Hospitality leaders chart future of luxury travel at Riyadh event

Slower Pace
Former Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös, now board advisor at British sailing brand Oyster Yachts, said travellers are learning to slow down and truly take in the experiences around them, noting that “a slowdown is needed to embrace the moment, otherwise you’re just rushing through and memories are only half-filled.”

 

Paolo Barletta, CEO of Arsenale Group – the company behind Saudi’s first luxury train – echoed the sentiment, saying travellers increasingly want to connect with the authentic essence of a destination. “When travellers go to visit a country in the luxury space, they want to understand what the country is about, really discover it,” he said.

 

Highlighting the importance of cultural immersion, Barletta said authenticity must extend across every touchpoint. He explained that the upcoming Dream of the Desert train reflects this approach through both its hardware – the design – and its software, the curated onboard experiences, to give travellers a “360-degree view of the kingdom in luxury and comfort”.

Human Connection
For Pasricha, luxury is also about fostering genuine human connection. He said Ennismore “obsesses about creating special and small moments”, pointing to Estelle, the group’s UK country house estate and private members club in London, where the focus is on “creating surprise and delight, backed by curiosity and human touch”.

 

“The idea of Estelle was born from creating a community of people who have plenty to say and nothing to prove – a sense of place that’s discreet and private, with no Instagram,” he added. “Luxury is about being present; that gives us lasting luxury.”

 

This philosophy of connection runs through all Ennismore brands. The Hoxton hotels are designed with open lobbies that function like town squares for social interaction, while Estelle features community dining tables to encourage spontaneous conversation. 

 

As Pasricha notes, true connections can’t be orchestrated: “You can’t force connection. Consumers are too smart, but by putting people together in a train carriage or at a communal table where they can authentically find those connections, that’s the magic.”

 

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Creativity, Design and Storytelling
This renewed appreciation for authenticity and connection is also translating into measurable results. Spending by high‑net‑worth travellers rose 12% in the first half of 2025, according to advisor network Virtuoso, with luxury hotel sales climbing nearly 26%.

 

As demand grows, creativity, design and storytelling are becoming essential markers of distinction and now play a decisive role in customer choice. “It is the major reason for purchase today,” said Müller-Ötvös. “It speaks to your eyes and soul. Crafting the object and the story is super important in the luxury space.”

 

Barletta says storytelling must extend across every touchpoint, adding that a truly luxury experience must feel seamless, from the concept name and design details to the curated experiences that bring it to life.

 

Closing the discussion, Pasricha summed up the sentiment shared across the panel: “It’s all about sweating the small stuff, people at the luxury end care about the small stuff.”

 

For more information, visit tourise.com