Audley Travel publishes first HNWI travel report

Audley Travel has published its first report analysing the travel behaviours of high-net-worth individuals.

The research – commissioned as part of the launch of the operator's concierge arm, Audley Private Concierge – was conducted with 500 UK-based high-net-worth individuals with more than £1 million worth of investable assets.

The report shows that half of wealthy travellers expect to take two or three international holidays in the next 12 months, and more than two thirds spend more than £25,000 per person on their main international trip of the year.

Younger respondents said they expect to travel more frequently and spend more, compared to their older counterparts. A total of 12% of 18–34-year-olds and 15% of 35–54-year-olds plan to travel six or more times in a year, compared to 8% of over-55s.

Among those who plan to travel this frequently, 34% said they expect to spend more than £40,000 per person on their main holiday.

Older high-net-worth individuals typically spend less overall on trips than their younger counterparts, with 40% of those aged over-55 spending less than £9,999 on their main trip, compared to 13% of 18-34s and 19% of 35-54s.

The survey also revealed what matters most to high-net-worth individuals when planning a luxury trip, with the most important elements including experiencing the world’s best restaurants, tours and accommodation (55%), exceptional service (52%) and exclusive experiences and excursions (48%).

For wealthier travellers with assets of more than £10 million, privacy is key, with 37% of respondents citing it in their top-three most important factors.

The report also showed that when booking international holidays, high-net-worth individuals highly value personalised recommendations from a dedicated holiday planner who knows their preferences, with 56% highlighting it as one of the three most valuable reasons to book with an agent or operator.

“The importance of knowing a clients’ preferences is at the heart of the Audley Private Concierge offering, with each client matched with a Private Travel Manager," said Audley Travel chief executive Nick Longman.

“This relationship continues to develop as they create more trips together, so they will be able to anticipate the clients’ needs and proactively inspire their future travels with fully personalised experiences that go far beyond the ordinary, supported by the expert knowledge from our large team of destination specialists.”