UN Training for Luxury Travel Pros

UN Luxury Program in Asia

UN Tourism welcomed high-level officials from the National Tourism Administrations of 20 Asia-Pacific countries to redefine luxury tourism and explore common paths to growing the sector.

The 18th UN Tourism Asia-Pacific Executive Training Programme on Tourism Policy and Strategy will take place in Kuching, Malaysia, from October 28 to 31, 2024. This event is organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts of Sarawak, with sponsorship from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. The program will focus on the growth of luxury tourism across the region, considering each country’s socioeconomic development, available natural and human resources, and advancements in sustainability and planning.

Setting the scene for the training, the UN Tourism Forum on Luxury Tourism Market started with a keynote presentation by UN Tourism Consultant Angeline Tang. This was followed by a panel discussion gathering high-level representatives from the public, private, and academic sectors involved in luxury tourism and tourism development policies at the national, regional, or global level.

Investments and marketing to grow luxury tourism

The executive training programme featured four interactive sessions, each focused on a key theme, to build a comprehensive approach to successful luxury tourism development strategies in the post-pandemic era. These included a deep dive into destination management strategies, marketing and promotion targeting luxury tourism, the core importance of personalized customer experience and service excellence, and investment guidelines for developing luxury tourism.

Across the three days, experts presented and shared experiences on destination management, marketing promotion, customer experience, and investment strategies in luxury tourism. The participants took this opportunity to highlight their respective countries’ key assets and arising opportunities, as well as their administrations’ efforts to tackle the challenges of implementing successful luxury tourism policies and strategies. In particular, Member States agreed that each destination should rely on its assets to develop a unique luxury tourism brand identity using digital marketing, AI, and data insights.

Meaningful and exclusive experiences

The discussions between participants, speakers and UN Tourism Consultant also underscored the importance of human resources in luxury tourism, especially as human connection and interventions were recognised as essentials for luxury travellers. Mere opulence in luxury tourism is not enough: meaningful experiences, including exclusive, personalised, and sustainable aspects arranged in every step of the luxury traveller journey, are essential.

At the same time, policymakers must adopt a long-term strategic approach that identifies investment opportunities and enhances tourism capacities, positioning themselves as enablers. Investment in luxury tourism means strong brand equity and diverse revenue streams, especially when incorporating sustainable investment practices and quality tourism standards that help ensure long-term environmental and cultural preservation.