The ultra high net worth (UHNW) sector is becoming increasingly important to Private 360 Travel, founder and CEO James Turner revealed to Travel Daily in an exclusive interview.
“I think that in many ways, they drive the expectations of not only what is possible, but what is really achievable,” Turner said.
“We have to get creative with how to achieve the expectations of those clients, but also surpass them if we can. It drives a lot of creativity and stretches us as a business about how to look after them.”
According to the World Ultra Wealth Report, the UHNW population is accelerating around the world and last year, it experienced a 5.4% increase, following a 12% rise in 2024.
The growing demographic now holds almost $US60 trillion in collective wealth.
As Turner has observed, this particular clientele, which is often made up of well-known personalities, politicians and celebrities, highly value their privacy and are particularly discerning when it comes to those in their ecosystem.
“I believe that the higher your net worth becomes, the smaller the circle of people that you trust, so it’s difficult to enter a circle like that,” said Turner.
“A lot of these are long term relationships and many will recommend us to their friends,” said Turner.
“They know that we’ll look after them [and] they’re with us for years – it’s not transactional.”
A typical holiday for UHNW customers may involve arriving at their destination via a private jet, with transfers organised through their advisor’s contacts.
As for accommodation, Turner noted there has been a trend lately for these travellers to opt for a separate gated residence or villa on a luxury hotel property – one for themselves and the other for their team, which may even include their travel advisor.
Experiences may involve private island day trips on their own yacht and after-hours access to attractions – while it is the advisor’s role to ensure that all suppliers are aware that the client needs to remain anonymous.
UK-based 360 Private Travel expanded to Australia in Nov last year, with Leah Greengarten brought on board as GM.
The company recently began accepting cryptocurrency as payment for travel bookings.
