Travel advisors must develop their skillset to meet the needs of today’s luxury traveller, new research has revealed. 

According to the 2025 Luxury Travel Report by Preferred Hotels and Resorts, a whopping 85% of high-net-worth travellers are now employing ‘hacks’ to save money on their trips. 

The most common technique involves leveraging reward programmes, with 47% using loyalty points and memberships to offset the rising costs of luxury travel. 

Others are booking extended stays to maximise value in premium properties and reducing their spending on ‘non-essentials’, such as tours and excursions. 

Advisors should not mistake these changing financial behaviours for frugality, however. Instead, they reflect a shift in the priorities of high-value travellers – one that should guide how travel advisors shape their recommendations.

“High-net-worth travellers are savvy, not stingy,” Michelle Woodley, president at Preferred Travel Group, told TTG Luxury. “Utilising and understanding travel hacks is just another thing a travel advisor can put into their bonnet as something to offer the savvy traveller.” 

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Study loyalty programmes – religiously 

A luxury travel advisor’s understanding of hotel reward schemes is no longer impressive – it’s an expectation. 

Today’s high-net-worth clients are looking for expertise to navigate the vast landscape of loyalty programmes, to ensure they can receive the best value for their money possible. 

“A smart travel advisor understands all the different programmes, and how they can help the client maximise their membership,” Woodley explained. “It could be as simple as taking advantage of their existing points, and then redeeming some of them for a certificate that can be used for just a portion of the stay.” 

A strong familiarity with all benefits – as well as the terms and conditions – of a hotel brand’s loyalty programme, from its room upgrades to discounted stays, is therefore crucial. 

“Every once in a while, you hear about somebody who took this fabulous trip to all these different places. They didn't pay anything because they strategically used their points. But a lot of the time, there was somebody [an advisor] behind them.” 

Woodley also urges agents not to assume clients will understand how to effectively utilise their points. “You need experience to do it right. Some travellers only redeem their points every three years, so they won’t necessarily know what’s the best way to spend them. A travel advisor should know how to do it, though.” 

Expand your accommodation knowledge 

Preferred Hotels and Resorts’ report found that 26% of high-net-worth travellers are staying in one place longer, which lowers the cost of transportation and allows for an overall slower pace.

Woodley believes that this trend opens a window for advisors to strengthen their accommodation knowledge of a destination. 

With clients staying put longer, they may wish to book multiple properties within a close proximity to one another. There is also the freedom to explore less traditional forms of accommodation, such as private residences. 

“This creates an incredible opportunity for an advisor to really excel in what they do, which is a thoughtful and planned trip for the traveller,” Woodley said. 

“Maybe now, they’re going to stay for five or seven days to really get to know the environment. And in that case, maybe they want to stay in more of a residential type of environment.” 

Woodley added that this change in accommodation preference often also results in a change in itinerary, which again, gives advisors a chance to flex their talent. 

For example, the addition of a kitchen may encourage clients to dine in, which presents an opportunity for the advisor to have groceries delivered from a nearby supermarket, design a menu of local dishes, or even seek out a private chef. 

Prioritise the 'essentials' 

With the cost of luxury travel rising, high-net-worth individuals are becoming more discerning in where they splurge – and where they save. 

According to the report, luxury travellers are prioritising accommodation, whether that be a resort or a boutique property, over other segments of their trip. 

In fact, 81% of Gen Z and millennials said they’d pay more for a unique accommodation than for an airline upgrade, and nearly one in five respondents said they’d reduce spending on ‘non-essentials’ like tours and excursions. 

“The hotel portion is the anchor of your journey,” Woodley explained. “Yes, getting there in comfort is really important, but that airline upgrade is there and it's gone, right? And if it's an overnight flight, maybe you just slept through it.” 

Again, understanding how highly the client values the property equips the travel advisor to better curate their experience of it. 

For example, if they know that the client appreciates wellness, they can ensure the hotel provides in-depth information on the spa facilities upon check-in. Similarly, if they know that the client likes a particular food, they can order it to their room before arrival. 

“And all of our hotels at Preferred do a great job of that kind of thing [and working with advisors], and I think it's because they're independent,” she said. 

“There's no SOP [standard operating procedure], there's no timer on how long it should take to check a guest in. You can just take that breath and actually connect with the traveller, and you can make them feel more at home.”