Citing the continual rebound of the U.S. economy, and more Americans becoming high-net-worth individuals, Insight Vacations is fully committing to the luxury market for 2016.
“If you look at the stats, the size of the market in the U.S., the affluent traveler who has a household income of more than $250,000 has grown,” said Insight CEO John Boulding. “When you look at how fast home values are growing again now, people are very rapidly moving into high net worth. Absolutely there is a market for it now.”
Insight has been quietly testing a handful of luxury departures for the past four years, but in 2016 it will launch a complete Luxury Gold collection that will be priced about 30% higher than its existing premium escorted tour offering.
Insight Gold tours include stays in five-star properties; dining in at least one Michelin-starred restaurant on each itinerary; exclusive, behind-the-scenes interactions with art, performance and culture; and no optional extras.
Luxury tours will be priced about 30% higher than Insight's existing premium escorted tour offering.
There will be 30 Luxury Gold itineraries in Europe, India, Bhutan, Nepal, and North and South America, with an average of 28 people per departure, compared with the 32-traveler average on Insight’s premium trips. While many luxury touring competitors such as Abercrombie & Kent and Butterfield & Robinson limit their groups to between 10 and 20 people, with the small-group factor considered to be an integral element of luxury, Boulding said that groups can also be too small.
“If you look at the larger group, it can be a bit of a crowd,” he said. “But then again, I don’t think a very small group is very optimum, either. What if you don’t like those 12 people? What about the comfort? Do you really want to be on a minibus? It’s quite snug, and you don’t have the views.”
Luxury Gold groups will travel on WiFi-equipped motorcoaches reconfigured with additional legroom, accompanied by a concierge who will serve as a local expert. Private airport transfers, luggage delivery, most gratuities, all breakfasts and most dinners will be included; lunches will not.
One new Luxury Gold itinerary is the nine-day Luxurious London & Paris trip. In London, it includes staying at the five-star Milestone Hotel and an after-hours Ceremony of the Keys performance by the Yeomen Warders at the Tower of London; in Paris there is a dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant and a gourmet food-themed walking tour through the Montmartre neighborhood. The tour price starts at $4,253 per person, based on double occupancy.
Comparing Luxury Gold with Insight’s premium product, the premium 12-day Best of Italy tour, priced at $285 per diem, includes 4-star hotels, dining, sightseeing and scheduled transfers. The 13-day Luxury Gold Ultimate Italy itinerary, priced at $435 per diem, includes 5-star hotels, Michelin restaurants, VIP experiences and private transfers.