A better place: ILTM debates Cannes-do luxury

Cannes, France – Hoteliers, buyers and leading travel editors gathered yesterday at the ninth annual International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) show.

The event opened with presentations and panel debates at Cannes’ Palais des Festivals et des Congrès with the ILTM Ultratravel Forum. John Andrews, consultant editor at The Economist, described how the world might change in 2011: southern Sudan will become the world’s 193rd country, Ghana’s economy will grow by 14% and Shai Agassi’s Better Place will start making the world a better place.

Next, hoteliers, editors and agents discussed the demands of the luxury traveller. ‘Luxury is not a checklist, it’s a state of mind and highly personal,’ said Klara Glowczewska, editor-in-chief at Condé Nast Traveler. ‘Luxury travellers can’t tell us what they want. They only know it when they see it. Luxury can’t be benchmarked.’

Graham Boynton, Ultratravel editor and group travel editor at The Telegraph Media Group, wondered how the surge of new travellers from emerging markets would change the sector. ‘By 2020 there will be 100m Chinese travellers,’ predicted Boynton. ‘And there already 10m Indian travelling abroad every year.’

LS:N Global will file a full report on ILTM later this week.