At the end of last year, we had the privilege of attending the ILTM event held in Cannes. If you’re not already familiar with ILTM, as a creative in the travel and hospitality space, it’s the holy grail. The world’s leading luxury travel event, ILTM brings together luxury travel professionals and suppliers for a week of dedicated one-to-one meetings and networking events.
The event in Cannes was the 20th edition of this iconic ILTM event, and saw experts from 73 countries and over 1300 luxury travel suppliers take part in over 50,000 meetings. Among them was Wonderhatch’s very own Account Director Gigi Riddle, who was able to speak to experts and get some of the latest industry insights for the travel and hospitality industry in 2022.
“I cannot express enough how brilliant ILTM Cannes was. It cemented how crucial those in-person, human connections are for relationship building, and was a true testament to the thriving travel and hospitality industry after a period of such turmoil. You could feel everyone’s excitement for this new era, and I am incredibly grateful to the ILTM team for having been able to attend.”
LTM brings together the full breadth of luxury travel experiences from hidden gems to industry’s most celebrated and established brands – we asked five of the biggest names their thoughts on the past and what they were feeling about the future.
“Oscar Wilde once said ‘anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination’ – perhaps more than ever, this is incredibly true. The pandemic has not made people comfortable with staying home – instead, people are using their imagination to travel more creatively than ever before. Even though a door has closed, another has opened’.
Key takeaway: It’s undeniably true that the world will probably never return to the way it was before the pandemic. But is that really a bad thing? Within the travel and hospitality industry, the pandemic has forced more businesses to improve their tech, think more creatively with their marketing, and learn how to adapt quickly and efficiently. Holidaymakers too are becoming bigger and bigger decision-makers in the boardrooms of hotel and travel businesses, and it’s all about finding a ‘new normal’.
“Don’t judge a year by its pandemic. There is so much more to be said for the year. Our message was that a crisis defines what partnerships mean, the travel trade is in this together. Hyatt wants to put those in the spotlight who worked all year to keep themselves – and us – in business.”
Key takeaway: Interpersonal business relationships are more important than ever in this new era. All jobs, particularly more so those service industry roles who kept the world ticking and remained on the front line, are being valued more than they were before the pandemic, and it’s crucial for businesses to continue to champion these workers into the future.
“The future is getting brighter. People are starting to meet face to face, forecasting looks good…it looks like we can make it. In Europe especially, people are returning to normality.”
Key takeaway: Things are getting better, and that’s something to celebrate! While nobody will forget the pandemic, it’s also incredibly important to move forwards, and take active steps towards returning to a world where the travel and hospitality industry can not only survive, but flourish.
“People are past living in fear of the pandemic – hotels are changing how they work, and there are less unnecessary interactions. People have realised that they miss tourists and are welcoming international visitors again. There’s also now a real need for sustainable travel – it’s now seen as an opportunity rather than a threat. People are travelling less but staying for longer.”
Key takeaway: Attitudes are changing – the pandemic has made us question how we view traditional hotel practices, or how we view tourism in our native country, and made us grateful for what we had before. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be in the industry and marketeers and creatives should jump at the chance to explore these new ways of thinking – especially with a more environmental and sustainable focus.
“2022 feels exciting. For us in the ski industry, we’ve spent this time looking at our offering and improving ourselves, and we’re opening up again almost like new. I’m looking forward to showcasing changing and evolving activities and giving people an incentive to come back”
Key takeaway: In the past two years, companies have evolved to survive. As we enter this era, we should expect to see hotels and travel brands emerging with new faces, new offerings, and new features.
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So what can we learn from all of this? In reality, it’s that there’s no one piece of advice that will solve every conundrum or challenge you’ll find yourself navigating post-pandemic. The key is flexibility – whether that’s your mindset, your role, or your strategy. Learning and adapting will be an ongoing process, and we think the most successful companies going into 2022 and beyond will be those who accept change and use it to their advantage.
A huge thank you to the team at ILTM for giving us the opportunity to attend your event and share these insights. If you think you’ve got something else to add or advice to share, pop Gigi an email at gigi@wonderhatch.co.uk
