With spring upon us, it’s always good to take some time and assess how the year is going. I am hearing mixed signals. Many suppliers are seeing softness in the market, yet luxury advisors are having a very strong first quarter. Why is that? Simply because the mainstream media — namely Forbes, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure and the Harvard Business Review — has put the wind in your sails again. The media is validating your existence and expertise, and as other booking segments drop, yours is getting stronger than ever. The main driver of these articles is a consumer research study called the Portrait of American Travelers, produced by MMGY Global, a leader in travel marketing and research. Luxury Travel Advisor was a sponsor of this study a few years back and reported on the increase in use of travel advisors. For mainstream media to pick up on it, they needed to see several years of data to justify the statements and only now are they waking up to what we already know. In May, our Luxury Travel Advisor Ultra Summit will have Craig Compagnone, SVP of business strategy, MMGY Global, as keynote speaker. He will take a deep dive into the study that everyone is talking about and, yes, help you become more successful. We will also be collaborating with the brightest minds in affluent travel with the intent of mapping out the future of luxury travel.

Pictured here with me are our hosts, Rakel and Jacques Cohen, owners of the newly renovated Watergate Hotel. This dynamic couple fell in love with the iconic Watergate and they’ve restored it with timeless design and modern amenities.

The best hoteliers are driven by their heart and soul, and hence their hotels often become an extension of them. You will find this to be true with the Cohens. The Watergate Hotel has already become a must-stay while in Washington, DC, and we’re sure it will be the perfect backdrop to Luxury Travel Advisor’s Ultra Summit.