Lifestyle Trend: Where the Ultra-Rich Are Travelling This Summer & Why You Should Know

There is wealth, and then there is stealth wealth. And, their travels conform to the same.

The ultra-rich of the world are becoming more selective when it comes to their travel. As highlighted by the leading travel forecasting agency, Globetrender’s ‘Luxury Traveller Journey Scale’ too, while the new money travellers are eager to quickly tick off bucket locations, the 0.1 percenters, who have probably travelled the world twice over are seeking curated itineraries, obscure locales, and exclusive experiences in 2025.

No more those flashy, oligarch-style yachts anymore, but comfy sailing vessels. Ultraluxe travel includes private islands, exotic destinations, African safaris, and giga yachts.

The aim is to maximise the impact of their investment, says a McKinsey & Co. 2024 report on luxury travel trends. High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs, assets between $1 million and $5 million), opt for boutique travel agents, and favour exotic destinations. Very-high-net-worth individuals (VHNWIs, $5 million to $30 million) prefer end-to-end experiences steeped in local ambiance. Ultrahigh-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs, $30 million-plus) want remote, private destinations, and tailored experiences available nowhere else.

Here’s a lowdown on how and where the 1% of the world is travelling this summer:

Four Seasons Private Island at Voavah

With the geographical balance of wealth shifting towards Asia, it has become the epicentre of luxury lodging, and Maldives a front-runner in exotic destinations. The Four Seasons’ five-acre island sits pretty in the UNESCO-protected oceanic territory of Baa Atoll. At $45,000 (₹39 lakh) plus taxes per night, it boasts of a remote location, accessed by private plane, and a dedicated staff with NDAs. Apart from the 62 feet yacht available to scour the waters around, it comes with its own dive centre, spa, beach house, seven luxurious bedrooms, bespoke treatments, and equipped to fulfil any and every culinary desire.

Villa Treville in Positano

Is an epitome of old-school glamour in Italy, perched on the rugged cliffside and looking out to Tyrrhenian Sea. With the likes of Coco Chanel, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and more having stayed at this former home of Italian opera and movie director Franco Zeffirelli, its 16 suites continue to provide the desired privacy and luxury, including the interior design team providing regular guests with customised touches. Madonna celebrated her 66th birthday here in 2024. The basic room starts from around Rs. 4 lakh-plus per night this summer.

Villa Treville, Positano, ItalyInstagram/ Villa Treville

Paros, the new summer playground

The Mediterranean continues to be the summer playground for super rich. But it is Paros in Greece that is establishing itself as one of the most authentic and sophisticated luxury locations, says Sotheby’s. Also, the debut of hotels like Cosme, Parilio, and Avant Mar, in the last couple of years highly upgraded the destination. Paros also boasts of The Glide, one of the rarest kite-in and kite-out beachfront villas for affluent kitesurfing aficionados.

Avant Mar, Paros, GreeceInstagram/Avant Mar

Exploring the Arctic

With extreme experiences and hard-to-access places high on their list, Arctic in the summer is right at the top of the ultra-luxe travellers’ list. Think a highly customised itinerary, and a compact vessel taking you to unknown places in comfort (around 76,000 euros/₹75 lakh for a week, 10-12 people). They are even ready to splurge $300,000 (₹2.6 crore) for a polar bear safari in off-limits area of Norway’s Svalbard.

SvalbardInstagram/Visit Svalbard

Safaris in Africa

While they are not new, it is the unparalleled access to wildlife and exclusive bragging rights that they want now. Starting from safari camp buyouts turning the whole property into their private residence, experiencing the dramatic landscapes of hidden and almost inaccessible Suguta Valley of Kenya, privately tracking silverback gorillas in Rwanda, having front-row seat to the Great Migration in Serengeti, to dedicated satellite communication, Africa is still the prosperous’ favourite adventure.

Serengeti National Park, TanzaniaInstagram/Serengeti National Park

Giga yachts

First there were superyachts (37-60 metres), then came mega yachts (60m+), and now there are the next-generation giga yachts (over 90m) that are all the rage amid the richest. Driven by exclusivity and ultimate privacy, these owned or chartered boats are their own private members club, with extravagant amenities that beat even the most exclusive vacation properties on land. Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos enjoyed the 2024 summer aboard his $500 million giga yacht, Koru.

Footprint on the glaciers

June to August is the best time to watch New Zealand in its white glory. In these months of winter there, the exclusive tours to Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier, and the Mount Cook National Park are an experience of a lifetime. While skiing on the slopes is for mere mortals, the affluent of the world go for a glacier walk or a glacier landing, ranging from around $7,000 for the former to approximately $25,000 for an under-hour ride per head for the latter.

Glacier Gliding in New ZealandInstagram/Fox Glacier Gliding

Speed thrill

Monaco is an undisputed benchmark in luxury and exclusivity with its real estate, haute couture, Michelin restaurants, and hotels. But its summer-special for the crème-de-la-crème is the Monaco Grand Prix. The most glamourous race in the Formula 1 calendar, this year’s race on May 25 again saw a slew of A-listers like Bezos and his girlfriend, Dua Lipa, Sofia Vergara, and more. Patrick Dempsey had the much-coveted honour of waving the chequered flag, and Naomi Campbell attended the Tag Heuer yacht party after the race.

Instagram/ Visit Monaco

The White Lotus doom

The popular series or films often herald a tourism boom, including luxury travellers thronging to the destination or the property. However, for the top 1%, it spells a doom, a new search for hyper exclusivity, the ultimate seclusion, and getting something that is not even available. Something like a private property in Greece’s Porto Heli that would cost $185,000-plus (₹1.58 crore) for a week if one gets accepted to book it.

Meghan Fahy in The White LotusIMDB

The next frontier? Space

This April, singer Katy Perry joined Blue Origin’s short flight to space. When it comes to dream holidays for the super-rich, nothing can beat space. While still in its infancy, the demand for space travel is growing. It is expected to reach anywhere between $6 billion to $13 billion by 2030, from $1.3 billion in 2024. While suborbital flights can now cost around $450,000 (Rs. 3.9 crore) per person, orbital missions are for $50 million (Rs. 430 crore) plus. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also has plans to offer space tourism by 2030, with the flight to the edge of space likely to cost around Rs. 6 crore per person.

Instagram/Katy Perry