Private travel: avoiding the rat race to the Costa del Sol

Luxury travel agents are beginning to seem like the sensible option, says Chris Carter.

Plane landing at St Barth's airport © Hugh Mitton / Alamy Stock Photo
Why not take a private plane to St Barths?
(Image credit: © Hugh Mitton / Alamy Stock Photo)

The pandemic has put paid to many a travel plan up and down the country. So much so that even a soggy, little caravan in Carmarthenshire is starting to look like luxury accommodation – assuming you can beat back the crowds to get your foot in the door. There is, however, one demographic, at least in the US, that “appears to be more optimistic, making plans and holding onto reservations”, says Kenneth Kiesnoski for CNBC – “the affluent vacationer”. This “resilience” has given heart to a travel industry that has otherwise seen little else besides cancellations. “Affluent travellers tend to be a little more comfortable with the wait-and-see scenario,” Misty Belles, managing director at Virtuoso, a global network of luxury travel agencies, tells Kiesnoski. “Because they’re well-versed at travel and it’s such an ingrained part of their lifestyle, our clients are really more in that sit-and-wait camp.”

Holiday like the Queen

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Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.