Laura Powell

Wineries and agriturismo accommodations have long drawn travelers to the Italian countryside. But a more recent development is bringing travelers to Italy's once-abandoned hamlets. Other countries are taking note.

While every destination tries to offer authenticity, few really deliver. But in Italy, scores of local passion projects are serving up the real deal — while helping rural areas make a comeback in a sustainable way.

The Chinese luxury market is huge but not monolithic. That's why understanding the capabilities of the country's myriad social media apps — and knowing how to nuance messages within them — is key to connecting with this lucrative market.

Travel marketers need to think outside the box. The icebox, that is. A new research study reports that temperature can impact consumer perceptions of luxury and status.

How consumers feel about luxury products may depend on how they feel. That is, whether they perceive something to be hot or cold.

In the multisensory world of travel, it's surprising that it's taken so long for luxury operators to realize that appealing to all five senses is quite sensible.

As more companies enter the luxury vacation rental business, the need to serve up a unique selling proposition becomes increasingly vital. But it's also key to stay true to that original mission point, even as a company grows.

When it comes to keeping up with the Joneses, luxury travel brands are falling behind. The value of brands from fashion, automotive, and financial services sectors is far stronger than those from hospitality and travel.

Within the travel industry, brands like Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons loom large. But according to a just-released study of brand valuation, in the real world, hospitality brand names don't carry as much weight as their high-end counterparts in other industry sectors. To address this, companies like Marriott and Hilton are focusing on establishing ironclad loyalty offerings.

In a growing luxury wellness trend that's built to last, nature comes indoors in the form of living green walls, natural materials, and more at high-end hotels.