Latest news with #StrategicVision
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
High Net Worth Travelers Are Balking At Increased Prices, Lower Service
Luxury travel and hospitality providers are facing growing resistance to higher prices; however, it's not clear whether high-net-worth customers are curtailing their spending. A survey of travel consultants who specialize in high-end travel found 'most advisors are reporting healthy revenues, strong forward bookings, and continued appetite from high-net-worth clients. But underneath that rosy picture are signs of subtle but important shifts.' When it comes to dipping into their wallets, the percentage of clients willing to spend more for exclusive and bespoke experiences dropped from 89% in 2024 to 73% this year. What's more, 59% of travel advisors say customers are waiting longer to make final decisions. The report attributes the hesitancy to 'growing caution in the face of rising costs.' The Pulse of the Industry survey from Strategic Vision concludes, 'Clients remain price-conscious and more deliberate in their choices — opting for different hotels, tweaking itineraries, and sometimes choosing different destinations when pricing doesn't align with expectations.' The survey comes as Virtuoso Travel Week gets underway Saturday in Las Vegas. The annual conference brings together travel advisors who are part of the Virtuoso Travel network – they sell around $30 billion in travel per year – and executives of travel suppliers, including managers of five-star hotels and top executives of hotel groups, cruise lines, expedition companies, destination promotion boards, and local companies that often organize that after-hours access and VIP treatment. The report says, 'Growth is bringing its challenges. Advisors are juggling high demand with limited staffing and rising client expectations.' Strategic Vision President Peter Bates says, 'Luxury travelers are still willing to spend — but they're asking more of their advisors. They want meaning, they want value, and they want it delivered seamlessly. That's not a challenge: It's an opportunity to elevate what we do.' According to the survey, 51% of advisors cited high prices as their biggest obstacle, with 68% of respondents saying clients changed hotels due to pricing. More than half of advisors (55%) say clients have changed destinations entirely based on cost. Still, demand is strong with 63% saying bookings are ahead of last year. So, what's making the wealthy get out their black cards? Interest in trips for rest and relaxation has decreased by 10 points, from 43% to 33%. At the same time, 84% of advisors say there is a higher interest in celebration travel planned around birthdays, anniversaries, and destination weddings. Spending time with family (76%) and discovering new places (73%) ranked highly. Buzzy travel categories, such as transformative experiences, are rated just 45%, which is still a significant number. Bates says, 'The buzzwords may evolve - from experiential to slow to transformational - but ultimately what we're selling is the same: travel that fulfills a personal need. Your messaging should speak to emotional drivers — family bonding, cultural immersion, personal milestones — rather than generic luxury cues.' However, rates that can often exceed $1,000 for entry-level hotel rooms are causing pause. The advisors also say service isn't keeping up with prices. According to Strategic Vision, 'Clients are more willing to change plans based on perceived ROI and service quality — especially when pricing doesn't align with expectations.' Nearly a quarter (24%) of advisors said 'inadequate service delivery from suppliers' was a top challenge. Despite increases in prices on land and the water, 75% of advisors say they are seeing more interest in expedition cruises, with 57% pointing to river cruises as a hot segment. With paying more seeming a given, the advisors say having that perfect or near-perfect experience is more important than ever. Almost one-third of respondents (31%) said overtourism was an obstacle to selling popular destinations. Travel suppliers can take heart that they are not alone when the wealthy push back on pricing. A current survey by Private Jet Card Comparisons of private aviation flyers shows 59% of respondents citing increased prices as the top reason for considering a change of flight providers. That's down from 65% last year. However, 25% say they have been frustrated by flight delays, cancelations, or changes with 17% saying aircraft cabins were in poor condition, and 16% pointing to declining customer service. Still, there are hints that despite increased prices and service issues, HNWs are still going to spend. Private jet flying, as tracked by ARGUS and WingX, has rebounded after two years of slight declines and is approaching the record levels seen in 2022. What's more, over 95% of HNWs who started flying during or after Covid are sticking with it and of those responding who were flying privately before the pandemic, while the majority say they are flying privately a similar amount, those who have increased use of private aviation are outstripping those who have cut back by a greater than four-to-one margin.
Scoop
03-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated Is Reviewing Its 25-year Vision mai KAHUNGUNU2026 ki KAHUNGUNU2050
Press Release – Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc Its time to review our Strategic Vision mai KAHUNGUNU2026 ki KAHUNGUNU2050 to ensure we are still on track and heading in the right direction. We have diverted, seen a lot and learned a lot of changes in our environment. A Review is important … Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated (NKII) is reviewing its 25-year vision from 2026-2050. The newly elected NKII Board members met for the first time on Friday 30 May, just in time for the roll out of the KAHUNGUNU2050 Strategic Vision Review. Over the next two months, hui-a-tinana will be held in each of the six Taiwhenua/districts and at the two active Taurahere rohe in Kirikiriroa/Hamilton, and in Te Whanganui a Tara/Wellington, to allow whānau to feed into the review. NKII Board Chairman Bayden Barber will lead the discussions with the key Board members and leaders of each rohe. The goal is for all Kahungunu voices to be heard. 'E te iwi, your input is crucial'. All korero will be collated into the feedback database! How will we collect and collate your information? We will hold hui-a-tinana; online zoom hui; online survey; email; and we are happy to be invited to additional / your hui if we cannot attend hui a tinana, we will zoom into your hui. Information will be updated on the iwi website. If you can't attend a hui, give input via the survey or join us on our zoom hui, you are welcome to email your thoughts directly to the tari Kahungunu2050@ See the website for all information. If you cannot contact us via any of these portals, we will collect all forms of communication and collate it into the feedback. Phone our office if you need help to have your voice heard – Toll free 0800 524 864. The first of these hui-a-tinana will start this week on Thursday 5 June at 5pm at the Wairoa Community Centre and will coincide with the launch of their Matariki events in Wairoa. Former NKII Board member representing Wairoa, Nigel How, has been involved with the NKII Boards Review process during his two terms on the Board 2019-2025. NKII has learned a lot about our Wairoa whānau during these years. 'Wairoa is Wairoa, give us the resources and let us govern ourselves – otherwise get out of our way' – A clear and collective voice of Nigel How during Cyclone Gabrielle Nigel was one of the only former Board members who supported his NKII Board member successor Esta Wainohu-Marcum bringing her to the Waipatu mahau on Friday during the pōhiri of the new NKII Board. Similar to Nigel and his upbringing, Esta has been raised and moulded for this position along with other positions she holds in the community. Even the Wairoa Mayor. Craig Little attended the pōhiri of the Board and spoke about Esta's value in their community of Wairoa. Other former NKII Board members to acknowledge for their work and contribution to the KAHUNGUNU2026 Strategic Vison, many who have now passed on are, Murray Hemopo, William Blake, Aotearoa (Digger) Karauria, Albert Walker (Jnr), Sophie Keefe, Rill Meihana, Albert Walker, Miriama Hammond, Alice Wairau, Naomi Wilson and of course Nigel How. Vision Background In September 2001, consultation with whānau throughout the rohe of Kahungunu occurred. Whānau shared their views, aspirations and desires which helped shape the development of a vision to guide Ngāti Kahungunu into the future. The vision, known as Kahungunu 2026, outlined the vision and mission statements and identified seven strategic objectives to focus on. The Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated planning framework continues to outline priorities, activities and desired outcomes that link directly to the strategic objectives within the Kahungunu 2026 vision. Our Vision Statement is 'Kahungunu – ki te whaiao, ki te ao marama' Achieving excellence in all areas of our lives Our Mission Statement is 'Kia maumahara ki te mana āhua ake o Ngāti Kahungunu' Uphold the absolute uniqueness of the living breath of Kahungunu, to enhance the mana and wellbeing of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi' It's time to review our Strategic Vision mai KAHUNGUNU2026 ki KAHUNGUNU2050 to ensure we are still on track and heading in the right direction. We have diverted, seen a lot and learned a lot of changes in our environment. A Review is important to keep us all on track.
Maroc
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Maroc
Morocco, Ghana Promote Parliamentary Collaboration
Speaker of the House of Representatives Rachid Talbi El Alami received, on Monday at the House's headquarters in Rabat, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee of the Parliament of Ghana, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, currently on a working visit to the Kingdom at the head of a high-level parliamentary delegation. During the meeting, also attended by Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to Morocco Charity Gbedawo, Talbi El Alami praised Ghana's decision and position in favor of Morocco's territorial integrity, while welcoming the renewed momentum in relations between the two countries at several levels, particularly at the parliamentary level, according to a press release from the House of Representatives. In this sense, he reviewed the Strategic Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI aimed at strengthening South-South cooperation with African countries, highlighting several pioneering Royal Initiatives, notably the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project, the Atlantic African States initiative, and the initiative to grant landlocked Sahel countries access to the Atlantic Ocean. For his part, Okoe Vanderpuije spoke of his pride at visiting Morocco, saying that the trip reflected the depth of the historic ties of friendship uniting the two brotherly peoples. He also expressed his country's keenness to strengthen cooperation with the Kingdom in various fields, including agriculture, trade, investment, air transport, education, employment and sustainable development. MAP: 20 mai 2025
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Elon Musk Has a Huge Problem With His Republican Fans: They're Ditching Their Teslas
Tesla CEO Elon Musk's well-documented shift to the far right has proven disastrous for the carmaker's brand. On Tuesday, the company revealed that its net income had plummeted by an astonishing 71 percent. Sales have plummeted across the globe as consumers are becoming wary of being associated with the highly divisive personality. And as The Economist points out, it's not just progressive voters who've become turned off from the carmaker's offerings. Even owners in red states are returning their Teslas in record numbers. According to dealership inventory tracker MarketCheck, listings of used Teslas have risen by two-thirds since the beginning of 2025, a pattern observed in both left- and right-leaning states. In other words, the trend suggests Musk's efforts to cozy up to conservatives may have been a fool's errand: Republicans have rallied around Tesla and opposed a growing anti-Musk movement, but if they aren't continuing to buy his cars, they won't do much good for his flailing automaker. To experts, strongly affiliating yourself with one extreme end of the political spectrum is a bafflingly self-defeating approach to selling cars. "When you make your product unattractive to half the market, I promise you, you won't increase your sales," automotive research and consulting firm Strategic Vision president Alexander Edwards told the New York Times last month, weeks before Tesla released its first-quarter delivery numbers. "Democrats are fleeing the brand and saying they won't consider it in the future, so there is naturally a greater proportion of Republican and independent buyers," he told the NYT. Whether Republicans even want to go electric is a pressing question. Charging infrastructure in rural areas of the country remains woefully inadequate, making it a poor fit for many on the right. "Tesla has gained a large number of Republican fans who love what Mr. Musk is doing, both politically and with the brand of vehicle and with social media," Edwards told NPR in a separate interview last month. "But they have little interest in an electrified vehicle." Put simply, just because fewer Democrats are buying Teslas doesn't mean Republicans are picking up the slack. Besides alienating half of the country, Musk's carmaker is also facing major competition that has been rapidly catching up with the brand. BYD in China and General Motors in the US are rising to the occasion, as The Economist points out. While Tesla's latest earnings don't bode well for the company's future, the EV market as a whole is rallying thanks to a slew of lower-cost, longer-range models enticing more consumers. Analysts expect US EV sales to grow three percent this year, despite a volatile political landscape.
BBC News
28-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Guernsey businesses set out call to action for next government
A report has been launched to highlight key issues Guernsey's business community believes the next government should Voice of Guernsey Business Report aims to bring together the views of businesses across 20 industries and represent more than 20,000 report, developed by the G8, identified housing, education, economic development, tourism, government delivery and public spending as the "most pressing challenges" facing the island. A G8 spokesperson said it would take "courage, collaboration and commitment" to unlock Guernsey's potential. 'Credible, deliverable policies' The report said 80% of the 400 respondents surveyed found housing impacted their ability to attract or retain talent, while 65% found air or sea services had negatively impacted the prosperity of their organisation. More than 65% also supported tax incentives as a method of helping businesses on the report has called for all candidates to address each of the six themes in their manifestos and to set out "credible, deliverable policies".Key calls to action include:Appointing a housing champion to accelerate delivery and co-ordinate cross-committee actionLaunching a review of Guernsey's Air Policy by the end of 2025 to improve affordability and reliabilityEstablishing a Skills for Guernsey Agency, co-designed with the industry, by the end of 2026Prioritising efficient, transparent public spending to rebuild trust and drive long-term investmentCommitting to a Shared Strategic Vision for the States term (2025–2029), backed by streamlined processes and digital transformation 'Move forward' A spokesperson said the report wasn't "just a list of challenges".They said: "Our system relies on deputies who work constructively, respect differing perspectives, and build consensus to move forward."It's a roadmap for action - and sends a direct message to candidates. Don't ignore the challenges, be the deputy who delivers results."A public panel event hosted by the G8 is set to take place on Friday, 23 May, where candidates will engage directly with business and community leaders.
