Latest news with #Luxafar
Khaleej Times
25-04-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
How sustainability is redefining luxury travel in 2025
For decades, luxury travel was synonymous with escape, indulgence without questions. But in 2025, the industry's most powerful shift isn't about where travellers are going. It's about what they're giving back. Today's affluent travellers are no longer content with five-star suites and remote seclusion. They want meaning. They ask: What impact does this trip have? Who benefits? And how is luxury evolving to serve the planet as well as the guest? The answers are reshaping the sector, not with slogans, but with systems. Purpose over excess Across continents, a new kind of luxury is emerging. It's quieter, deeper, and built on accountability. High-end operators are rewriting the rules — integrating sustainability into their core, not as decoration, but as direction. Plastic-free operations, solar-powered villas, conservation-linked itineraries, composting and closed-loop water systems are just the start. Community partnerships and regenerative design are becoming essential components of what qualifies as 'luxury". Take Kamalaya in Thailand, which has championed sustainability since 2005 — offering a zero-plastic wellness retreat powered by solar energy, and funding free education programs for Thai youth. Or South Africa's Kapama Private Game Reserve, where an established Anti-Poaching Unit protects rhinos and reinforces the relationship between the reserve and its ecosystem. In Italy, Casa Di Langa, nestled in a Unesco World Heritage site, blends old-world charm with Green Globe certification, sustainable farming, and international sustainability accolades. Meanwhile, Nihi in Indonesia, a B Corp-certified resort, gives guests direct exposure to local impact initiatives, from environmental programs to community empowerment. These aren't outliers. They're blueprints for a new standard in responsible travel. This evolution is especially visible in the Middle East — a region known for scale and spectacle, now steering hard toward sustainability. With Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025 in Dubai set to spotlight responsible tourism, the region is showing it's not just catching up — it's aiming to lead. From Saudi Arabia's giga-projects built on zero-carbon principles to the UAE's commitment to eco-hospitality, momentum is building. But success here will depend on more than ambition — it will require intentional curation. Impact & Indulgence Luxafar is already doing the curating, a UAE-based luxury travel company quietly setting a benchmark for sustainability in high-end travel. 'At Luxafar, sustainability isn't an accessory — it's embedded in every decision we make,' says Ghazal Sajid, co-founder of Luxafar. 'We don't just look at comfort and aesthetics. We look at desalination systems, solar grids, waste composting, and the social impact on surrounding communities.' Luxafar's global network of partners includes eco-resorts that: Run on solar energy, operate on desalinated and recycled water, practice on-site composting and waste separation, ban single-use plastics, and support community-led conservation and education From community-run safaris in Southern and Eastern Africa that directly support wildlife protection, to certified green resorts in Europe and Asia, Luxafar's itineraries are curated with precision and purpose. Destinations they vouch for — including Finland, Slovenia, Bhutan, and Costa Rica — are known for renewable energy leadership, low-impact tourism models, and biodiversity preservation. But their partnerships stretch well beyond, encompassing places like Indonesia, Thailand, Italy, and South Africa — each selected based on a rigorous sustainability lens. 'For me, as both a founder and a frequent traveller, it's clear that luxury doesn't have to cost the Earth,' Sajid adds. 'We invite our clients to be part of a journey where every trip is not just exceptional, but environmentally responsible.' Looking ahead: ATM 2025 and beyond As Luxafar returns to ATM 2025, it's not just there to showcase destinations — it's there to build coalitions. Sajid will be on the ground in Dubai to collaborate with other changemakers across the Middle East and beyond, pushing for higher standards and smarter travel systems. 'Our clients aren't just booking experiences,' she says. 'They're choosing to support ecosystems that last — socially and environmentally.' ATM 2025 is more than a trade event. It's a litmus test for the future of global travel. And the operators who integrate ethics into their business models — not just their brochures — will be the ones to shape its trajectory. As this movement accelerates, Luxafar is proving that sustainability and luxury aren't competing forces. They're two sides of the same vision — one that's not just possible, but necessary.
Al Etihad
20-03-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Hikes, spa treatments and yoga, UAE rises as a wellness destination
21 Mar 2025 00:56 KHALED AL KHAWALDEH (ABU DHABI)If you've been anywhere near Instagram in the last few years, it would have been hard to miss the obsession with wellness. Whether it's Sunday morning run clubs, healthy meals or mindful retreats, in an era of civil and societal disruption, many are looking for ways to enhance their wellbeing. According to Ghazal Sajid, Co-Founder and Wellness Travel Expert at Luxafar, a Dubai-based travel consultant, people are also starting to align their holiday plans with travel experiences that prioritise relaxation, mindfulness, and wellbeing. She said the UAE is well placed to capitalise on this new trend, with a variety of retreats, experiences and natural escapes to cater to a growing market. 'Wellness travel is deeply personal — whether through adventure, relaxation, or spiritual growth,' she said. 'As the world moves toward mindful travel, wellness escapes are becoming a preferred choice. Whether it's a solo retreat or an active adventure, wellness travel offers a way to reset and recharge,' Sajid added. According to Grand View Research, the UAE's wellness tourism sector is expected to generate $12.5 billion in revenue by 2030, positioning it as the fastest-growing market in the MENA region. According to Sajid, for many travellers, there is a rising trend for short solo getaways that last three to four days and give travellers time to embrace nature, meditate, and reset mentally. Certainly, a spate of new developments in the UAE are targeting this market. Set to become the world's tallest wellness retreat, Therme Dubai – Islands in the Sky, is a $545-million project located in Zabeel Park, Dubai. The 100-metre-tall resort will feature natural therapeutic pools, expansive indoor and terrace pools, restaurants, and look to capitalise on the global wellness tourism market, which Grand View Research projects to reach 26.19 billion by 2030. 'Dubai is a city that understands the future must be built with wellbeing at its core,' Dr. Robert Hanea, Founder and CEO, Therme Group, said at the time of the announcement. Abu Dhabi is also taking strides into this burgeoning wellness real estate space, which is already worth hundreds of billions globally, with development of the world's first 'healthy living' island, the SHA Residences Emirates. The development aims to attract 'health-conscious' investors and visitors through a design that integrates wellness and full access to have access to SHA's health programmes, including medical and wellness treatments and therapies. 'Wellbeing is at the core of the design, it's a private sanctuary,' IMKAN Properties' CEO, Suwaidan Al-Dhaheri, said of the development.'The design encourages organic connections in communal spaces like wellness pavilions, and curated event spaces.' Ras Al Khaimah is also marketing itself as a wellness and adventure hotspot, leaning into its natural landscape to offer visitors chances to reengage with the natural world. Jabal Jais, the UAE's highest peak, is quickly becoming the epicentre for these activities, with several retreats planned for the near future. Sajid said that the ascendancy of wellness tourism will only continue to grow as people's appetite for retreat grows, as they try to balance out the stress from their daily lives. 'In today's fast-paced world, travellers seek more than just a getaway; they want meaningful experiences that benefit their mind, body, and soul,' she said.
