A relative newcomer to the global travel and trade show scene, Luxury Bloc marked its third edition this September, with three days of table-top meetings, networking and even some cabaret in the Czech Republic’s storied capital.
With an exclusive guest list and an exclusive host venue to match (Prague’s Mandarin Oriental), invite-only Luxury Bloc was squarely-focused on the ultra-high-net-worth segment. Whilst the travel trade show can’t compete with big hitters like ILTM or our own region’s ATM, its qualitative audience was proof that size isn’t everything. This year’s participants totalled 134 (an increase of 54 from last year), impressive for a show that launched in the midst of a global pandemic.
It's a measure of the strength of the CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) market: dubbed one of the fastest-growing economic regions in terms of travel. Made up of 15 Central and Eastern European countries (including former Eastern Bloc countries like Poland and Romania), CEE’s spend on tourism is estimated to be $23.9 billion.
International hotel groups, tourist boards and decision-making travel agents spilled into the historic garden courtyard and grand ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental Prague: a restored 14th-century monastery cast a cobbles-throw from the city’s famed Charles Bridge.
World-renowned hotels like SHA Clinic, Virgin Limited Edition and Marbella Club were joined by safari stalwarts Ker & Downey and Gibb’s Farm in Tanzania. There was also a strong turnout from the Indian Ocean and UAE, with exhibitors like Niyama Private Islands Maldives, Anantara Maia Seychelles, Bulgari Resort Dubai and Madinat Jumeirah in attendance. Not so surprising when you consider the most booked destinations via private jet from the CEE region last year were Dubai, Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius.
Emerging destinations and global cultural trends were also hot topics. Special guests included XO Private’s Yvan Vermeesh and bestselling author Daniel Levine (the Founding Director of New York-based trends consultancy Avant-Guide), who were invited to share their industry insights. Topping keynote speaker Levine’s near-future trends set to disrupt the travel industry, was “wellness is the new green”, addressing, amongst other things, how healthier buildings designed for our wellbeing could eclipse sustainability.