Brands hoping to deliver explorative travel experiences should strive to make their clients feel like pioneers, Leaders of Luxury delegates were told. 

Peter Shanks, Silversea Cruises’ managing director for the UK and Ireland, highlighted two recent personal trips on which he was made to feel like an explorer by retracing the steps of Sir Ernest Shackleton in Antarctica and studying finches in the Galápagos.  

“I felt like a pioneer,” he said. “And if we can all create pioneering experiences that make you feel like that, then something even more magical happens when you come home: you’re now an ambassador for that experience.”

Geordie Mackay-Lewis, co-founder and chief executive of luxury operator Pelorus, agreed: “The key point is we’re not pioneers in the original sense. What we’re trying to do is create that emotion and allow our clients to experience that in a safe, comfortable and stylish way.”

Mackay-Lewis said Pelorus spent half its time on client “recces” – developing adventurous experiences in far-flung parts of the world.  

He cited destinations such as Saudi Arabia and Gabon in western Africa as emerging adventure hotspots, and said Pelorus was “investing a lot” in the Arctic, specifically in Greenland and Svalbard, as more luxury product “comes online”.

Vincent Farret d’Astiès, founder of French space venture Zephalto, highlighted the importance of brands underlining their safety and eco initiatives when operating in the adventure sector. 

Shanks also encouraged operators and agents not to be afraid of price when offering high-end expedition experiences.

“We recently launched our 2026 world cruise, leading in at just under £70,000 per person, and it’s busy in the office,” he said. “We should never be shy in our industry about things being reassuringly expensive because there’s a demand out there for it.”