While reports show that the American economy is rebounding, it may still seem as though many people are trying to recover from the recent recession. With that in mind, one may assume that the luxury transportation and travel industries haven't been as popular in recent years.
However, according to Starwood Hotels chief executive officer Frits van Paasschen, not only are luxury vacations becoming more popular, businesses are also paying for an increased number of high-end accommodations for their employees.
"Last quarter, we suggested 2012 has more potential to surprise on the upside, and we still believe this. Our corporate clients and leisure guests tell us the appetite for travel is quite robust," van Paasschen told Wall Street analysts in a conference call last week. "I still have yet to hear from a customer that plans to travel less in 2012 than in 2011."
He explained that there is a "Golden Age" in luxury travel coming in the near future as more and more people have been experiencing greater wealth. He said that the global ranks of middle class has actually doubled in the last two decades to reach 2 billion people. His estimates indicated that there will be 3 billion more people classified as middle class within the next 20 years.
While the impression commonly held in regards to the real estate market is that it has been struggling through the recession, he cited reports that have shown that the "number of ultra-high net worth households around the world" has risen by an astonishing 30 percent since 2006.
While staying somewhere classy can be fantastic, businessmen and women, as well as individual travelers, can also make sure that they get there in style. To experience the best concierge services and chauffeured transportation, they can go online and request a quote or make a quick reservation with Hermes Worldwide, a leader in the luxury transportation industry.
