Recommend May 2018 - 6

E d it o r 's N o t e s
What is luxury and how is luxury being defined?
Flip through this issue and you'll see we've included
a wide range of luxury experiences-from teeing off
in Mexico on one of the world's top golf courses to
hopping on a riverboat built for two for a romantic
sailing along the Seine. In the Trending Now in
Luxury Travel piece on page 26, Caribbean editor
Ed Wetschler asked two executives at major tour
packagers and three travel agents for insights
into how luxury is evolving in the Caribbean. In
the story, ID Travel Group's president and CEO
Maurice Bonham-Carter, notes that wellness is
a key component of a luxury getaway. "If you have a resort without a spa, you
have a big problem. Today's luxury resorts usually offer wellness programs, yoga
retreats, vegan menu items, and substantial fitness centers." In the Luxe from
Coast to Coast piece on page 17, which puts the focus on luxury in Mexico, Dario
Flota, director of the Quintana Roo Tourism Board, points, too, to "luxurious
spas offering the latest in wellness treatments" when asked what makes Riviera
Maya and Cancun ideal destinations for the luxury client.
For the cruise article on page 39, Luxury Cruise Bookings: What Travel Advisors
are Saying, the two travel advisors I reached out to referred to "bragworthy
experiences," a "worry-free vacation" and a "high crew to guest ratio" as being
high on the list of musts for their luxury clients. Ali Geiger, Dream Vacations
franchise owner and vacation specialist, adds that "a luxury experience
involves being with like-minded travelers who are curious, well-educated and
well-traveled."
This issue also contains the findings from a Travel Trends survey we
conducted on recommend.com. We wanted to hear from you, the travel experts,
about what's buzzing, so we asked a range of questions touching on topics from
cruises to solo trips. We wanted to know what motivates your clients to travel;
what the fastest growing travel segment is; what the most popular reason
for clients to take a cruise is; what demographic, besides Baby Boomers, are
requesting a river cruise; and what hotel trends they are seeing move the needle.
The survey also touched on wellness, all-inclusive stays and tour-style vacations,
as well as popular and emerging destinations. To see what your peers had to say
about today's travel trends, turn to page 8.
Drop me an e-mail at paloma@recommend.com. -Paloma Villaverde de Rico

Boost Your Sales
Recommend partners with the Kenya Tourism Board to bring you the
Kenya Authorized Travel Specialist (KATS) Program. Most visitors
to Kenya purchase their travel through travel advisors and prefer to deal
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Visit kats.recommend.com to become a Kenya Specialist.
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And if you want to see what our editors are up to away from the office,
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6 may 2018

group publisher/editorial director
editor-in-chief
managing editor
design/production manager
caribbean editor
cruise editor
web and copy editor/
social media coordinator
contributing writers

director of marketing
marketing manager
ad traffic manager
director of digital production
director of media & engagement

laurel a. herman
paloma villaverde de rico
michelle marie arean
janet del mastro
ed wetschler
vivian holley
jessica poitevien
carla hunt, susan farewell,
lane nieset, steve grasso,
geri bain, grisel diaz-ors
andrea f. sper
ali behar
daimee feliz
jorge bastidas
jennifer pichaco

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executive editor paloma villaverde de rico

RECOMMEND, Vol. 33, issue number 8, (ISSN 0034-1452)
is published monthly by Worth International Media Group.
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend May 2018
