. Travel isn’t quite enough of a change – in 2015 clients will want to return home with a new body, habit or hobby.

This runs the full gamut but the most common trip of its kind is the yoga retreat. Offered in blissed-out locations worldwide, the luxury is not only found in the fancy establishments that offer a sanctuary from fast-paced life, but in the time allocated to invest in yourself.

5. Generation lux

Once the preserve of the middle-aged and above with the wants as well as the means to satisfy them, we now see that millennials have the desire.

While they may not be in the position to splurge on weeks of luxury, they are willing to splash out on a night here and there at extravagant hotels or on high-end experiences that all add up to one envy-inducing bucket list accomplishment.

The formal luxury sector is strong among the millennials, with Starwood global brand leader Paul James telling Skift that 42% of St Regis guests are under the age of 40 and the first guest of the St Regis New York presidential suite was aged 19.

6. Pilgrimages

But not necessarily of the religious kind. Travellers are pursuing their passions in droves and operators are responding to these niches. The biggest phenomenon is foodie travel, which is now mainstream enough to be incorporated into most touring itineraries. From half-day foodie tours of a city to in-depth trips to destinations with a provedore and culinary scene, travellers are spoilt for choice.

Sydney-based Inspired Luxury CEO Lynne Ireland has witnessed this growth reflected in the company’s clientele.

“An increase in niche products such as VIP Art Tours with behind the scenes visits with the artisans is increasing, so too is the focus on epicurean delights within each journey,” Ireland said.

A local example is Botanica World Discoveries, part of the APT family, which takes gardening enthusiasts on horticultural passion voyages around the world.

7. Luxury volunteering

Luxury travel and volunteering are two worlds that have never overlapped before. After all, luxury travel doesn’t always come with an altruistic factor.

Enter Travelteerism, where indulgence gets a feel-good makeover, which offers clients new perspectives on the country they’re visiting by working with local people on community projects. It provides a deeper experience beyond the bubble of boutique hotels, beaches, and the safari trail – but still incorporates these elements, which makes it the best of both worlds.

It also enables the NGOs and local charities to tap into and profit from their country’s luxury tourism industry in a way they have not been able to before. They currently run tours to Guatemala, Mexico, and Southern Africa.

8. Multi-generational travel

With family time as precious as ever, those who can afford luxury travel will often opt to bring the family along for the ride. This is something accounted for by luxury expedition ship Aqua Expeditions, which just recently launched on the Mekong.

CEO Francesco Galli Zugaro anticipates that families will want to charter out the entire ship. “Buy-outs happen quite often. It’s a perfect setting for a family buy-out,” Zugaro said.