Black Tomato has released its "Future Fuel 2026" report, setting out the trends and destinations it believes will define travel in the year ahead. Released as the company celebrates its 20th anniversary, the report draws on first-hand research trips, client behaviour and wider cultural signals to map how travellers’ priorities are changing.
Co-founders Tom Marchant and James Merrett describe the report as a way to translate what the company has seen “on the ground” into practical insight. They position it not as a set of predictions, but as a guide to how people want to feel when they travel.
Future Fuel has become Black Tomato’s annual framework for understanding emerging travel motivations. The 2026 edition identifies nine trends and seven destinations, with a focus on emotional connection, environmental awareness and deeper engagement with place.
Cosmic Wandering
For travellers who feel they’ve seen it all, the next frontier is overhead. As light pollution accelerates and global sky brightness increases by an estimated 7-10% each year, dark skies are becoming both rarer and more desirable. Destinations such as Chile’s Atacama Desert, Namibia’s NamibRand Reserve and Spain’s La Palma are emerging as modern pilgrimage sites, where astronomy, stillness and stewardship intersect. Astrotourism is also gaining economic traction, with DarkSky International now certifying more than 230 protected sites worldwide.
The Gift of Boredom
Once avoided, boredom is being rebranded as a luxury. As screen use among children continues to rise, families are increasingly valuing device-free time that allows curiosity and creativity to surface naturally. Long train journeys, slow landscapes and unstructured days are no longer gaps to be filled, but experiences in themselves – supported by research linking low stimulation to problem-solving and imagination.
Family Wellness
Wellness is shifting from solo optimisation to shared ritual. Families are seeking travel that helps reset habits around sleep, food, movement and emotional health – together. From sauna cycles in Scandinavia to onsen culture in Japan and star-led sleep resets in the Utah desert, the emphasis is on routines that can be carried home, reflecting a broader expansion of the wellness economy into family life.
Wild Waterways
Wild swimming has evolved from niche pursuit to cultural ritual. Whether it’s floating in Denmark’s harbour baths, exploring Mexico’s cenotes or soaking in Iceland’s geothermal pools, water-based travel is increasingly about connection, not adrenaline. As cities reclaim rivers and coasts – Paris reopened Seine swimming zones in 2025 — access is expanding alongside calls for better stewardship.
The Cool Seekers
As southern Europe heats up, travellers are heading north and uphill. Europe’s “cool belt” – including Slovenia, Norway, Austria and Switzerland – offers natural temperature relief alongside strong design, culture and hospitality. With demand for coolcations rising, altitude, shoulder seasons and alpine living are becoming central to future summer travel.
Humbling Horizons
A counterpoint to achievement-driven travel, this trend centres on scale and perspective. Encounters with vast landscapes – glaciers, deserts, steppe and sacred valleys – are sought not for conquest, but for awe. Research suggests these experiences foster generosity, wellbeing and a sense of the “small self”, offering psychological reset through humility.
Humate™: Human + AI Synergy
AI is increasingly embedded in travel discovery and logistics, but Black Tomato argues that emotion, intuition and empathy remain irreplaceably human. Its concept of Humate™ positions AI as an enabler rather than a replacement – streamlining admin and insight so human expertise can focus on relationships, creativity and emotional intelligence.
Sonic Sanctuaries
Sight is no longer the dominant sense. Travellers are seeking journeys shaped by sound: chanting monks, jungle soundscapes, call-to-prayer dawns and intentional silence. This sensory shift also reflects growing awareness of neurodiversity and noise sensitivity, with destinations increasingly designing for calm, control and acoustic refuge.
Proof of Purpose
The dominant question is no longer “where?”, but “why?”. Travellers are looking for experiences that generate tangible benefits for communities and ecosystems, without sacrificing joy. Regenerative travel – from conservation work to cultural stewardship – is increasingly modular, locally led and designed to be meaningful without feeling obligatory.
"The Pursuit of Feeling" podcast by Black Tomato, which launched in February 2025, features intimate conversations between hosts Tom Marchant, Owen Vince and Brendan Drewniany, and guests who understand the transformative power of travel.
The podcast aims to examine how specific feelings become compass points for meaningful travel, guiding travellers towards experiences that resonate long after they return home.
Each episode offers practical recommendations alongside philosophical discussions, providing listeners with destination suggestions and hotel recommendations to help plan their own emotionally resonant journeys.
"The Pursuit of Feeling podcast has opened up remarkable conversations about travel's deeper impact with fascinating characters from so many different industries and walks of life," Tom Marchant, founder of Black Tomato, tells Globetrender. "It's been thrilling to hear how each guest brings their own specific lens to how movement through the world shapes their lives during and long after travel."
The first episode is in conversation with Mr Lyan (aka Ryan Chetiyawardana), London's hottest bartender and mixologist. The latest episode (seven), which launched on May 29, features Ashley Longshore – and includes an accompanying itinerary.
The series delves into "the rich tapestry of emotions that colour our journeys" says Black Tomato, with guests sharing moments of euphoria, quiet revelation and heart-racing adventures that have shaped their perspectives.
In episode six, Jacqui Gifford, editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure, says: "Travel is inherently emotional, it's taking you out of your comfort zone, your senses are more alive, you're also feeling very vulnerable when you travel. Genetically we are conditioned to crave stability so I feel naturally it's an emotional time."
The podcast explores various aspects of travel psychology through expert perspectives. Tom Robbins, travel editor at The Financial Times, discusses the appeal of physical challenges in episode three: "I think there's a sense of doing something real. It's not a confected activity. Happiness lies on the far side of doing something difficult."
Dan Flower, creative visionary behind the relaunched magazine The Face and former creative director of Soho House is leads episode five in which he addresses the tension between nostalgia and seeking new experiences: "I think perhaps with the younger generation there is culture of box-ticking. But the problem of nostalgia is a risk because if you go back and it's not what you remember and what you want it to be, it can actually disappoint."
Speaking on episode four, James Lohan, founder of luxury hotel booking platform Mr & Mrs Smith, emphasises the importance of intangible elements in travel experiences: "Lighting and music is so important. When you walk down the high street, why is that restaurant busy and that one isn't. They serve the same food. It's usually the lighting, the sound, the host. It's the intangibles, the bits you can't manufacture."
Black Tomato is kicking off its 20th anniversary by launching the first platform that empowers travellers to plan and book where to travel based on their desired emotion.
The Pursuit of Feeling lets travellers plan their next trip based on how they want to feel, rather than where they want to go. It highlights five core emotional pillars—Revitalised, Freedom, Distraction, Challenged, and Contentment— as a range of emotions that reflect the diversity of human experience during travel.
The platform will include The Feelings Engine, an industry-first, AI-powered innovation that lets travellers express how they want to feel on their trip. It means travellers can tell Black Tomato in their own words what kind of emotional experience they’re seeking from their next trip, for example, by typing: “I want to feel untethered”, or “I want to feel wonder like I’ve never felt before.”
The Feelings Engine then delivers bespoke trip recommendations using data from Black Tomato, to intuitively offer travellers travel emotionally aligned adventures, from a pool of 100 curated travel experiences.
Along with the debut of The Pursuit of Feeling, Black Tomato is launching a podcast of the same name. It will feature leading names from art, fashion, food, psychology and more, sharing how travel and emotion intertwine in their lives.
In addition, Black Tomato is also launching five new immersive emotion-driven journey - each one aligned to one of the pillars of The Pursuit of Feeling platform. For example, the six-day adventure in Chile is geared towards travellers wanting to feel freedom. It involves exploring vast landscapes, infinite skies and the Atacama Desert, as well as soaking in volcanic hot springs and admiring rose-hued sunsets in the Valle de la Luna, before being guided home by stars with astrological experts.
For those wanting to feel revitalised, the new nine-day itinerary in India offers a salve to the stresses of modern life. It incorporates Ayurveda, meditating on sacred river banks and chanting in the garden of Buddha, as well as hiking to ancient temples and exploring the foothills of the Himalayas.
Black Tomato's new Mongolia journey is designed for those who want to experience distraction. The 12-night adventure through Western Mongolia will take travellers across ancient steppes and mystical summits to places rarely visited by tourists. 
It offers the chance to connect with local hosts, participate in traditional festivals, follow annual migration routes, raft in ancient gorges, and horseback ride to sacred temples.
For those wanting to feel challenged, Black Tomato's new Greenland itinerary is about pushing your limits in Greenland’s wilderness. Travellers will navigate monumental icebergs and fjords to experience a remote existence in two boutique luxury camps. They will engage in challenging hikes, rappels, and kayak or SUP in the open ocean, exploring untouched landscapes.
Finally, the new Greece itinerary is geared towards travellers wanting to feel contentment on their next trip. They will embark on a serene 14-day odyssey through Greek Islands, discovering ancient architecture, tasting delicious food, island-hopping, exploring rugged landscapes and unwinding on Greece's idyllic beaches.
In a bid to bring ancient mythology to life, Black Tomato has unveiled a nine-day adventure across Greece, inspired by the legendary tales of Hercules.
This innovative offering is part of their "Take Me On a Story" initiative, which aims to immerse families in classic children's stories through bespoke travel experiences.
The new Greek odyssey, launched on September 17, 2024, comes in response to a growing trend in educational family travel and a surge in interest in Greece, particularly during the shoulder season. 
Black Tomato reports that almost 25% of their bookings to Greece are for this autumn, with families making up nearly half of all Greek bookings this year.
With British mythological black comedy television series Kaos currently debuting on Netflix, expect to see interest in Greece surge further, as fans of the show use it as an excuse to set jet.
The Hercules-inspired journey, priced from £37,340 for a family of four, takes travellers on an epic pilgrimage across Greece, from Athens to the Peloponnese coast and Crete.
Families will undertake a series of challenges inspired by Hercules' famed 12 labours, including battling mythical creatures, navigating secret labyrinths, and crossing raging seas.
The adventure begins in Athens, where families will seek the blessing of the goddess Athena at the Acropolis before sailing across the Saronic Gulf to the Temple of Poseidon in Sounion.
En route, they'll face a simulated attack by sea creatures, swimming to shore while collecting "gifts" from Athena.
In Olympia, participants will run in the ancient Olympic stadium, before flying to Crete to "hunt" the Cretan bull across the Lasithi Plateau.
The journey culminates in a challenge to defeat the Minotaur in the Labyrinth of Knossos, mirroring Hercules' legendary feats.
This immersive experience is part of a broader trend in family travel that seeks to blend education with adventure.
By bringing mythological stories to life, Black Tomato aims to ignite children's curiosity about the world and ancient cultures.
Black Tomato has released immersive "Set Jetting" itineraries inspired by two popular television series, Yellowstone and Ripley.
Set Jetting, the desire to travel to destinations featured in films and television shows, has seen exponential growth over the past decade.
Black Tomato's co-founder, Tom Marchant, explains: "Set Jetting's continued popularity speaks to an increased desire to connect purposefully with film, literature, and theatre, which in turn uncovers a fascinating relationship between places, landscapes and fiction."
The new itineraries offer travellers the opportunity to immerse themselves in the landscapes and experiences that form the backdrops of these iconic series, delivering "magic, inspiration and intrigue."
Despite their vastly different settings, both Yellowstone and Ripley capture an extraordinary sense of place, which Black Tomato aims to bring to life through carefully curated experiences.
The Ripley itinerary, priced from £12,000 per person, takes guests on a seven-night journey across Italy, including stops in Amalfi, Atrani, Capri, Naples, Rome and Venice.
Highlights include an exclusive evening tour of Rome in a vintage Fiat 500, mirroring Tom Ripley's getaway scene, and a private exploration of Atrani, culminating at the panoramic terrace where Ripley first arrives in Italy in the series.
For Yellowstone enthusiasts, Black Tomato offers a six-night adventure across Montana and Wyoming, starting at £17,000 per person.
The journey includes a stay in a luxurious pop-up "Blink" camp in Paradise Valley, offering privileged access to the Yellowstone ecosystem.
Travellers can participate in a sunset cattle drive, experience a private "Cowboy for a Day" session, a horse whispering experience and enjoy dinner with one of Jackson Hole's founding families, echoing the themes of generational legacy central to the series.
Both itineraries have been developed through extensive on-the-ground research, ensuring authenticity while providing special access and expert-led experiences.
As the Set Jetting trend continues to evolve, Black Tomato's latest itineraries are a great example of how travel companies can blend dramatic escapism with immersive cultural experiences to bring beloved television narratives to life in extraordinary ways.
A year or so after debuting its first James Bond-themed itineraries in partnership with Eon Productions, a new iteration of Black Tomato x 007 takes Bond-style "set-jetting" global with new travel experiences across 13 new destinations.
Black Tomato was the company to originally coin the term "set-jetting", and says it now receives enquiries every week from travellers seeking to plan a trip specifically inspired by locations they’ve seen in movies and TV shows. In fact, set jetting accounts for about 10 per cent of its client enquiries at the moment.
Taking travellers beyond the classic European hotspots of Italy, France and London, Black Tomato's new 007 missions take clients to 13 additional destinations including Morocco, India, Thailand, Turkey and Iceland.
Assignments are inspired by locations, iconic scenes and memorable opening sequences that appear in movies from the franchise, which spans 60 years.
With help from Eon’s team of producers, location scouts and archivists, the 007 experiences can be booked as part of a wider Black Tomato itinerary or can be knitted together across multiple countries and destinations.
With high-octane adventure, unique access, and exciting modes of transport resonating most with clients so far, these elements "remain central" to these exclusive new experiences, says Black Tomato.
With this new expansion, travellers can now visit many more locations they’ve seen in the 007 films but also piece together an itinerary following an entire film. For example: Mexico City, London, Italy, Solden in Austria and Morocco, all of which were used in Spectre (2015).
Tom Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato, says: “With the global set-jetting trend at its peak and acting on this growing desire for Bond trips beyond Europe, now feels apt to expand our library of extraordinary 007 inspired journeys.”
For all trips, clients will receive original call sheets, and bespoke documents including exclusive insight into the locations provided by the film producers. All trips will also include a free, exclusively commissioned Dr. No (1962) inspired attaché case by Globe-Trotter, the official luggage brand of 007.
The secret lairs of the Sahara
Sahara Desert, Morocco
Sensorial and seductive in equal measure, it’s no surprise that 007’s escapades have twice led him to Morocco: in The Living Daylights (1987) and Spectre. And now, it’s your turn. Picked up by a private helicopter in Marrakech, you'll fly to Errachidia and onto Erfoud, where a vintage Rolls Royce will await your command. Destined for the same co-ordinates uncovered by Bond and Madeleine Swann inside the hidden room at L’Américain in Spectre, you’ll speed across the sands of the Sahara towards Gara Medouar crater – the filming location of Blofeld’s desert lair. Here, at the hideout of one of Bond's most notorious adversaries, you’ll indulge in a sumptuous Bollinger-infused picnic.
Action in the Atacama
The Atacama Desert, Chile
Carved by wind and water, the Martian landscapes of Chile's Atacama Desert are the driest on earth. Standing solitary in its vastness, Paranal Observatory – posing as Hotel Perla de las Dunas – was the perfect hideout for villains Greene and General Medrano in Quantum Of Solace (2008).
En route south from Antofagasta, you’ll pass Michilla, the setting of Bond and Greene’s final confrontation, and the Port of Cobija, where Bond and Camille walk battered and bruised through the ruins, before you arrive at Paranal. There, you’ll explore the site with a private guide who’ll share the workings of this far-sighted observatory. That night, you’ll sleep beneath the stars at your own private desert camp.
Bond’s feats in frozen lands
Jökulsárlón and Svínafellsjökull, Iceland
By snowboard, snowmobile, and helicopter (not forgetting two Aston Martins with rocket launchers), the untamed icescapes of southeast Iceland have been twice traversed by Bond – and in quintessential secret-agent style. Evoking 007’s action-packed escape from billionaire Gustav Graves’ ice palace in Die Another Day (2002), you’ll zipline over jagged blue glaciers and climb the towering frozen walls of Svínafellsjökull – an outlet of the largest ice cap in Europe. We’ll also arrange for you to slalom between floating icebergs on Jökulsárlón lagoon – like those pictured in the opening shot of A View To A Kill (1985) – on a thrilling Zodiac boat journey towards a remote island. There, you’ll sip Bollinger and refuel with a three-course gourmet picnic.
Undercover in Udaipur
Udaipur, India
In Octopussy (1983), 007 first encounters the film’s eponymous jewel-smuggler at her floating palace in Udaipur, while entourage lounge beside the courtyard lily pond. This luxurious abode – the Taj Lake Palace – is where you’ll stay to trace Bond’s Indian mission. On a fast-paced rickshaw ride, you’ll follow the route of his spectacular escape from villain Kamal Khan, before taking in city views from the Monsoon Palace (used as Khan’s residence). We’ll also reserve the same poolside table shared by Bond and Khan’s henchwoman, Magda, at Shiv Niwas Palace – where you’ll meet a local resident who worked in the Octopussy crew, who’ll regale you with tales from the days of its filming.
The secret sights and sites of Japan
Tokyo and Nagasaki
A three-time 007 location, Japan – with its history of intrigue, technology, and ninjas – is a fitting location for an undercover operative. You’ll have a range of activities at your fingertips, like honing your ninja skills in the gardens of Himeji Castle, portrayed in You Only Live Twice (1967) – donning authentic gear and studying distinctive ninja weapons. You can also join a private guide to explore the city’s iconic filming locations, including Nakano-Shimbashi station (which made an appearance as a secret service base) and Kumano-Nachi Taisha, where 007 got married undercover. Beyond Tokyo, you can travel to the eerie, industrial island of Gunkanjima, embarking on a boat ride around Raoul Silva’s abandoned island lair – as depicted in Skyfall (2012).
On assignment in Mexico City
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico is magnetic. And it has kept 007 coming back since it first appeared in A License To Kill (1989). But it’s the scenes of Spectre that’ll take centre stage as you travel by chauffeured Aston Martin – should you wish, accompanied by EON Productions’ location scout Ali James, who worked on the film’s iconic opening. From the Palacio de Bellas Artes, the background to the vibrant Day of the Dead parade Bond joins, to the Zócalo, where Sciarra’s helicopter lands as he seeks to escape with Bond in pursuit – Ali will bring these iconic scenes to life. To really get in on the action, visit during Day of the Dead and experience for yourself the intoxicating procession – made a permanent part of the festivities since featuring in Spectre.
Step inside Bond’s Bangkok
Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand
Between busy, beeping cities and secluded jungle isles, Thailand has all the compelling contrast needed to set the scene of a 007 film. Bangkok appears most memorably in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) as a stand-in for Ho Chi Minh City during Bond and Wai Lin’s motorbike chase – but also in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), where Bond and Scaramanga first meet at a Thai boxing night. Inspired by this fateful moment, you’ll take a private Muay Thai boxing masterclass, before spending an evening ringside at Rajadamnern Stadium. Like Bond, you’ll then head south to Phuket to charter your private yacht towards Phang Nga Bay – where Scaramanga famously disappears during his pistol duel with 007 on Khao Phing Kan. Known as "James Bond Island", this location also posed as Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).
Bond and the Bosphorus
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul – spanning both continents and civilizations – has been a 007 “regular” since the early 1960s. You’ll imbibe all the exotic charm that Bond discovered in this ornate city; visiting renowned filming locations of From Russia With Love (1963), passing by the Küçüksu Palace (Elektra’s Baku mansion in The World Is Not Enough, 1999), and taking a private yacht along the Bosphorus toward Maiden’s Tower, where M was held captive by Elektra. As the sun begins to sink (always a sumptuous sight in this historic city), you’ll take it all in by climbing to exclusive panoramic rooftops that featured in a most memorable chase scene in Skyfall. A Vesper martini and the “golden hour” will be yours.
From Ian Fleming’s beachside base
Oracabessa and Mammee Bay, Jamaica
It was at Goldeneye – his home on Jamaica’s paradisical northern coast – that Ian Fleming wrote all 12 of his James Bond novels. It's only fitting that you’ll stay here; sailing out in your yacht to visit Sans Souci, where Bond resides in Live And Let Die (1973), and the Moon Palace Resort – with an original 007-stamped helipad – where the cast and crew based themselves to film Dr. No (1962). Channelling Bond in No Time To Die (2021), you’ll cast a line at Reynolds Pier, which itself starred as Dr No’s secret lair, to catch a matching brace of red snapper.
Finally, on Laughing Waters beach – where Honey Ryder steps ashore in Dr. No – you'll enjoy a lavish lobster picnic, a nod to the glamorous gatherings Ian Fleming used to host. We'll also take you to Port Antonio – a much featured backdrop in No Time To Die (2021) – to try the famous jerk chicken at Piggy's, a favorite of the cast and crew.
Back to Bond’s roots
The Scottish Highlands
Ian Fleming was so taken with Scot Sean Connery's portrayal of Bond in Dr. No that he subsequently gave his character Scottish heritage. Ever since, the tales and triumphs of 007 have been inextricably linked with Scotland’s rugged isles. Kicking off your adventure, you’ll arrive by boat to Eilean Donan Castle, which serves as Thane Castle – the Scottish MI6 base in The World Is Not Enough. Depart by Aston Martin for a scenic drive to the shores of Loch Laggan – as featured in No Time To Die (2021) – for a Bollinger picnic lunch, before continuing to the wild valleys of the Cairngorms. Last, but not least, a helicopter flight up to the Macallan Estate for a private tasting of their finest whiskies – including the 1962 sipped by Raoul Silva in Skyfall.
Stunts and scenes in Norway
Trollstigen, Norway
A land of untamed wilderness and dramatic fjords, Norway lends itself to adrenaline-pumping escapades of the 007 kind. In No Time To Die (2021), villain Safin chases a young Madeleine Swann across a frozen lake, filmed at Langvann, and Bond himself speeds along the country's outrageously scenic Atlantifc Road in a nail-biting car chase with double-agent Logan Ash. You, too, will drive this iconic winding pass en route to a heart-pounding bungee jump down a hydropower dam – reminiscent of Bond’s own bungee in the opening scene of GoldenEye (1995), which was actually filmed in Switzerland. You’ll have well and truly earned secret-agent status by the end.
In 2024, luxury adventure travel company Black Tomato predicts that “journeying with a sense of purpose” will be the over-arching motivation for wealthy clients in the year ahead.
“With ever increasing demands on our time, and feeling a responsibility to make our travels truly count, more than ever travellers want to create positive and lasting change, in both destinations visited and in their own lives – with rich experiences, to reflect and draw on months and years later,” the company said in a statement.
“What we’ve uncovered from our team’s extensive research out in the world and from listening to and analysing what inspires our clients’ desires for future travels, is that the feeling a trip ultimately evokes, greatly informs the destination booked.
“For groups of family and friends craving togetherness, joyful journeys which strengthen bonds and connection are prioritised. For others, honing in on passion points, which are singular and specific, is a powerful motivator. 2024’s trends are unified by our firm belief that travel has the power to change us, and others, for the better.”
Families are increasingly seeking shared activities such as crafting or playing sports to bring them closer together. Black Tomato says: “What starts as a passion point, evolves into something the whole family can commit to experiencing together in their travels, bonding them in a meaningful way. We’ve received feedback from clients that exploring a shared passion between generations can even alleviate some of the angst oft associated with the teenage years.
One of the company’s “See you in the Moment” trips takes families to Japan, where they can master the art of the ninja by taking part in real-life training held in the hallowed halls of Asakuso Dojo. Other popular Black Tomato “Field Trips” provide the opportunity to learn how to sculpt limestone alongside a renowned craftsman in Puglia or study sustainable food practices with a pioneering farmer in Copenhagen.
Black Tomato reports that private group bookings continue to be a dominant trend. Between 2019 and 2022, reservations for eight or more people have increased 35 per cent, meaning groups now account for 30 per cent of Black Tomato bookings.
This burgeoning trend spurred the company to launch (in October 2023) "See You in the Moment”, Black Tomato’s take on friction-free bespoke group travel, with over 35 rare and remarkable travel experiences aimed at inspiring groups of loved ones to come together for a seminal shared moment.
An evolution of Black Tomato’s pioneering and transformational travel services like “Get Lost” and “Bring it Back”, its new “See You in the Moment” concept taps into the psychology of travel, and is designed to deliver lasting impact. In an increasingly disconnected world, bonding over unforgettable shared experiences fosters a profound sense of belonging and togetherness, and delivers a lasting connection, as these “moments” become part of a group’s shared narrative.
In 2024 and beyond, a rising number of travellers are turning to Black Tomato for help planning trips based on nostalgic journeys their family members or close friends have taken in the past. The company says: “This is less to do with tracking one’s ancestral heritage; instead, it stems from a longing to retrace a loved one’s steps through a new lens.”
Recently, a client took inspiration from a photograph of their grandparents holidaying in Lake Como, and then asked Black Tomato to create a trip with their partner, which would allow them to map out their own course inspired by the grandparents’ documented travels.
The company says: “We designed an itinerary with ample time for reflective ‘deep breath’ moments, and ultimately the feedback from this client was that by recreating the trip, they felt they were more present, engaged and excited about the places they visited given the personal connection. Ultimately, in coming across many lanes of memories, they’d forged a deeper connection to their family history, each other and the destination.”
When it comes to wellness, Black Tomato says people are realising they need to “do less to be more”. It has called this shift “reductionism”, and says that specificity is key.
“Rather than embarking on a dramatic overhaul that’s challenging to uphold, we believe that lasting transformation begins with addressing one key pillar of wellness, which is manageable to maintain,” says the company. “Taking a ‘less is more’ approach makes goals targeted and accessible, and once the building blocks are ingrained into daily life, this sets the foundation for addressing other areas for improved wellbeing.”
Black Tomato reports a surge in tailored travel experiences, from breath workshops, and mind-expanding psilocybin retreats, to sleep clinics and mediation masterclasses. Brands such as Six Senses and Joali Being are leaders in the more micro, personalised wellness space.
Wealthy clients are increasingly seeking silence to “soothe their soul”, says Black Tomato. In a world increasingly polluted by noise and bustle, it’s a rare luxury to find absolute peace, and while remote travel builds on a trend the company identified several years back, there’s been an evolution, in pursuit of finding genuine solitude.
National parks, where the only audible sounds are the stirrings of nature, are particularly popular locations for silence seekers. In fact, there is even an organisation called Quite Parks International, which has built a movement to preserve the silence of the national park systems. Namibia’s Skeleton Coast is another special place for solace.
Bookings for Black Tomato’s temporary “Blink” camps, set up in some of the world’s most remote locations, have grown by more than 40 per cent since 2021, and the company also says its “Get Lost” service (where clients are sent to mystery destinations) has seen an uptick in popularity in recent months.
For worldly gourmands, food has become deified, and coveted dishes such as a particular type of ceviche served at a remote family-run restaurant in Peru, or a certain honey that has been lauded for years in Sicily, are driving people to travel to the places they’re able to eat them.
Black Tomato can organise for clients to travel to the wine region of Pueblo Eden, dubbed the “Tuscany of Uruguay” by chef Francis Mallman. For those with a passion for mixology, the company also sells the James Bond-inspired “Assignment: Europe”, which includes an exclusive vintage martini masterclass using ultra-rare spirits to recreate the truest expression of a Vesper martini.
Stemming from a renewed ambition to chart new courses and paths, “Frontier Travel” sees clients discovering somewhere new, and confronting their own perceived limits. Trips could range from camping under the stars somewhere undiscovered, or hiking an ancient trail. This isn’t about making history by marking a world-first, but rather embracing individual challenges, both mental and physical.
Black Tomato highlights Peru, where clients can navigate the otherwise inaccessible Ancient Valley of the Incas by raft, aided by extraordinary campsites set up along the way (part of the “See You in the Moment” offering under “The Challenge” category).
Luxury adventure travel company Black Tomato says it has had a long-held belief that some experiences are "exponentially more meaningful and memorable when shared with those you love".
This has inspired Black Tomato to review the best and worst parts of group travel and to develop a new innovative range of pick-and-mix experiences called "See You in the Moment", which take place at a specific place and point in time.
Working with partners around the world, Black Tomato has curated a collection of more than 30 "remarkable travel moments", which can be incorporated into existing or newly created Black Tomato itineraries. They are categorised by: The Meal, The Event, The Challenge, The Journey and The Celebration.
Rather than booking a restaurant or private chef for a birthday dinner, Black Tomato suggests organising a gourmet banquet (The Meal) inside Iceland’s Thrihnukagigur volcano crater, illuminated by a thousand candles.
For a VIP bonanza, Black Tomato can take groups to Italy for Siena’s famous biannual Palio horse race (The Event) where they will watch the medieval spectacle from a private balcony overlooking the Piazza del Campo.
Alternatively, a group might want to embark on an expedition down the Apurimac River (The Challenge), through the heart of Peru’s Sacred Valley, where they will navigate the otherwise inaccessible Ancient Valley of the Incas by raft, staying at "mind-blowing" luxury campsites along the way.
Tom Marchant, co-founder, Black Tomato, says: “Serving as an antidote to over-scheduled, time-poor stressors that pervade our busy lives, ‘See You in the Moment’ encourages being fully present in the moment with others; being mindful, which by design is innately therapeutic.
"At Black Tomato, we have a deep understanding of the psychology of travel, pioneering travel experiences designed to be transformative and bring lasting impact, from getting lost (Get Lost) to find yourself in Mongolia, to harnessing travel as a self-improvement tool, with Bring it Back.
"Ultimately, we believe these unforgettable shared experiences foster a profound sense of belonging and togetherness, bonding a group by becoming part of their shared narrative. While some moments can still be enjoyed as a couple, there are some that are so much better with more people, when ten years on you just have to look at a friend and there’s an immediate connection from the past that keeps you reminiscing together down the line.”
While Black Tomato has long excelled in executing group trips, the new range of "shared moments" are hoped to appeal to families and friends who want to "connect and commit to carving out time to do more incredible things together with those who matter".
Black Tomato says: "In looking at how we curate and optimise group travel, which is traditionally defined by compromise, from a practical perspective, a core innovation of ‘See You in the Moment’ is bringing everyone together for a celebratory moment, made all the more poignant and captivating when shared with others, but allowing everyone’s individual needs to be met via bespoke itineraries.
"Crucially, this flexible and customised approach, which removes common friction from the inherent challenges and frequent pain points of group travel, is driven from years of hearing about myriad challenges when clients attempt to organise group trips themselves, with one set itinerary for all."
A gourmet private retreat in the Nordics, perched on a secluded beach on an uninhabited island in the Lofotens, is where guests will enjoy the best of nature’s bounty, while relishing the simplicity of living in the elements. A tailored takeover allows creating a memorable multi-day adventure, with options for hiking, kayaking, surfing, RIB boats, cold-water plunges, while a team of world-class chefs and artisans will create magnificent meals throughout the stay, culminating in a gastronomic beach barbecue on a deserted shore accessed by Zodiac; a magical setting for sharing stories.
Celebrations for the bucket-list festival, Songkran, take place in a local village in the untouristed Isaan region of Thailand, with the chance to forge cherished local connections. Lost and forgotten traditions await discovery as guests will observe the festivities at a temple, take part in a traditional rural temple blessing of the elders, join the night market merriment, and spend an evening with a historian explaining the origins and variations of Songkran across Thailand. Back in a luxurious exclusive-use villa, a private celebration will include a joyous, no-holds-barred water fight with water guns, water balloons, a sand pagoda building contest, and a lavish Thai feast to wrap the day.
An intrepid and first of its kind exclusive expedition to the very tip of Tierra del Fuego, an almost unknown corner of the world, where guests will tackle an extreme physical challenge together and celebrate their sense of esprit de corps, against the backdrop of crashing surf at the confluence of the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern Oceans. Far from Argentina’s usual travel circuit, this high adrenaline trip combines helicopter and sailboat journeys, hiking and horseback riding, with specially built nomadic campsites along the way, all designed to test the group’s endurance and spark camaraderie, in total isolation from civilisation.
Onboard a privately chartered, sustainable motor yacht, affiliated with ocean conservation charity, Live Ocean, which works to protect the fragile underwater ecosystems, guests will embark on a pioneering journey to explore untouched oceans off the remote, undeveloped Poor Knight Islands, in search of some of the world’s best diving. Accessible only by sea, this life-affirming experience offers a new perspective on New Zealand and culminates in a collective dive into the subtropical waters amidst orcas, dolphins and rays, before spending the evening stargazing, mesmerised by the clear night skies devoid of any light pollution, replete with an astro-photographer onboard
Blend tradition and modernity in a fitting NYE celebration, immersed in the rich history of the highlands. Learn from the land in bushcraft survival while imbibing on the spirits of the region, learning to pair flavours with modern spices. Explore the mysteries of the loch before participating in a personalised Highland Games, both as spectator and athlete. A gala complete with traditional Ceilidh dancing will ring in the New Year with an awe-inspiring firework display shimmering over the waters of the loch.
Luxury adventure travel company Black Tomato has revealed details of its new James Bond travel experiences, a concept that is a manifestation of two trends Globetrender has explored in-depth in its premium newsletter VOLT. These are "Dramatised Adventures" and "Limelight Locations".
Immersing clients into the storied world of Bond, travellers can choose from a menu of tailormade experiences that have been developed with Eon Productions and 007 film production crew, providing travellers with unprecedented access to iconic Bond partners, personalities and adventures. (Globetrender first reported on the news here.)
Black Tomato has designed a single definitive 12-night journey named "The Assignment", which features a selection of Bond experiences in five locations across Europe. This itinerary will culminate in Venice with an "immersive finale" dining experience at the Murano glass factory – the glass-filled venue in which Bond and Chang battled in Moonraker (1979).
Travellers can also customise their own itinerary, choosing from a variety of 007 experiences in the UK, France, Monaco, Italy and Austria. Trips range from five nights to any length of time desired with prices from £15,000 per person.
In celebration of the 60 year franchise, only 60 trips are available for purchase; each of which includes a complementary, exclusively commissioned Dr No (1962) inspired attaché case by Globe-Trotter.
Clients who sign up for the missions will have the chance to learn stunts with Daniel Craig’s stunt double Lee Morrison, visit the Bollinger champagne estate, cruise around the Cote d'Azur aboard a vintage yacht accompanied by actress Carole Ashby (who starred in Octopussy and A View To A Kill in the 1980s), and hear about 007 special effects from Oscar-winning special effects supervisor Chris Corbould (pictured below at Pinewood Studios).
Tom Marchant, co-founder, Black Tomato, says: “The narratives of so many Bond films are enhanced by the distinct feel of iconic destinations, so recreating these stories for a first-person travel experience has been a true delight and honour. We’re thrilled to be at the forefront of creating something bespoke that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, so clients can experience real immersion into Bond’s world on their terms. It's been brilliant to work with a breadth of captivating European settings that have allowed us to fully embrace the full scope of this incredible franchise."
Ali James, location manager for Eon Productions, says: “It’s a joy to see 007’s travels come to life with such authenticity, having undergone a nostalgic trip into the archives. It’s been a labour of love not only working with Black Tomato to determine the locations and refine the experiences and locations, but also involving many of Eon’s iconic partners, and myriad people that have worked on the films – from producers to location scouts and front of screen talent. This creative collaboration allows us to get travellers into Bond's world and offering truly extraordinary experiences, some of which are only accessible with these trips.”
United Kingdom:
Starting in London, this mission will feature a privately guided, high-speed chase down the Thames in the original Superhawk 34 boat from The World Is Not Enough (1999) with a drone capturing the entire pursuit. From here, travellers will have the opportunity to train with Lee Morrison, the award-winning stunt co-ordinator who has worked on the last five Bond films. Finally, travellers will embark on a privately-guided sartorial tour of Burlington Arcade and Jermyn Street where they may get to see iconic garments and accessories from the films.
Stay: The Corinthia Hotel
France:
Black Tomato has arranged an extraordinarily rare and exclusive access to explore the Champagne Bollinger Chateau and Estate, in the village of Ay, Champagne. Open only by appointment, Champagne Bollinger will open their doors exclusively for these trips. Touring the vineyards by vintage Land Rover, exploring the coveted 1829 Reserve Cellars, and enjoying an ultra-rare, guided tasting of a La Grand Année vintage, as sipped by Bond in Casino Royale (2006).
Stay: Hôtel de Crillon, Paris A Rosewood Hotel
Monaco:
In the true spirit of James Bond, see the sights of Monaco’s Cote d’Azur aboard a private yacht. Sail around the Cote d'Azur accompanied by actress Carole Ashby who appeared in Octopussy (1983) and A View To A Kill (1985). Drop anchor at La Reserve de la Mala for lunch – before swimming in secluded coves. After arriving in Monaco, clients will visit the Casino de Monte-Carlo for a VIP behind the scenes tour and gambling at the tables with Andreas Daniel, who consulted on the Texas Hold’em poker scenes in Casino Royale (2006).
Stay: Hotel Metropole, Monte Carlo
Italy:
Bond’s Italy is a place of romance, relaxation and intrigue. Fittingly, travellers will take in the breathtaking glamor of Lake Como; water-skiing before jumping aboard a private seaplane and meeting a waiting wooden Riva boat to drive you to Villa La Gaeta and onto a private visit of Villa de Balbianello – both featured in Casino Royale.
As the sun sets over Venice, we’ll organise a private speedboat to the island of Murano for special access to the Glass Museum to see the famed Coppa Barovier, around which Bond and Chang battled in Moonraker (1979); ending the day in the Nason Moretti glass factory for a gourmet, candlelight dinner.
Stay: Villa Passalacqua, Lake Como & Belmond Hotel Cipriani, Venice
Austria:
A breath-taking Bond ski odyssey awaits travellers in the Austrian mountains of the Ötztal Valley. Here, clients will ascend by snow groomer, long before the crowds, on a freshly groomed piste. From here, they will venture to the summit of Gaislachkogl for a private, behind-the-scenes tour of 007 Elements – a dramatic exhibition profiling the high-tech world of Bond. 
This tour will be led by its curator and there is the option to be accompanied by Oscar-winning Chris Corbould – the Bond special effects co-ordinator who has worked on 15 of the franchise’s films. Travellers will have window-side seating for a reservation at the adjacent ice Q restaurant, the building that played the Hoffler Klinik where Madeleine Swann worked in Spectre (2015).
Stay: Das Central
To mark 60 years of James Bond bond movies in cinemas (Sean Connery’s Dr No was the first to hit screens in 1962), Black Tomato has become the exclusive and first-ever official 007 travel partner, thanks do a deal with EON Productions – makers of the James Bond film empire.
Following the success of Black Tomato concepts such as "Take Me on a Story" (launched in 2021) and a January 2022 tie-up with Agatha Christie Limited to create Grand Tours inspired by her detective novels, the luxury adventure travel company has now been granted the right to develop private James Bond-inspired travel itineraries, beginning with a multi-country, high-octane rampage across Europe.
Starting in London (the home of Bond), Black Tomato says participants will take part in “artfully curated experiences spanning arts and culture, action and adventure, with uncompromising luxury throughout”. Globetrender wouldn’t be surprised if there were martinis (“shaken not stirred”) served at London’s Duke’s hotel added to the mix. (A favourite haunt of James Bond author Ian Fleming.)
After, travellers will continue to Paris, Lake Como, Venice and Monaco. Black Tomato says: “Expect cars, yachts, helicopters and iconic train journeys to feature throughout, together with high-octane, enthralling adventures and experiences.”
Full details of the assignment - an immersive adventure lasting about 12 days, with just 60 limited edition bookable private trips available for purchase - will be announced in March 2023. They will be available to both individuals and groups.
Until the full reveal next year, Black Tomato says it is “tailoring this epic itinerary to precise specifications”, and will be working in close collaboration with the James Bond team, including some of their most longstanding location scouts.
Although Black Tomato calls the trend “Storification”, Globetrender has already identified and coined the trends “Dramatised Adventures”, “Limelight Locations”, “Pay for Peril”, “Constructed Realities” and “Story Ventures” to describe the emergence of high-budget fantasies-made-real, inspired by movies and literature. (Subscribers to Globetrender’s VOLT newsletter can access these editions in our trend library.)
Other examples include Pelorus’s recent collaboration with Luxury Treasure Hunts to deliver a series of treasure-hunting yacht adventures that take charter groups around the coasts of Sardinia, Antigua, Barbuda and Indonesia in search of buried gold.
Supported by a team of actors, screenwriters, prop makers and location managers – some of whom have worked at Disney, Marvel and National Geographic – participants are given clues and riddles to solve, while a “games guide” helps guests locate pirate treasure and solve the mystery.
Black Tomato says that “Storification” is about “capturing cinematic and literary magic in an authentic, meaningful way”.
Tom Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato, says: “We’re incredibly honoured to be working with the James Bond team in this first of its kind travel partnership for the 007 brand.
"It’s part of Black Tomato’s DNA to take inspiration from other cultural phenomenon outside of the traditional travel space and to have the opportunity to work with arguably the biggest film franchise of all time is a huge privilege and special milestone for the company.
“Curious by nature, it was important for us to take an inquisitive approach to this collaboration and in bringing to life the James Bond world, and we can’t wait to introduce this initial bold and breath-taking new itinerary to clients and discerning fans.”
Ali James, location manager for 2015 James Bond movie Spectre, says: “I am thrilled to partner with the creative travel minds at Black Tomato, who have storytelling at the heart of their brand and have proven expertise in bringing iconic stories and literary adventures to life.
"Having had the privilege of scouting international locations on Spectre I know first-hand how destinations play a pivotal role in the production process of the James Bond films. It’s been a pleasure to see Black Tomato’s vision for transporting travellers into the world of 007 so that people can experience Bond’s rich travel history for themselves.”
Lake Como will be the setting for this daring adventure. From the private jetty of your hotel, take inspiration from James Bond in Licence To Kill (1989) and water ski along the Moltrasio shoreline, before jumping aboard a private seaplane to continue your expedition.
Take to the skies above the picturesque towns of Bellagio and Varenna, and Spectre agent Mr White’s infamous lakeside home, Villa La Gaeta. This thrilling journey continues as you touch down, met by an iconic Bond wooden Riva boat and bottle of 007’s favourite, Champagne Bollinger.
Speed off in style to the iconic Villa del Balbianello from Casino Royale (2006) to stroll the terraced gardens before enjoying a private villa tour with exclusive insights into how they transformed the location for the film.
Announced to coincide with the cinematic release of Death on the Nile (based on the novel by Agatha Christie), the Black Tomato x Agatha Christie grand tour allows people to follow in the footsteps of the intrepid writer who departed on a ten-month voyage from Madeira in January 1922.
Devised in close collaboration with Christie's great grandson James Prichard, Agatha Christie Limited chose Black Tomato to be their official luxury travel partner to celebrate 100 years since Agatha departed on her ambitious tour.
Studying her letters and archives, Black Tomato says it has translated Christie's grand tour into one "monumental" trip that can be undertaken as one of three "chapters" (Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and North America) or one full 40-night expedition.
James Prichard, chairman and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited, says: "My great grandmother’s travels were a huge influence on her writing, which is evident in stories such as The Man in the Brown Suit (directly inspired by this round the world trip) and of course, Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile.
"When we were delighted when Black Tomato, a travel brand with storytelling at its heart, agreed to partner with us in celebrating Agatha’s many adventures by creating this bespoke itinerary.”
Chapter 1: South Africa
From £5,299 per person
Chapter 2: Australia and New Zealand
From £18,990 per person
Chapter 3: North America
From £13,490 per person
An additional "scene-setting prelude" in London will give clients the chance to have afternoon tea at Brown's hotel in London where they can stay for two nights. They will also have time with legendary historian Lucy Worsley or James Prichard. (The price of this part is on application.)
Black Tomato’s co-founder Tom Marchant, says: “I grew up with Agatha Christie, through reading and watching her television dramas every Sunday with my family, a cosy ritual that was a staple of my childhood and opened up the world of travel to me.
"These rich stories were a focal point in our household, along with millions of her devoted worldwide fans, and strongly influenced my upbringing, with their unforgettable backdrops and captivating characters.
"That Black Tomato was selected by Agatha Christie Limited to breathe life into this iconic journey is a huge source of pride and we hope we do justice to her enormous legacy. Though a century apart, we both share an acute passion for storytelling and find the world a remarkable source to fuel creativity.
"In bringing this special adventure to life - which inspired some of her most beloved books, we’re similarly aiming to harness travel to inspire life affirming journeys, as well as a new generation of literary fans.”
Always ahead of the curve, Black Tomato's Field Trip is the latest in a series of innovative new concepts – from Take Me on a Story to Bring it Back – to be created by the company.
Aimed at children over the age of 12, this new travel format is designed to enrich the classroom-based education that young people receive with hands-on experiences in the real world.
Black Tomato says that "to truly capture a child’s curiosity and bestow deep and meaningful knowledge, travel has the remarkable ability to both inspire and educate".
The manifestation of this belief, Field Trip is a "first of its kind" collection of "immersive a la carte classes" around the world, with a focus on developing "purpose driven passion through educative experiential programming, including areas supporting positive social impact, such as sustainability, as well as spurring interest in history and the arts".
Modules will span social studies – with insightful history experience on women's narratives in Israel – and the sciences – working with conservationists on critical rhino notching efforts in Kenya, for example. Other lessons encompass everything from archaeology and anthropology to engineering and economics.
Tom Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato, says: “We’ve seen a significant surge in demand from our substantial family market in both the UK and US, seeking as a top priority to further their older school-aged children’s personal and academic development.
"Field Trip is aimed at meeting their needs; whether to support subject matters for college and inspire potential future careers, or more simply spark joy from learning and to contextualize core and emerging subjects - but not in a conventional way.
"Far beyond the blackboard, being able to transport children outside of the classroom and away from their screens, to build their skills and interests in situ, has been incredibly gratifying, especially as a father myself.
"It feels like a privilege to know that we can help to shape experiences, expand knowledge and develop dreams for the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, leaders, policy makers and activists.
"We believe these trips will not only provide an engaging, experiential platform for education, but also inspire a profound appreciation for travel to be insightful and sustainable.”
Unlike traditional educational trips that last for a couple of weeks, Black Tomato's Field Trips act as shorter "educational hits", which can be incorporated ad hoc into existing or newly created itineraries.
Fully bespoke and scalable, experiences can be "dialled-up" or "dialled-down" based on each client’s wishes, ranging from half day to multi-day programming. With easily integrated options for clients and their children to explore their favourite subjects in more depth, or to discover newly introduced disciplines, Black Tomato says its ambition is "to encourage exposure to careers they may be curious about or might not otherwise have considered before".
Field Trip will build on Black Tomato’s existing suite of transformational experiences, which began with Get Lost, which sees clients dropped in a mystery location, and then most recently groundbreakingly beneficial, Bring it Back.
Soren Wiuff, one of Denmark’s most forward-thinking farmers and suppliers for top Michelin restaurants such as Noma, will teach pupils his chemical-free philosophy of modern farming, exploring concepts surrounding sustainability and food waste.
Pupils will learn first-hand what guides his dogma-free "rock and roll" approach to farming that follows nature’s circadian rhythms, and Soren will take guests exploring through fields, harvesting fruit and vegetables along the way, and cooking alongside him using his recipes, featured in The Noma Guide to Fermentation. Pupils will leave with a newfound understanding of the future of sustainable cooking, growing, and conservation.
Future physicists and engineers will have unheard of access to CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, that houses the biggest and most powerful particle accelerator in the world. Pupils will take part in an expertly guided immersive audio-visual tour of the site, discovering CERN’s largest experiments, including the monumental Large Hadron Collider, and hear first-hand from the scientists who built and operate the machinery that investigates the behaviour of the smallest particles.
Pupils will leave with rare insight into the vital work of the world’s largest scientific experiment that allows scientists to recreate the conditions that occurred directly after the Big Bang, fuelling passion for the possibilities of contemporary physics and sparking questions in curious minds both young and old.
Future social scientists, anthropologists and activists will meet with Doris, an inspiring Christian Arab Israeli woman and outspoken female business owner who defies stereotypes and has helped transform her native Ajami neighbourhood, witnessing it change and flourish through decades of turmoil and rebirth.
During this intimate experience, pupils will share coffee with Doris at home, learning about the social and cultural significance of seemingly ‘everyday’ rituals and discover how for women in Ajami, the simple pouring and drinking of coffee is a deeply cultural act – a ceremony in which social codes and subdued sentiments are expressed and negotiated.
Pupils will learn about Doris’ fascinating life and role as a businesswoman in modern Israel, gain a first-hand, anthropological understanding of the social role of coffee and how everyday rituals and political narratives inform and influence one another.
Doris’ personal journey is the story of an entire society – one of passion, power and politics in one of the most scrutinized regions in the world and pupils will leave with a truly ethnographic understanding of the role of women – and everyday rituals – in modern Israeli society.
For future theologians, anthropologists and historians, there’s no better canvas to gain a sage-like understanding of the diverse faiths, customs and communities that have shaped Jaipur than by exploring it with a local Vedic Guru (or Hindu priest), a font of wisdom and an expert in astronomy.
Pupils will uncover Jaipur’s most storied sacred sites, observing historic Hindu religious customs in its most iconic temples and even learn the basics, and cultural significance, of palm reading. This powerful opportunity to learn and observe culminates in a private blessing ceremony at a 300-year-old Hindu temple and pupils will leave with a deep understanding of Hindu customs and practices, and knowledge of how places and spaces play a significant role in this historic religion.
For future historians and archaeologists, pupils will join an exclusive archaeological mission tasked with meticulously excavating the legendary necropolis of Saqqara, Egypt’s "city of the dead" - the sacred burial place of many of its most storied (and most notorious) pharaohs and queens.
On this incomparable expedition into Egypt’s ancient past, this privately guided tour will be led by archaeologists working on site, for the chance to unearth secrets of this vast UNESCO World Heritage Site, learning first-hand about the science and techniques of excavation, including digging, surveying, and recording that serve as the foundation of modern archaeological research.
Pupils will leave with a newfound appreciation for archaeology, preservation and critical thinking – and a passion to further explore the fascinating course of our shared human story and the importance of cultural understanding.
Inspiring future filmmakers, videographers and broadcasters, at the esteemed Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV (EICTV) – or International Film and TV School, Cuba’s foremost institute for the cinematic arts – pupils are firmly planted in the director’s chair.
This action-packed, hands-on immersive introduction to the intricate workings of the film industry, all from behind the lens, sees pupils learning specifically about the practices of film and documentary making, equipment and technology, along with myriad industry jobs and roles, from makeup and set dressing to sound producers and focus pullers.
Guests will leave with insider’s knowledge of what it takes to shoot a film or produce a documentary and see first-hand why EICTV students from around the globe choose Cuba to embark on a comprehensive course of study that involves documentary, fiction, sound, TV and new media.
Appealing to future anthropologists (and aspiring cowboys and cowgirls), in the dramatic setting of the remote plains and wetlands of Colombia, guests will learn about the traditional Llanero way of life that has been defiantly preserved across five tumultuous centuries.
In this first-hand cultural interaction, pupils will immerse themselves in the day-to-day life of the Llanero culture, passed down through generations of semi-nomadic Colombian cowboys. From taming horses with haunting, traditional melodies and caring for cattle, to joining in to create joyful joropo music played on the harp and cuatro guitar, pupils will be part of an intimate community gathering, uncovering why oral history is so crucial to not only preserving living cultures but helping protect and amplify them for generations to come.
Well-suited to future scientists, geologists and explorers, this immersion into the world’s most talked-about lake will have pupils join legendary naturalist and researcher Adrian Shine who, in 1987, organized Operation Deepscan – a sonar sweep of Loch Ness aiming to resolve the folklore of this mythical body of water.
The event, a media spectacle, put to bed the persistent legend that a monster lay beneath the lake’s apparently placid surface. But so many more mysteries remain to be solved, especially understanding the water dynamics and diversity of one of the world’s deepest lakes and lochs.
On this myth-busting experience, pupils will join Adrian on a private boat cruise, probing beneath the surface and unlocking its scientific secrets, getting to grips with the methods and methodologies used for modern research that help untangle its mysteries. Pupils will Leave with an expert’s understanding of the world’s deepest lakes and how we study them, as well as how we pierce their myths.
"My co-founder and I have both worked in travel for over a decade. My experience lies in travel operations and business development, while my co-founder, Craig, spent the majority of his career on-the-ground as a trip guide.
"It was the perfect pairing because where he intimately understood how trips operate while in-destination, I had the business and operations background to get the trips marketed, sold, and out the door.
"Thanks to our experiences with some of the biggest names in travel, we had a killer network of suppliers worldwide that we were able to recruit for Elsewhere.
"As for me, I'm a California native, but now split my time between San Francisco and Paris. I started traveling young, with my first solo international trip at 13 and couchsurfed all over the world through my late teens and early 20s. I didn't start my career in the travel industry, but naturally found my way there and haven't looked back since."
"To showcase what's unique about the business, it's important to understand how the travel industry works. When you book your trip with a travel agency, this agency is booking with another company located in the host destination.
"Elsewhere cuts out the intermediary and connects travelers directly with these in-destination agencies. These agencies are the hidden heroes behind companies like National Geographic, Audley, Black Tomato and Intrepid.
"Rather than operating behind these names out of London or New York, Elsewhere cuts out the middle-man and allows these in-destination experts to craft trips directly with travelers. Not only is this more efficient, but it also creates a more extraordinary experience for the traveler, allowing them to see their destination through a local lens.
"Rather than booking a trip to Argentina with Gary in New York, you're booking with Lucas in Buenos Aires, and he's sharing his insight and local knowledge in a way that allows travelers to see and experience beneath the surface of a destination. This is surprisingly a big differentiator in the business."
"Most people talk about the environmental aspect when they discuss sustainable travel, but there is so much more that goes into being a truly do-good company. Yes, we carbon offset each trip and support reforestation projects and ocean plastic removal. But where we see our greatest impact is through social and economic change.
"One in ten people globally work in tourism and, on average, they don't meet the basic requirements of fair pay and safe working conditions. At Elsewhere, we thoroughly audit our entire supply chain to ensure proper wages and safe working conditions. We privilege women and other underrepresented members of society and ensure there is access to equal opportunities and career advancement.
"We also focus on reinvesting in local communities economically. 80 per cent of low-income countries focus on tourism as a means of improving their economic situation, but on average as little as 10-30 per cent of money spent on a vacation is actually invested back into those local economies.
"At Elsewhere, we privilege local at every turn and ensure that your tourist dollars are funneled back into the communities, empowering them with access to long-term, locally based income."
"We built our site to shake up the all-too-traditional travel industry. Our approach is modern, digital, and stream-lined, and feels more like a tech company than a travel site, so we have a strong appeal to millennial consumers.
"And because we are a values-driven company with a mission to deliver more ethical and responsible trips, we also have a strong following with the conscious consumer."
"The travel industry is a crowded space, but we credit DIY as our main competition. Our target clientele is the internet-savvy, international traveler. They understand that with enough time, they can put a trip together almost anywhere in the world.
"They also understand that this takes an enormous amount of time (on average 40 hours of research to plan an international trip), and even after this time spent researching, most are unsure if they've made the right decisions.
"Our clients are people who come from the DIY world, but value quality and expert insight and so are happy to have an option that cuts through the noise with local insight and expert advice."
"Elsewhere is a product of Covid. We launched in April 2020, in the middle of the global pandemic. It seemed like a crazy idea, but to us, it was a chance to shape the future of travel.
"My co-founder and I had this amazing network of in-destination agencies that were suddenly out of work, and the two of us realised that now was the perfect moment to start something new and build a modern brand with a sustainably-driven purpose built into its foundations.
"We wanted to build a platform that would give travellers access to badass trips, while also radically improving the way travelers and destinations experience tourism. It's now been four months since launch and we've been floored by the response.
"With zero paid marketing to date, we have sold more than enough trips to cover our operating costs, our social networks have exploded, and we've had solid interest from the press. It's been clear that despite the times we're in (or maybe because of it) people are looking for a modern and fresh face in an all-too-traditional space, and it seems to many we have been the answer to that."
"We have ambitions to grow, while still retaining our heart. Our goal is to mainstream better travel – travel that is more ethical, more sustainable, and more responsible, and to provide incredible trips to incredible destinations."
Road trips are cooler than ever these days but Black Tomato has taken the concept to the next level thanks to it hospitality partnership with Auberge Resorts Collection and vehicle provider Mercedes-Benz USA, meaning there will be no need for grotty motels, bad food or broken-down cars en route.
It only makes sense that countless city dwellers are looking for their first post-lockdown trip to be a socially distanced one. In fact, 69 per cent of the 10,000 Americans surveyed by Harvest Hosts admitted to feeling unsafe at the prospect of flying, opting to travel via road instead.
Black Tomato, meanwhile, has upgraded the concept altogether – further evidence of the Supercharged Road Trips trend we’ve reported on in the past.
The luxury travel company has partnered with Auberge Resorts Collection to create five curated itineraries that take drivers across the US. Entitled "Remarkable Drives of Discovery", consumers a loaned a Mercedes-Benz vehicle for the duration of a trip meaning they don't have to take their own vehicle or arrange a rental through a third-party.
This year's multi-destination routes are designed to showcase the country’s more unexpected corners, with roadtrippers offered the option of taking a private charter flight with Surf Air for added ease.
Craig Reid, president and chief executive officer for Auberge Resorts Collection, says: “Following a year of limited travel, multi-stop trips allow guests to discover more of the beauty that this country has to offer. With the expertise of Black Tomato, we’ve conjured up some of the most exquisite stateside journeys, so guests can experience multiple destinations in one trip, all while staying at our award-winning Auberge properties.
Tom Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato, says: “As the past year for many has felt rushed and manic, these itineraries are an antidote and a call to embrace the luxury of being languid – taking the time to dwell in these mesmerizing landscapes, go off-the-grid and off-itinerary, and embrace the merits of a slower form of travel.
"We are thrilled to bring these destinations to life by creatively collaborating with our friends at Auberge Resorts Collection, as their unmatched luxury portfolio provides a seamless home away from home while on the road.”
1. The artistically inclined will gravitate towards the Texas & New Mexico itinerary that starts with a stay at the sprawling Commodore Perry Estate in Austin. This ten-night trip includes a hands-on graffiti experience with a street artist and a Victorian jewellery design workshop before driving west to the artistic enclave of Marfa. Things wind down amidst southwestern heritage at Bishop's Lodge in Santa Fe. Exclusive access to Georgia O'Keeffe's residence is also on the agenda.
Package starts from US$8,950 per person, including ten nights’ accommodation.
2. A trip to New England spans 12 nights along the Eastern seaboard, both ocean air and old-timey traditions dominating this next itinerary. A stay at the idyllic Mayflower Inn & Spa and an immersive pottery experience set the tone for what's to follow: checking into the Vanderbilt in Newport, taking a lesson on the art of "scrimshaw" (bone carving), and touring Newport Mansions with an interiors docent. Lobster fishing and eating freshly dug clams are also both on the menu.
Package starts from US$17,250 including twelve nights’ accommodation, a private charter from Sanford to Nantucket.
3. Another gourmet experience awaits on the Big Sur and Napa road trip. No ordinary backdrop, the landscapes of California complement six nights of horseback riding along the beaches of Monterey, a food tour of Carmel-by-the-Sea, and curated visits to Napa’s leading wineries.
It's also in Napa where guests will escape to Solage for a few days of R&R, rising with the sun for a hot air balloon ride over Napa Valley and basking beneath the moonlight in the Bathhouse.
For those looking for a longer getaway, guests may choose to fly with Surf Air to Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection, a private oceanfront sanctuary on the Kohala Coast in Hawaii.
Package starts from US$8,650 per person including six nights’ accommodation, daily breakfast and a customised programme of private experiences (excluding flights).
4. The Utah, Colorado and New Mexico road trip is adventurous in nature, featuring a foraging experience, a 4×4 adventure in the Telluride backcountry, and an open-air art class. But there's also room for leisurely pursuits. Farm-to-table cuisine and a chocolate journey inspired by colonial recipes provide sustenance, while the likes of Madeline Hotel & Residences and the Lodge at Blue Sky offer shelter.
Package starts from $10,950 including ten nights’ accommodation.
5. The Connecticut, Maryland and Virginia journey weaves through the coastlines and mountains of the East Coast, beginning at the aforementioned Mayflower Inn & Spa in Connecticut and heading south to Chesapeake Bay for an oystering experience and walking tour of St Michaels.
Rounding off this eight-night trip is a stint of wilderness at a luxury resort, where an RTV trail riding expedition in the Blue Ridge Mountains caters to one's inner explorer. And because even the most eager explorer is rightfully risk-averse, every booking is refundable if cancelled up to 30 days before departure.
Package starts from US$7,750 per person including eight nights’ accommodation.
Thanks to Black Tomato's partnership with Mercedes-Benz, travellers will have access to the 2021 S-Class sedan and the ultra-luxe GLS600 Maybach.
East Coast itineraries will offer a selection of the newest models from the C-class, E-class, GLC, GLE and GLS lines, while West Coast itineraries will feature the E450 Coupe, GLE 450 SUV, Maybach S560 and Maybach GLS600 "to ride in superior comfort and luxury guided and directed by Mercedes-Benz artificial intelligence, MBUX".
Monique Harrison, head of brand experience marketing at Mercedes-Benz USA, says: “We are thrilled to be collaborating with Black Tomato and Auberge Resorts Collection for the second year to provide luxurious vehicles for the premiere, road trip experience.
"Pairing a Mercedes-Benz vehicle experience with Auberge Resorts Collection’s breathtaking accommodations and Black Tomato’s expertise delivering unparalleled, rare travel moments, we invite those looking for an escape to discover the adventure of travel in the country’s most comfortable accommodations both on the road and off.”
Luxury travel company Black Tomato is renowned for delivering imaginative, private travel experiences and its latest offering is no exception. "Take me on a Story" brings famous children's stories to life with a blend of interactive experiences set in the destinations that echo iconic tales such as Alice in Wonderland, Arabian Nights and Treasure Island.
Full of wonder and intrigue, these itineraries have been designed to spark curiosity and bond adventure-deprived families through extraordinary experiences, whether it's playing croquet during a Mad Hatter's tea party (no prizes for guessing which book inspired that one) or learning survival skills and dog-mushing, Call of the Wild-style in Alaska.
Spanning Oxfordshire to Iceland, each journey includes a photographer to capture a seminal moment of a client’s choosing to commemorate the adventure.
Black Tomato has witnessed a huge appetite for multi-generational travel among its clients recently, with a 70 per ceent increase in bookings over the past two months and a 55 per cent increase in average spend per family.
Globetrender founder and editor, Jenny Southan, saw this coming. In a deep-dive into the future of family travel during the pandemic, she predicted that Reunion Vacations with grandparents – who will hopefully have been recently vaccinated – and other relatives will be a big trend this year. Creativity, education and the outdoors were also said to be key."I think there will be an emphasis on using travel to help supplement children’s education, which has been compromised during the pandemic, but vacations will also rightly be about having fun, embracing freedom, socialising and seeing new things because their lives have been limited for so many months," Southan writes.
She adds: "Parents will be being forced to be more creative in their holiday planning as previously reliable, crowd-pleasing options such as Disneyland are off the menu.
"We will see a lot of time being spent on beaches and in woodland – a return to nature and simplicity. Families will be surfing, swimming, building campfires, doing bushcraft, canoeing, hiring canal boats, staying at county house hotels, cycling and hiking."
While families can’t fully enjoy the freedom of travelling the globe just yet, the experts at Black Tomato are poised to welcome bespoke requests for story-inspired trips, asking clients to "dream big, so we can make these dreams a reality".
Black Tomato co-founder, Tom Marchant, says: “We cast our eyes to the enchanting world of classic children’s literature to stir creativity, instill enticing learning opportunities and capture the imagination of children of all ages by harnessing the transformative nature of travel.
"After the hardships of last year, being able to transport both children and adults into these rich, whimsical worlds feels like the ultimate joyful way to reconnect with family and welcome back the magic of travel.
"As a father myself and following the journeys of many clients that have grown with us over the years, it’s a personal delight to see these stories come to life. This is a collection we will continue to grow by inviting clients to shape our offerings with their favourite books that can inspire their family travels.
"We believe these trips will not only provide an engaging, experiential platform for education, but importantly inspire wanderlust and excitement, in the build-up to travel.”
1. Take me on a Story to Oxfordshire: A trip inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Families will tumble down the rabbit hole at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, in the UK, for a deep-dive into Lewis Carroll’s classic. Children will get to co-design a costume with a leading Cotswolds atelier then play croquet on the lawn during a tea party.
Activities will also include foraging in the forest, discovering how ordinary flora can be transformed into extraordinary products, and a river cruise retracing the famed "golden afternoon", brought to life by an Oxford historian.
From £8,250 per person for five nights staying at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.
2. Take me on Story to Alaska: A trip inspired by Call of the Wild
Voyage into the Alaskan wilderness for an epic journey to experience the pioneering sense of adventure that inspired Jack London’s Call of the Wild.
Families will get to navigate glaciers by raft and pan for gold with historians, travel by helicopter and floatplanes to remote luxury lodges and cabins, and embrace Buck’s audacious spirit with expert-led learning experiences that include cultivating survival and outdoors skills via ice climbing, rappelling and dog-mushing.
The importance of conservation from interactive encounters with wildlife and learning the art of storytelling with a prospector-style campfire dinner are further highlights.
From £28,000 per person for nine nights staying at Sheldon Chalet, Winterlake Lodge and Hotel Alyeska, excluding flights.
3. Take me on a Story to Morocco: A trip inspired by Arabian Nights
On this treasure hunt inspired by Arabian Nights, families will venture through desert oases on camelback and 4x4s, explore ancient souks with soothsayers and discover dramatic landscapes from the High Atlas Mountains to the narrow streets of Ait Ben Haddou.
A guide will help families try pottery-making and hone their problem-solving skills at a Quranic school. Further highlights include learning astronomy while sleeping on a magic carpet under the stars in the Sahara and experiencing a "royal palace dinner" and pampering at La Sultana luxury riad.
From £3,500 per person for six nights staying at Kasbah Azul, Azalai Desert Lodge, Riad Caravane and La Sultana, excluding flights.
4. Take me on Story to Iceland: A trip inspired by Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Families will chart the course of Jules Verne’s classic in Iceland, climbing dormant volcanoes, sailing across glacial lagoons and swimming between the Earth’s tectonic plates. Accompanied throughout by an expert guide, Hans, families will follow a specially curated map to decipher clues in otherworldly settings such as lava caves, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Jökulsárlón glacier and the Silfra Fissure.
From £5,375 per person for six nights staying at Hotel Húsafell, Sandhotel, Hotel Kria and Torfhus, excluding flights.
5. Take me on Story to the British Virgin Islands: A trip inspired by Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1882 classic is brought to life in the Caribbean where families will be able to go on underwater treasure hunts, take a private catamaran charter to the Dog Islands, and attend a stargazing bonfire to hear how both sailors and pirates navigate the seas.
Learning the tricks of survival Ben Gunn style, experiences will include: pirate school with sword fighting lessons and (non-alcoholic) rum-making; and sailing lessons and a private day charter to uninhabited islands, followed by a cooking class at Rosewood Little Dix Bay on the resort’s sustainable farm.
From £5,500 per person for seven nights staying at Rosewood Little Dix Bay, excluding flights.
There is a famous saying that goes “innovate or die”. This is particularly true for companies in a crisis when previously relied upon business models, products, revenue streams and consumer behaviour cease to deliver as predicted.
Suddenly you are suffering an existential threat. Usually, those that survive are lucky, but those that thrive are innovators.
At Globetrender, we use our online editorial platform to document innovation that is happening across the travel industry. New ideas and new companies are almost always newsworthy, and are often an early indicator of a trend that could take off.
1. Vakkaru Maldives – its Work Well packages for people staying 21 days or more include a free upgrade to a villa with a study kitted out with a printer and office supplies, plus a Vacay PA, a boardroom on the beach, and an hour of personal training or yoga every day.
2. Anantara Veli Maldives – this resort is inviting the super-rich to stay for as long as they like with a US$30k "unlimited stay" package.
3. Rocco Forte – in October, this hotel company began offering people booking stays at its properties in Italy a pre-departure testing service in partnership with Blue Horizon. Called “Fit to Travel”, the online service arranged for self-test kits to be couriered to and from people’s homes with a guaranteed certificate produced within 72 hours of travel. Results were then emailed directly from the laboratory.
4. Equinox Hotels – instead of fridges filled with Coke and vodka, this wellness hotel brand is curating “immunity boosting minibars” with products such as face masks, vitamins and probiotic juices, as well as reusable masks and gloves.
5. Preferred Hotel Group – Beyond Green is a new sustainable hotel collection that aims to turn travel into a force for good. It has 24 founding members from more than 15 countries. Properties must show progress in meeting more than 50 sustainability indicators that align with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
6. Emirates – this airline unveiled a biometric path in Dubai airport for contactless journeys, which relies on facial recognition instead of manual document checks, making the process quicker and more hygienic.
7. Delta Air Lines – scrapped change fees for domestic and international flights in a bid to make customers more confident of booking.
8. Qantas – this airline has been operating “flights to nowhere”. Its first scenic sightseeing flight over Australia sold out in ten minutes. 134 tickets were available costing between A$575 and A$2,765 a seat.
9. IATA – The International Air Transport Association has been leading the way with the development of its digital Travel Pass, which will store traveller’s Covid vaccine status and test results.
10. Hawaiian Airlines – members of Hawaiian Airlines loyalty programme can now swap air miles for pre-travel Covid-19 tests thanks to a partnership with Vault Health, one of Hawaii’s official Covid-19 testing partners. The mail-in test kits, which are available to buy for all travellers, usually cost US$119 but are now being offered to HawaiianMiles customers in exchange for 14,000 miles or points.
11. Generator – this posh hostel and boutique hotel brand is offering long-stay rates for remote workers, whereby bookings of seven days of more receive a minimum of 30 per cent off per night.
12. Accor – partnered with AXA insurance firm to provide free medical support for hotel guests during their stay, either by phone or video call.
13. Cookson Adventures – early on in the pandemic, luxury bespoke adventure company Cookson created “door-to-door escapes”, whereby clients could be hosted in remote locations such as Iceland and Patagonia in complete isolation, with personal transport via helicopter, yacht and private jet.
14. Qatar Airways – this airline has created a loyalty scheme for Gen Z students aged between 18 and 30. Student Club includes benefits such as special fares on flights, extra baggage allowance, the flexibility to change the dates of their flight, and free high-speed wifi on board.
15. Nemo Travel – now arranging and covering the cost of Covid testing overseas for inbound clients.
16. Black Tomato – Face to Place, a video-call service whereby potential customers can get tailored advice and trip planning. The idea is to bring back human connection and also elevate the travel agent phone call by embracing technology to share maps and images in real-time.
17. G Adventures – this company is taking action against a return to over tourism by selling tours of less travelled places instead of mass-market destinations. These include trips to Corfu, The Azores, Crete and Greenland.
18. Aman – next year, Aman will be debuting its new “social wellness” hotel brand, Janu, in Montenegro, Saudi Arabia and Tokyo.
19. Byway– a new flight-free travel company based out of the UK that focuses on the journey rather than the destination. Byway’s tailored “slow tourism” packages traverse England and France via train, boat, and bike, promising customers that they will never have to set foot in an airport.
20. Low Season Traveller– claims to be the “world’s first travel company exclusively dedicated to inspiring travellers to visit worldwide destinations during their low seasons”. It launched in the UK in June 2020.
21. Flyr – this summer, Norway is planning to launch a new low-cost airline called Flyr. The company’s chief executive says: “We can build a lean organisation from the ground up. We will have the advantage of starting without the heavy burden of an oversize, complex, inefficient organisation or tech structure.”
According to Flight Global, Flyr intends to ramp up its operations from two B737 aircraft in June to five in July and six to eight in the autumn, enabling it to operate from Oslo to seven destinations within Norway plus Copenhagen, Nice, Barcelona, Malaga and Alicante. Further routes across Scandinavia and Europe will follow.
Jenny Southan originally shared these findings at Captivate Media's "Propel Forward" virtual conference.
When Globetrender launched its Future of Luxury Travel Forecast: 2020-2025 at the Conduit Club in Mayfair last month – an event that was hosted by luxury PR and branding specialists Fox Communications and sponsored by luxury digital agency Verb Brands – it brought together four industry experts to discuss what the next five years have in store for travellers. Their predictions were illuminating, inspiring and thought-provoking.
On the panel was John O’Ceallaigh, former luxury travel editor of The Telegraph, consultant and founder of Lute; Tom Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato; Thierry Teyssier, founder of 700,000 Heures; and Nigel Goode, designer and director of PriestmanGoode.
Chairperson Lysbeth Fox, founder of Fox Communications, opened up the discussion by asking: "When it comes to travel, what does luxury mean to you?"
Marchant said: "Thoughtfulness. I think we get offered so much, so regularly these days that in can be quite easy to lose track. It used to be all about 'uniqueness' but if you are working with a company that demonstrates thought, that they are really thinking about you, and through that thought is giving you back something important like time – and creates 'perfect time' when you travel – for me, that is luxury."
O’Ceallaigh said: "I think it would be really strange to say luxury only meant eating in Michelin-starred restaurants and staying posh hotels. It has moved on so far from that. When I was commissioning content [for The Telegraph], it wasn't ordinarily governed by 'expensive'. It would be 'doing what you love in the best way possible'.
"I have eaten and drunk in many of the world's 50 best bars and restaurants but actually my favourite place is in the west of Ireland where you can go to a pub and find a farmer crying into his Guinness who then stands up and sings a ballad about someone dying at sea. I feel very emotionally connected to that."
He added: "I think that rigid straight jacket of having to do something expensive has altered entirely. We aren't governed by that anymore. It's much more fluid and personal."
Goode said: "Often, the work that we do is at the front-end and back-end of that marvellous journey that everyone is going to go on [the plane]. For me it is so often those bits of the journey that are the most stressful. So we try to iron out those bumps in the road, those little tiny niggles. We have a customer team that spend all their time analysing every detail of what we hate about our flight. So stress-free travel is luxury."
Teyssier said: "I think luxury is time. Instead of trying to increase the number of years in our life, we should just focus on amazing moments."
Fox asked O’Ceallaigh what some of the most impressive luxury travel experiences he has ever had are. He said: "One of them was sailing around the Antarctic Peninsula aboard a retrofitted Russian ice-breaker with just 26 passengers on board. It was expedition-level so we got to go in a submarine and we saw hundreds of thousands of penguins. It was incredibly moving at every single moment. You didn't want to miss a single second.
"Something else in terms of seeing innovation within the industry that was noteworthy was just over a year ago when I stayed in the Muraka, which is the world's first fully underwater hotel suite. It's at the Conrad Rangali Maldives and costs £50,000 a night. 
"For anyone who works in editorial or represents brands, they will know that the Maldives is the most boring destination in the world. I constantly get press releases saying a new resort has opened with over-water villas and a spa and a sushi restaurant. So this was a really great expression of creativity.
"When I stayed at Singita Grumeti in Tanzania, on a 350,000 acre reserve and something like 40 guests staying at any one time. So you are seeing people spending four or five grand a night but that money is sufficient to support the whole ecosystem and provide an industry around it.
"As part of that trip, I was introduced to the head of their anti-poaching initiative and he himself was a poacher in a prior life so they had the creativity to recognise that all of these people who were slaughtering these precious animals were actually best-placed to protect them.
"Bill Bensley's Shinta Mani Foundation is another great example. It has a hospitality school and can arrange for guests to build wells for villagers for US$180. So when you have someone who is spending US$800 a night at its Shinta Mani hotel in Siem Reap, you suddenly find that all these wealthy travellers have built over 1,500 wells and that really is giving the gift of running water to an individual family."
What can more conventional hotel brands learn from 700,000 Heures? Teyssier said: "What we have been doing for the last two years is move around the world, popping up for six months in new locations such as Cambodia, Brazil and Japan. That can be strange when you think about it because usually a hotel has walls and a roof but we don't have anything like that.
"But what we are working on is to say 'stop thinking about the size of hotels'. If you really want to become sustainable, if you want to have a deep and meaningful relationship with the local community – work with local communities, not professional people, [like we do]. This can be more difficult sometimes but always wonderful – the point is you can become more profitable and you can offer better service and a better experience if you have a small size. Our hotels are only three, four or five rooms.
"I also have hotels in Morocco which are just 14 rooms and it is already a wonderful annual income. For 700,000 Heures, with just three rooms, we can generate 250,000 euros a year per room. If you want to think about the circular economy and really want to help people, don't think big – just use normal houses with local people.
He added: "We have our own foundation to train them – and this year we are launching a collection of houses to have a permanent impact everywhere we go and a place for our members to stay."
Fox asked Marchant: "It is one thing to have an idea but it is another to bring it into fruition. How do you take a concept and turn it into reality?"
Marchant said: "With a huge amount difficulty. The great thing about luxury travel is you are playing with the inspiration of this planet. And there is so much to fuel ideas – trends that have been identified, for example. We start with a blank slate and ask if it has been done before, and why not and could we do it? It's one thing to sketch it out on paper but another to turn it into reality.
"It's a lot of graft, a lot of honesty, a lot of great contacts and partners, and an unrelenting desire to bring it to life. A couple of things that we have done recently – we saw Globetrender's 'Pay for Peril' trend and this is connected to it. A few years ago we launched an experience called 'Get Lost' – we thought it would be funny to get people lost but set them a challenge to explore their way out of and give themselves both a physical and mental challenge.
"Our belief is that in addition to physically challenging yourself, if you are mentally challenging yourself, you are more distracted and you are not thinking about your day job back home. Luxury is distraction. Participants in Get Lost are literally blind-folded and dropped off for a week or ten days in an extreme environment, although always in sight of our expert guides.
"Many people love luxury hotels and that chance to relax but there is a portion of the market that when they take time off, want to really challenge themselves. They aspire to something. And have that badge of honour. To make it work, we researched and tested again and again.
"Another product we have launched is called 'Bring it Back'. It's like our version of a wellness offering. Our big belief is that travel is this wonderful vehicle that connects you to wonderful cultures and communities, but quite often you go there and then come back and forget about it.
"I have often found that travel is this amazing vehicle to answer questions that I have on a day-to-day basis that I can't find the answers to because I am too busy, I don't have the knowledge or I don't have the access.
"So if you can go and spend time in communities that have a really interesting take on some of those fundamental human building blocks like family, love or health, time in these environments can be be really inspiring and you can bring those learnings back home and start paying them into your daily life. You are not only being transformed in your outlook but that continues when you get back home. Now we work with entrepreneurs in Iceland and tribes in Mongolia, for example."
Fox asked Goode what are some of the most innovative changes we can look forward to in first and business class over the coming years? He said: "As we know, the airline market is very conservative so we are pushing the airlines and manufacturers as much as we can. And I think there are lots of interesting things happening. The designers out there are creating great ideas but it is a case of getting them off the ground.
"We have done lots of concepts for companies such as Airbus, Embraer and Boeing looking at different ways of really enhancing the product. We worked quite a lot with Qatar Airways doing their Qsuite, which is quite a revolutionary product for business class [it has the option of communal dining and double beds and – pictured above] because it has really taken a business class product and taken it into a first class arena. This is something that is gathering more and more pace.
"A lot of the companies that make aircraft interiors are engineering companies not furniture companies so it really about trying to get the quality, the detail and the finish. We see that a lot more in terms of business class – all of them are beginning to offer more privacy with screens, and the airlines will be giving more space. We are looking at making cabins more adaptable so suites can be a lounge, a dining area or a bedroom not just a seat. We are also looking at cinema and sleep areas in cargo holds.
"I also think there is an opportunity to create new aesthetics for luxury using new designs and materials. It's an exciting time. Not only that but you have supersonic coming back – once everybody has those plush interiors, then obviously speed will become an issue again."
"What do you think the luxury traveller of tomorrow is looking for?" asked Fox.
Marchant said: "Distraction. To be distracted is to be relaxed. For the luxury traveller, day-to-day life is often manic, they are on 24/7 and are dealing with a lot – job, family, home. So when you go away you want to relax but the ways people traditionally viewed relaxation was lie on a beach and do nothing. But these days you probably have signal and you will probably be looking at your handheld. If you create distractions and go to places that fuel your interest then you aren't thinking about work."
O’Ceallaigh said: "I think the luxury traveller of the future is going to interrogate their trips a lot more closely and be much more demanding. I think people will travel less in the future – they will think a lot more about why they are travelling. The idea of taking ten trips a year if you're a wealthy consumer might be replaced with one long break for example. I think being really creative and innovative will help you stand out more than ever.
"I was one of the first people lucky enough to stay at 700,000 Heures – and we talk about Ephemeral Hotels as one of the trends in our report – the idea that this is exclusive in the extreme in that these will be never-to-be-repeated places but also the emotional resonance of that, knowing that I would never again have the opportunity to experience to do this again. I think when you engage with a luxury travel experience like this you value it so much more.
"Simple expressions of creativity can have a great impact on your consumers. For example, one thing that I remember from my stay at 700,000 Heures, was rather than having some garish wall of fake flowers for influencers [to stand in front of and take photos] they had a woman surreptitiously sketching illustrations of guests throughout their stay, so when I checked out she presented me with a folder of drawings of me doing various bits and pieces. Isn't that so much more valuable. I saw people in tears when they were leaving. And that is a very cheap thing to implement."
What is Goode most excited about? "Space travel. I think most people now view it as science fiction but we have been involved in a number of projects [such as World View, pictured] and once they are out there in the next five years, people will be really aghast. Everyone is striving for new experiences but looking from afar at our planet, seeing that thin blue line of atmosphere, with no borders, everybody will want to join that small elite club."
Teyssier said: "Hospitality is not a job - it is something from your heart. If I think about my guests, they don't want to have to stop and think and decide every minute. Sometimes it is good not to know about what you are going to do. We need to help them to let go and feel alive and live something wonderful."
Fox asked: "if today's luxury travel buzzwords are 'authenticity' and 'experience', what will be on everyone's lips in five years' time?"
O’Ceallaigh said: "Rarity. With diminishing resources people are going to be more mindful about what they consume. One of the trends we talk about in the report is Beta Destinations, which is about the idea of going to destinations that aren't ravaged by tourism and discovering something that is unique and personal."
Marchant said: "Purity. I am obsessed with the organisation Quiet Parks International. The first national park to be a designated quiet zone is on the Zabalo River in Ecuador [Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Park could be the first in the US].
"This idea of finding places that protect 'quiet' – we live with so much white noise – and having this elemental, pure offering – whether that is silence, air, water or the clarity of the night sky. Believe it or not there are places in the world where you can read by starlight.
"Increasingly, as this crazy world we live in consumes and overwhelms us, the idea of being able to take a trip that juxtaposes so strongly with our day-to-day existence will become even more important to people."
Teyssier said: "Locals. We have to be confident in working with local people."
Goode said: "Optimism. There are so many horrible things that could happen to us but I have a great feeling that maybe we can pull it out of the bag and turn the corner."
"Move. Breathe. Bond over nourishing food – and recharge under a sky full of stars. Our focus? Community, and deepening the ties that bond our extraordinary SoulFam together," says the Retreats by SoulCycle website.
The trips are being organised in partnership with Black Tomato, and are designed to combine fitness and wellness, workshops and luxury travel experiences.
There will also be "physical, musical, emotional and community-based activities", taking the lead from SoulCycle classes themselves, which are known for their life-affirming soundtracks and instructors who shout motivating messages throughout.
The first retreat was recently hosted in Austin and at the Lucky Arrow Retreat at Texas Hill Country, where participants took part in group meditation, stargazing, breathwork and healing classes, as well as SoulCycle sessions, of course. There was also a food truck crawl and a distillery visit.
Sarah Yang described her experience on the retreat with The Thirty: "It makes sense that the company would expand its offerings to high-end retreat experiences. It's living that SoulCycle life beyond the bike and studio… You might be thinking that we'd be forced to do endless SoulCycle classes the whole retreat, but the only mandatory class was the one on the first day – the others were optional.
"We started the morning as a group with breakfast and an instructor panel where Melanie and Bevin both talked about how they became instructors. Then, we went to our next activity, a storytelling workshop [where] we learned about how to tell a compelling and concise story – and we all shared our own (very) personal experiences, which really helped us bond as a group.
"[At the end of the retreat we] did a letter-writing exercise (to ourselves or someone else in our life). Then we had our last group dinner, enjoyed s'mores by the campfire, and read notes of gratitude people had been putting in a box throughout the retreat."
Retreats by SoulCycle will all last four days and have space for between 20 and 30 people. Prices will be dependent on location. Next up will be Las Vegas and Sedona.
Tom Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato, told CN Traveller: "We want travellers on these retreats to feel an elevated version of what they gain from an in-studio class: empowered, rejuvenated and most importantly, connected to themselves and the people around them."
SoulCycle isn't the only fitness company to be tapping into the growing trend for wellness tourism. Earlier this year, luxury gym chain Equinox opened a hotel in New York, with more planned for next year and beyond in cities such as Seattle, LA, Houston and Chicago.
We believe the luxury travel sector is a bit behind when it comes to tech and have built an intelligent, easy-to-use website that can communicate our expertise.
It works in two ways, firstly we inspire through our search tool which asks you three simple questions before suggesting a range of itineraries. Secondly, our unique itinerary builder enables users to pick and choose hotels and activities that work for them in terms of price and style, as well as being able to control the duration of their stay in each place.
We’re trying to bridge the gap between the online travel agents and the full consultation approach, as we believe people increasingly want to be involved in the design of their itinerary.
Crucially, we also understand the value of human interaction and we are on hand 24/7 if our clients have any questions. Finally, we want to continue to innovate and the initial website is just the start, we’ve got lots of ideas for future products and add-ons.
Nemo was born out of client frustrations. Both my co-founder James Wales and I have worked in luxury travel for a number of years now, both with luxury tour operators and in hotel management. Increasingly, given the amount of resources available, we found clients were taking the advice of travel agents but still double checking everything online, making for an inefficient process.
Nemo aims to take the stress out of trawling through endless tabs or trying to find ten minutes to chat to a travel agent on your lunch break. We aim to empower travellers and, hopefully, put a bit of fun back into holiday planning.
Essentially, we want to increase efficiency and fun in the holiday planning process. No one wants the planning of a holiday to drag out over the course of a few weeks and have a travel agent in their ear to get things booked when they are not 100 per cent comfortable.
By getting as much input as possible through the itinerary builder, we also believe we can deliver the perfect trip, at the perfect price, for our clients and reduce human error and/or miscommunication.
Our itinerary builder is easy to navigate and visually very engaging. Once a client has selected the Nemo itinerary that they like the look of, they can work through the trip, selecting the hotel and activities that they want to enjoy.
All of the prices are transparent and we aim to provide a range of five to six hotels in each place so you can control where your budget goes. As before, we are always on hand to help out through a chat-bot, email or a call.
Initially, we think Nemo will be really popular with young professional couples and honeymooners. This is due to a number of different reasons, namely the fact that both partners really want their holiday/honeymoon to be perfect, and they both want to have involvement in the planning process.
Given busy work schedules, this can be tricky to do between 9am and 5pm and, therefore, lots of people end up settling for something they found online or a "tailored" itinerary that is not quite perfect. The platform is, of course, available for everyone and we can be as hands-on in terms of planning as people want.
The big one is that people do still want advice and experts to help them plan their trips but, given the vast resources available, it can be hard for them to know which route to go. Black Tomato are phenomenally good at delivering out of this world travel experiences to their clients and if we can be talked about in the same breath, we are doing something right.
Our trips will run in a similar way once the client is travelling. Exceptional hotels, great guides and special perks along the journey for being a Nemo client, as well as the knowledge that the trip is financially protected and that an expert is on hand 24/7.
The differences come in the planning process and we are definitely not naive enough to say one method is right or wrong. Different people like different things and we are providing a new way to plan a luxury holiday that combines expert advice with high quality tech.
Ethical travel is entwined into everything we do, from a full paperless policy (expect a slick app to view your trip, not a 30 page brochure) to our partnership with Hello World. We give 1 per cent of our profits to Hello World, an incredible charity who connect severely marginalised communities with the modern world.
Through solar powered, community built internet hubs, they provide education to some of the planet’s most impoverished people. James’s dad has also pledged to help us plant 1 tree for every trip we sell so hopefully we will have a Nemo forest one day that we can be proud of.
This is a huge talking point at the moment in the luxury travel industry and we are passionate about preserving the incredible parts of the world our clients visit.
A big one is encouraging guests to travel in "shoulder" or "low" season. I am a safari fanatic and have long believed that getting to the top reserves outside of the peak periods is the way forward, hopefully with Nemo people can see the benefits both in terms of the price and the experience.
In each country that we operate in, we hand hand-picked the very best travel partners to ensure our trips are delivered by the very best, local people.
We worked incredibly closely with each partner to select the hotels and activities that are featured on our website and learnt a lot in the process.
Again, we are not naive to think we know everything there is to know about our chosen destinations. By pooling together the knowledge of a team of staff on the ground, we are confident and proud to say that the website is packed full of expertise far beyond just the Nemo team.
We think a big one is going to be the consciousness of travelling abroad. Whether this is in terms of carbon footprint or from a human standpoint, people are becoming very aware and wanting to aid, rather than damage the problems associated with travel.
With this, we predict a shift away from taking several "mini-breaks" to one longer and meaningful trip. These trips will also need to be more than just sitting on a beach and people will want to get really stuck into the local culture and communities.
In terms of destinations, Turkey is having a re-birth at the moment and there are some really cool hotels opening in some of the lesser known areas. The safari scene continues to boom and Kenya is experiencing a bit of a post-Lion King boom, which is great news for the country.
Setting out to answer "life's big questions" and "deepen your knowledge and understanding", Bring it Back encompasses seven immersive trips to destinations that lead the way in key areas of life such as creativity, entrepreneurialism, family and community, sustainability and wellness. They are a great example of a rising trend that Globetrender has dubbed "upskilling escapes".
Not only will travellers get to spend time in inspiring environments but gain access to business gurus, journalists, chefs, musicians, documentary filmmakers, designers and architects who will offer insight and guidance. Like all Black Tomato trips, itineraries are ultimately bespoke, but there is a guaranteed framework so you know what to expect (see below).
Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant says: "We view travel as a step towards self-actualisation – a powerful tool that can provide answers to questions, solve problems, and help us realise goals that so often feel out of reach.
"With Bring It Back, we wanted to delve deeper and explore how travel experiences can have a truly lasting effect long after they've returned. We've tapped passionate, authoritative experts and communities who share our belief in the value of travelling in this way.
"Their insightful, refreshing and at times alternative take on how to approach some of life’s fundamentals will guide people in their personal, creative and professional development.
"This isn't a boardroom discussion or a Ted Talk – your teachers are found in and amongst the cultures and communities that you will inhabit. [You will] acquire knowledge and have your mind opened in ways that will have a lasting effect on your daily life and the people around you in your business or family."
Need addressed: work/life balance
Scandinavia is known for its commitment to work-life balance. Shedding light on the corporate and family culture that enables this balance, this experience will introduce guests to the strengths and challenges of the Danish working mindset, in a job market that is quickly globalising.
Taking inspiration from the Scandinavian working model provides answers for business leaders looking to create a company culture that is both highly efficient and family friendly – with Copenhagen demonstrating how the two go hand-in-hand.
Highlights include:
From £5,400 per person, based on two travelling and excluding international flights.
Need addressed: entrepreneurial inspiration
Iceland has attracted global attention for its rapid economic recovery following the financial crisis of 2008. This is partly thanks to exceptional entrepreneurship within Iceland’s tourism industry, where innovation and investment has lead to incredible growth.
Natural disasters have also provided an unlikely boost with events such as the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano in 2010 turned into a success story for the country by putting the spotlight on its magnificent scenery, nature and positive attitudes of its hardy people.
As a result, Iceland has been able to benefit from a new wave of tourism, with a boom in unique experiences unavailable anywhere else in the world. For those seeking answers on where to begin or how to renew their focus in the business world, Iceland is a living lesson in entrepreneurship.
Highlights include:
From £7,200 per person, based on two travelling and excluding international flights.
Need addressed: a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle
Globally renowned for its cuisine, much of Peru’s culinary success can be attributed to making the most of its natural resources. Drawing from its varied geography, time-honoured traditions and local customs, the country has become a pioneer of sustainable, flavourful and nutritionally complete foods.
On this experience in Peru, guests will take a deeper look at what we put into our bodies to reorient the idea of "healthy" eating and consider the importance of local sourcing.
Highlights include:
From £9,900 per person, based on two travelling and excluding international flights.
Need addressed: translating passion into a career
Shut off from the world for several decades following the Revolution, Cuba has burst back onto the world stage with infectious creative energy. Cuban culture is all about passion, music, dance – and how to harness it to enhance economic value.
On this tailor-made experience, guests will be able to discover or reignite their creative intuition, in turn inspiring confidence and passion within the arts with the ultimate goal of using this passion to inform their work life and/or business ventures.
Highlights include:
From £4,150 per person, based on two travelling and excluding international flights.
Need addressed: better family relationships
For travellers looking to disconnect from digital distraction, get back to basics and revive their appreciation for interpersonal relationships, Mongolia provides the answer. Guests will be immersed in the nomadic communities of Bayangobi, where family takes centre stage and carefully cultivated dynastic living ensures a strong bond between generations.
Guests will have the opportunity to learn what it means to be self-sufficient by participating in local culture, craft and day-to-day tasks such as herding, milking and cheese-making.
While spending time with local families and learning about the dynamics which come into play with nomadic inter-generational living, guests will be encouraged to re-evaluate their relationships, enabling them to return to their day-to-day lives with a renewed sense of the importance of family and the people who surround us in our communities.
Highlights include:
From £5,500 per person, based on two travelling and excluding international flights.
Need addressed: creative spark
Morocco has long been a source of inspiration for Westerners who have perhaps exhausted their creative options elsewhere. Revered for its impact on the design world and recognised as a point of confluence between ancient and modern cultures, Morocco possesses the ability to fuel creativity unlike anywhere else.
Whether guests are seeking design inspiration or looking to bring creative flair to business, they will be accompanied by a creative host throughout, from Marrakech down through the desert and on to Fez.
Each guest’s experience will be tailored to their precise interests, both to maximise exposure to creative ideas and ensure the relevancy of each activity, giving them knowledge that they can bring home with them and apply to their business and daily life.
Highlights include:
From £4,800 per person based on two travelling and excluding international flights.
Need addressed: wellness
At a time when we are all just trying to juggle life’s commitments, our commitment to our own wellness is often overlooked. For guests in search of a permanently healthier outlook on life, Ibiza offers a unique combination of spiritual, physical and psychological immersion to help guests commit to a renewed relationship with their wellbeing.
Rather than suffering through the latest fad cleanse or downloading a rarely-used meditation app, this tailormade experience aims to give guests the tools to reset their health in a holistic way, making changes to last a lifetime.
Highlights include:
From £6,100 per person, based on two travelling and excluding international flights.
Black Tomato is a UK and US-based award-winning, luxury, bespoke travel company that delivers imaginative and cutting-edge travel experiences around the world.
Available on both iOS and Android, What3words divides the planet into a virtual grid made up of 3 metre x 3 metre squares, assigning each square with a unique three-word address generated by an algorithm and giving a navigable location to places that don’t have internationally intelligible addresses, or any address at all.
The three-word addresses are far simpler, easier to remember and share than complex GPS co-ordinates and are proving valuable for people living in slums, for example, or who are nomadic.
They also allow you to identify precise locations – "filled.count.soap", for instance, will take you to the entrance of What3words’ London office.
Airbnb is using What3words to promote sustainable tourism to off-the-beaten-track destinations, beginning with Mongolia, where travellers can visit nomadic Dukha reindeer herders in the Taiga forest, or a Kazakh family in Altai Tavan Bogd National Park.
Although most of Mongolia’s pasturelands are unaddressed, the new partnership will allow explorers to pinpoint extremely isolated spots, meeting the reindeer herders at a three-word address (earlier this year it was "settings.holly.stereo") and ascend the mountain to the camp at "evaluate.video.nails" either by reindeer or horse.
Once there, travellers will be immersed in day-to-day life, herding and milking reindeer, cooking traditional dishes and making crafts.
“It is very hard for tourists to find us, and for us to explain the location when we have limited mobile network access,” say reindeer herders and Airbnb hosts Otgonbayar and Zorigt Dukha.
“We have to explain the address as 'pass those mountains... and then pass the river'. Tourists can now find us easily with a three-word address and experience Taiga lifestyle through Airbnb.
"When we move to our autumn place from our summer location, we find our new three-word address and share it with our co-host in the city via message or phone call when we have mobile signal. My co-host then updates our three-word address on Airbnb.”
The world’s first Airbnb x What3words listing sees guests hosted in a traditional teepee deep in the Taiga forest in Northern Mongolia. Accommodation includes two wooden beds, sleeping bags and an open-fire stove for heating and cooking.
Cameron Sinclair, social innovation lead at Airbnb, said: “Airbnb is excited to partner with What3words and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia to drive sustainable tourism and economic empowerment, while promoting the unique hospitality and culture so intrinsic to the country.
"In Mongolia, a lack of traditional street addressing and nomadic way of life have prevented locals from welcoming Airbnb guests into their homes. Our partnership delivers an innovative way to provide hosts with an accurate and reliable address while constantly on the move, and creates new livelihood opportunities for nomadic and rural communities in Mongolia and around the world.”
Similarly, Black Tomato recently introduced its Blink collection of rare experiences and trips, offering a “never-to-be-repeated” experience in Bolivia last October that gave travellers access to secluded parts of the world’s largest salt flats, hot air balloon rides and private flights over the Andes. It didn't officially partner with What3words but as anyone can use the app for free, it would be easy to look up the address of wherever the campsite was.
[dropcap size=big]S[/dropcap]ometimes a package holiday will do the job but they are not for everyone. Recognising this, luxury travel agent Black Tomato has launched a new "Panic Button" service for people who need to book a last-minute trip without having to compromise on accommodation or highly personalised itineraries.
The company says: "Our team of experienced Panic Experts will be at the ready to craft an entirely bespoke, Black Tomato journey – nothing cookie-cutter – at a moment's notice."
By clicking the Panic Button in the lower right-hand corner of the website, a new window will pop up prompting people to fill in a short yet detailed questionnaire.
Questions might include:
Upon receipt, clients will receive a call within minutes to discuss their options and requirements, and within 24 hours Black Tomato will produce one or two complete sample itineraries.
Black Tomato says: "Travellers will need flexibility and an open mind as we're not offering numerous options but one or two. Quite simply, if travellers just have just a few hours to book this, they're going to have to lean on our expertise.
"Our travel experts know the world landscape and how best to navigate it on a whim, including capitalising on which time-zones will allow for the quickest responses from properties or contacts on the ground that have the flexibility to turn ideas into reality overnight."
Although prices will depend entirely on the specifics of the trip, Black Tomato explains that, of course, this level of service comes at a premium. "We'll work around the clock, pull the right strings, get the general manager out of bed to confirm the best room or the pre-eminent Chinese historian on the phone to arrange a private after hours tour of the Great Wall. We will master the complicated logistics, chartering boats if a ferry doesn't run on selected dates, for example."
If you are someone who plans your holidays well in advance, then using the Panic Button is not something you will relate to. However, for others, this kind of emergency service will be right up their street and sits nicely alongside the "surprise travel" trend that has been emerging of late.
The panicked romantic in Morocco
"We were approached by a client who, for various reasons had left his honeymoon planning to the very last minute. A day before his wedding he got in touch and, after a thorough consultation with one of our team, we followed up with a quote that morning, and by the very same evening their dream honeymoon to Morocco was all booked. He could enjoy his wedding stress free, and two days later they were celebrating under the stars on a private roof terrace overlooking Marrakech, whilst being serenaded by a musician and enjoying the couples' favourite bottle of wine, which we had imported for them."
The spontaneous culinary-traveller in Argentina
"We had a client reach out to us from New York who had some some plans fall through for the weekend ahead. She was a chef and wanted to enjoy a weekend away discovering a new food scene. She got in touch on a Wednesday and on Friday flew to Buenos Aires with her friends for a whirlwind weekend of Malbec tasting with famous sommeliers, market and cooking classes with local expert chefs, and touring Buenos Aires's emerging speakeasy bar scene with a local food blogger."
The heartbroken extreme adventurer in Iceland
"We were approached by a client whose best friend had broken up with his girlfriend and knowing he had some time off, wanted to plan an epic last-minute adventure to cheer him up. After a consultation, we arranged a week-long adventure. The pair booked and travelled the same day. The trip involved heli-skiing, snowmobiling across glaciers and dinners at some of Reykjavik's best restaurants."
[dropcap size=big]L[/dropcap]uxury travel agent Black Tomato has launched a new "never-to-be-repeated" experience in Bolivia as part of its Blink collection of trips. First introduced a year or so ago, Blink is described as "the most personalised luxury travel experience imaginable
The concept combines sustainability with high-end transformational travel, taking guests into the wilderness with the support of an expert team. It also gives people the chance to be the architects of their own experience in that they can choose the kind of temporary accommodation they want to stay in (this goes far beyond glamping).
Black Tomato says: "From chic safari-style tents overlooking the Mekong River to lunar-like bubbles on the Bolivian Altiplano, with Blink you can craft your dream luxury tented accommodation with our guidance and experience. We've scoured the globe for some of the most remote and beautiful corners on the planet and based on your location and environment of choice we'll then choose the most suitable tent structure for your Blink camp. Whether it's a romantic and intimate camp for two or a luxury camp set up for your family group we'll find the perfect fit and style to meet your needs."
This month, it has announced a new opportunity in Bolivia, available for a limited time (in August and October 2018), for just a few travellers. Black Tomato has set up two types of temporary structures in secluded parts of the volcanic Eduardo Averoa Natural Reserve and the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat. It says: "We’ve designed the camps as we would and are now thrilled to invite clients to experience our interpretation of Blink."
After arrival in La Paz, the world’s highest capital city, travellers will be taken on a six-night journey through the country with the option of taking a sunrise hot air balloon trip over the Uyuni salt flats, a trip to the Laguna Verde salt lake, meals under the stars and a private light aircraft flight over the Andes. In total it will cost $12,350 per person, excluding flights.
