Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) is arguably one of the most successful luxury travel companies in the world, and Geoffrey Kent, 65, the company’s founder and chairman (his son recently became the CEO), is the engine that makes it all go, spending more than half the year traveling to the company’s far-flung properties and scouting new ones.
Recently, A&K (there is no "Abercrombie;" Kent made up the name to put the company higher in the phone book) has added two new programs to its already bulging cataloge: Private Jet Journeys, which takes clients on tours to exotic locations around the world in a customized 757ER, and Extreme Adventures, which test even the hardiest thrill-seeker.
For more sedate clients, A&K has reentered the destination club business with the equity-based Abercrombie & Kent Residence Clubs.
TravelAge West caught up with the peripatetic Kent at a recent travel show in Las Vegas.
caught up with the peripatetic Kent at a recent travel show in Las Vegas.
What’s the next big trend in international travel?
The biggest trend is going to be catering to the new rich. How do you get to them? It’s very hard. Market penetration is very difficult. And there are no travel agencies specifically geared to that.
So how do you break into that market?
I take a look at where the money’s going, who’s going to be rich, who’s going to be wealthy and then I start to think of the products they might like. Americans have evolved — they loved the experiential product. But the new rich, they’re not going to go for a tent in Africa. They tell me that, in the Middle East, they’ve spent 50 years getting out of a tent. "We won’t want to go back into a tent," they say. That’s why we are developing the villas and the residences. They want to go to Europe.
What other trends do you see?
Family travel. In the 1970s the worst period of time for us was Christmas. Nobody traveled at Christmas. They stayed at home. It was traditional. Now, because both the wife and husband work, the wife doesn’t want to sit back and do a big family Christmas. They want to take the kids and have somebody else take care of them and enjoy the time off together, where the BlackBerry isn’t going crazy. That’s why Christmas is the busiest time for us now.
What are you offering the American market by way of family travel?
I think Americans will love the Destination Club visits. It’s perfect for them. They don’t have to buy $5 million homes. They can have the experience of private travel. The Club is going to be huge in America. It’s one-stop shopping.
Who do you aim your marketing at?
The next big trend is to make sure you tailor everything to a female perspective. Men are too busy. Women are making the travel plans. Most of the men don’t want to argue and have the wife say, ‘Why did you choose this place?’ If you have the wife choose, then it’s there fault if you don’t do it. The wife comes to Abercrombie & Kent because they know our brand is good and we make sure they have a great trip. Tailor it, get to the wives, get to the partner.
Has the recent turbulence in the airline industry impacted you?
There’s definitely been a softening. I’m always nervous. You can’t have what’s going on in the U.S. now without impacting at all. I figure it will impact the middle-range tourists. We don’t just cater to the richest tourists. I’m very worried about the airlines. I think this is one of the biggest concerns.
Does that mean you’re pessimistic about the future of the travel business?
No, no. Travel can only grow. You have the greatest wealth created in history in last 20 years. Ninety percent of our clients are over 50. They’re not paying for their mortgages or kids. They’re going to travel. And they want experiential travel and I’m the only person who does it.
What’s your favorite A&K trip?
The Galapagos Islands on a private boat. That’s a trip: diving everyday, two dives a day.
