By Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) has officially launched Luxury Travel Collection, a new division that houses its global luxury travel brands, such as Travel Associates and Scott Dunn, as well as independent businesses and industry showcase event Luxperience.
Luxury Travel Collection was unveiled at a glamorous event in Sydney on Tuesday night, attended by FCTG executives, foundation members, and media partners. The event celebrated the vision and values of the new division, which aims to connect people together in luxury travel.
FCTG’s Global Managing Director Luxury & Independent Brands Danielle Galloway said: “Luxury Travel Collection is building an incomparable house of luxury travel products, unparalleled experiences and services for our exceptional members.”
“Our hand-selected members have established their stellar professional reputations by elevating travel to the very highest standards with discerning clients at the centre of their business strategy.”
“We are incredibly passionate about the strength of the partnerships we are establishing,” Ms Galloway added.
Luxury Travel Collection: An invite-only portfolio of elite travel specialists
Luxury Travel Collection is an invite-only portfolio of independent luxury leisure travel specialists, who join the division by invitation or acquisition. The members enjoy exclusive benefits, such as access to FCTG’s global network, technology, marketing, and buying power, as well as the opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other.
Luxury Travel Collection currently has eight members, including Carole and Phil Smethurst of Bicton Travel and ClaremontTravel & Cruise; Destination HQ’s Stuart Ingram, Travel Experts’ Stephen Green and Hilary and Holly Weir of Dream Maker Travel. The latest additions are Emma Whiting Travel & Cruise and Home Travel Company, who joined the division effective from 1 February 2024.
Luxury Travel Collection General Manager – Member Portfolio Nikki Glading said: “Emma Whiting Travel & Cruise and Home Travel Company are strong additions to our exceptional community of luxury independent members.”
“The passion, professionalism and networks of both Emma Whiting and Robyn and Murray Sinfield are well-known to anyone in luxury travel. We are very fortunate indeed to celebrate the arrival of these fantastic members.”
Luxury Travel Collection: A commitment to a digital future with AI
Luxury Travel Collection is also committed to a digital future with AI (Artificial Intelligence), as it announced a series of AI reports in partnership with Microsoft and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The first report, released in January 2024, highlighted the potential of AI to create a digital future with unparalleled customer experiences for the travel and tourism industry.
The report also warned that the industry lags behind other consumer-facing sectors in AI adoption and needs to act now to leverage its impact. The report proposed some guiding principles and recommendations for responsible AI in travel and tourism, such as aligning AI with human values and rights, ensuring AI is inclusive and accessible, promoting AI literacy and education, and fostering AI collaboration and innovation.
Luxury Travel Collection is the first division within FCTG to embrace AI as a strategic priority, investing heavily in talent, infrastructure, and data to foster collaboration between humans and AI. The division will also use AI to empower personalised recommendations and marketing strategies, optimise pricing strategies, offer instant responses and fine-tuned interactions, and provide valuable insights for its members and clients.
Luxury Travel Collection is not just a new division, but a new era for FCTG and the luxury travel industry. By embracing AI, the division can create a more personalised, efficient, innovative, and sustainable future for luxury travel.