Mexico is topping the luxury charts for this coming season, says Virtuoso. Chairman and CEO Matthew Upchurch spoke on CNBC this week sharing his insights into the hottest destinations for the coming year. Mexico is on top.
"Fifty-four percent of US international travel is to Mexico and Canada," Upchurch says. "People don't understand that there are more luxury five-star properties in Mexico than in the Caribbean." The demand for travel to Mexico has increased year over year at 15 percent. "The rebound in Mexico tourism has been unbelievable, and it is the best value you can find right now," Upchurch adds.
Upchurch also spoke about global tourism being on a "rampage," meaning that luxury consumers are booking further and further out, simply because the properties they want to stay at are filling up at hyper speed. Booking six to eight months out, even a year out, is not unheard of anymore.
Other hot destinations that Upchurch spoke about were New Zealand, which is up 400 percent year over year. "It is no longer just an Australia add-on," he says. "It has adventure, food and wine and lodging." South Africa is continuously hot, as is the United Arab Emirates.
"There has been a huge shift about prioritization in the last 20 years," he says. People are weighing experiences and travel far more heavily than fancy cars and tangible items.
Watch the full interview below.