Hollywood stars, politicians and leading entrepreneurs are among the clients of London-based Minerva Private Travel, founded by CEO Amanda Teale (pictured above) more than two decades ago.
Specialising in ultra-luxury holidays across the world, the VIP travel concierge says its business trebled during the pandemic.
Its expansion is continuing this month with the launch of Minerva Journeys, a collection of pre-planned but bespoke itineraries across Japan and Africa, and, in the near future Minerva is planning to offer a private jet service, working directly with aircraft owners rather than brokers.
Such is the concierge’s discretion and exclusivity that all its clients are by invitation or referral only.
For agents who aspire to attracting a similar high-spending clientele, Minerva’s Event and F&B Manager Charlotte Leventis said they should get ‘suited and booted’ and attend financial and legal networking events.
“Either they could become your clients, or they could refer their client base to you,” she said.
It’s also important to know what makes the ultra-high net worth individuals tick when it comes to holiday suggestions, and currently it’s ‘money-can’t-buy’ experiences, according to Minerva.
Amanda and her team shared a few other insights with Indulge:
Succession travel
The biggest trend among Minerva’s clients is taking ‘meaningful’ trips that can be repeated for generations to come, said Director of Business Development Victoria Millwood.
“They want to pass down more than wealth and have experiences money can’t buy,” she said.
Such itineraries might not include the usual ultra-luxury trappings, like five-star resorts and private chefs, as the focus is on a transformative experience, often with a philanthropic angle.
One of Minerva’s long-standing clients returns regularly to a ‘good but not super-duper posh’ lodge in South Africa with their expanding family because they donate to the local school and community.
“They want to show their growing family the real world and teach them the importance of giving back,” said Amanda. “These clients can buy the travel, but they can’t buy meaning and that is what they want.”
People over places
Destinations are no longer the primary draw for Minerva’s clients, as increasingly they book trips based on the location of a specialist, such as a marine biologist, historian or winemaker.
“Clients want to understand a destination on a deeper level and want the real insider experience, so trips are shaped around a specialist’s timetable and whereabouts.” Victoria said.
Holidays centred on a specialist also tend to drive repeat bookings, since Minerva’s clients often form lasting relationships with them and return again and again.
Amanda said she has a client who has followed an Australian surf instructor around the world for the past 10 years, as he ‘became a member of the family’. “He is now the main attraction for their holidays,” she added.
Ephemeral travel
Minerva’s team has also observed clients booking trips based on rare, one-off or seasonal events, such as bioluminescent seas, moonbows (lunar rainbows), the blue flames of Kawah Ijen volcano in Indonesia, and temporary art installations.
“People are tired and busy and want to feel alive again by experiencing something that doesn’t happen every day,” Victoria said.
The agency said the clearest example of this trend taking hold was the popularity of this year’s solar eclipse. Interest is already high for trips to see eclipses in 2027 and 2028, it said
‘Obsession’ travel
Minerva’s clients might travel six to eight times a year and have ‘seen everything’, Victoria said. So, when it comes to planning future trips, she said the question to ask clients is not where they’ve been, but what they’ve been ‘obsessing’ over in their day-to-day lives.
This can spark ideas for destinations, like Japan for a client’s son who collects Pokémon cards, or Grasse in France for a perfume lover.
Horse-riding also remains a favourite past-time among Minerva’s client base and the ultra-wealthy, many of whom own their own stables. Amanda has noted growing demand for ultra-luxury equestrian hotels, with several already established in Dubai.
The luxury of being known
“Luxury travel has been about personalisation for years and that now feels ordinary,” said Victoria. She added that traditional hallmarks of luxury travel, such as extensive pillow menus, can actually ‘stress clients out before they’ve had the chance to relax.’
Instead, Minerva delves deep into clients’ preferences, from diet to hobbies, and informs their accommodation before they travel. “Clients don’t want more choice; they want to explain less. The luxury is ‘being known’,” she added.
For example, Victoria arranged for the captain of the Maldives national football team to train with a client’s son while they were on holiday, aware he was an avid footballer. “The client had no idea and was absolutely blown away,” she said.
For this reason, Amanda said she builds ‘deep and meaningful relationships’ with clients before booking a trip. “When I first started my business, I used to say “I need to come to your home, I need to feel how you live, what sort of furniture you have. All of that is very important to build up a picture of the client,” she said. “We’re not just miracle workers; we’re also mind readers.”
