Travel was always going to be the calling for Charlotte Harris. Her expat parents raised her in a multicultural environment, helped her develop a passion for exploring the world’s furthest flung corners, and then named the family’s Hong Kong-based travel advisory firm after her. Through it all, she developed a deep understanding of the needs of Asian travellers and an appreciation for Western practices, which she’s turned to growing the family business, Charlotte Travel, creating transformative bespoke itineraries for high-net-worth clients.
Along the way, she’s helped the brand rack up accolades, including becoming Virtuoso’s first member in Asia and Hong Kong’s first Forbes Endorsed Travel Agency, and personally earned a spot on the board of influential hospitality brands, including Kempinski. As Charlotte Travel celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026, Harris has the company reins firmly in her grasp, implementing innovative strategies to meet her clients’ discerning requirements.
In January, Charlotte Travel opened its first overseas office in Singapore to service its growing client base across Southeast Asia. This year, it’s also championing women-centric itineraries, such as the signature seven-night journey to India, which covers Delhi’s fashion ateliers, Agra’s jewellery studios, Jaipur’s artisan workshops, and Amanbah’s Ayurvedic wellness.
We sat down with Harris to get her take on what travel looks like in 2026.
An interview with Charlotte Harris, CEO of Charlotte Travel
Hi, Charlotte. Thanks for chatting with us. To start, what travel trends are you seeing this year?
Set-jetting is continuing to be something we design for. We’re seeing incredible spikes in demand for destinations featured in hit TV shows and films. People watched The White Lotus, and suddenly, Sicily was completely sold out. Then it was Thailand [after season three]. Clients are looking to step into the cinematic, idealised versions of these destinations.
Another trend is slow travel. Instead of doing five European countries in 14 days, clients are staying in a small village curated around a property like Castelfalfi in Tuscany, or a Crystal cruise from Mombasa [Kenya] to Singapore. They want to unpack once, integrate into the local rhythm, and truly absorb a destination.
What are the destinations you’re seeing the most interest in this year?
Halekulani Okinawa
From an Asia-Pacific perspective, we are seeing a massive surge in secondary Japanese destinations. Everyone loves Tokyo and Kyoto, but now clients are asking for Hokkaido in the green season, the art islands of Naoshima, or Kanazawa. Travellers are craving a deeper, less crowded cultural immersion.
Globally, Saudi Arabia is a fascinating emerging market. The sheer scale of investment in luxury hospitality, like the Red Sea Project, is unprecedented. It’s appealing to the highly travelled luxury client who feels like they’ve seen it all and wants to be among the first to experience a new frontier.
What seem to be the most popular types of holidays at the moment? Why do you think that is?
Multi-generational and skip-generational (grandparents travelling exclusively with grandchildren) trips are becoming popular right now. We’ve learned the value of shared time over the past few years, and people are willing to invest heavily in creating memories with their families.
We’re also seeing a boom in expedition travel, to places like Antarctica and the Galapagos, and remote safaris. Today’s luxury traveller values those earned moments through unique, transformative experiences rather than just staying in a gilded palace. They want to come back changed.
Has there been a shift in who people are choosing to travel with in 2026?
It’s a real mix, but the most notable shift is the rise of the solo luxury traveller, particularly solo female travellers. Historically, the industry made it tougher for solo travellers with single supplements, but top-tier brands have realised this is a highly lucrative, fast-growing demographic. Women are booking luxury wellness retreats, cultural immersions, and even high-end safaris, entirely on their own to seek self-connection and uncompromised indulgence.
Wellness is increasingly pertinent for travel. What wellness travel trends are on your radar?
The Well Hotel & Spa
Wellness has evolved far beyond a hot stone massage and a green juice. We’re firmly in the era of medical wellness and longevity. Clients are travelling for sleep therapy, biohacking, hormone balancing, and advanced diagnostic testing in beautiful environments. Destinations like Switzerland, Germany, Thailand, and Bali are leading the charge here.
What’s truly ingenious is how luxury hotel brands are bringing wellness out of the basement spa and into the guest room. We are seeing brands implement circadian rhythm lighting, AI-driven smart beds, and deep-sleep dining menus. It’s a brilliant positioning strategy because it acknowledges that wellness is a 24/7 pursuit for today’s traveller.
Given the current global situation, have you already seen a shift in how people are booking their holidays?
We are seeing a “barbell effect” in booking windows. On one end, geopolitical shifts and global uncertainties have made some clients very spontaneous, leading to an increase in high-budget, last-minute bookings. They want to travel now while they can. On the other end, because inventory at the world’s most coveted luxury properties and cruises is incredibly tight, seasoned clients are booking their holidays 18 to 24 months in advance to secure the top suites.
The biggest shift overall is the demand for flexibility. Clients are perfectly happy to spend premium rates, but they expect fair cancellation policies and adaptable itineraries in return.
What do you look for when choosing a hotel?
I look for a sense of place. 20 years ago, luxury meant standardisation. A client wanted their room in Hong Kong to feel exactly like their room in London, so they knew exactly what to expect. Today, that feels somewhat sterile.
When I wake up, I want to know exactly what city I am in. I look for hotels that integrate local artisans, hyper-local cuisine, and regional architectural elements into their DNA. Travellers today want authenticity, and luxury hotels have evolved beautifully to act as cultural conduits rather than just gated luxury compounds.
What are some of your favourite travel brands?
Capella Ubud
I genuinely don’t have a single favourite brand. My favourite brand is the one that perfectly aligns with my client’s unique needs for a specific trip. However, I am constantly impressed by the ingenuity across the sector.
Take Rosewood, for example. Their rebranding around the Sense of Place philosophy has been a masterclass in modern luxury marketing, making their properties feel like chic, cultural hubs. Capella has done something brilliant with their Culturists – staff dedicated to curating deeply localised, off-the-beaten-path experiences for guests. On the other hand, the legacy heavyweights like Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental remain exceptional because of their global guest-recognition technology. Their ability to track a guest’s preference for a specific type of tea or room temperature from a stay in Dubai and apply it seamlessly to a stay in Tokyo is unparalleled.
My role is to decode these distinct brand personalities and match them to the emotional and practical needs of my clients.
What are some of the most standout hotel stays you can remember?
This is a really hard question! For me, the most standout hotel stays have always anticipated my needs in advance. It’s all in the delivery of service and being able to surprise and delight…emotional intelligence is what makes a stay memorable. Once, while staying at The Upper House in Hong Kong, the staff at the top-floor restaurant overheard my husband and me discussing our plans to head to a specific cocktail bar after dinner. We never asked them for help, but by the time we took the elevator down, they already had a car waiting with the doors open to take us there. That invisible, anticipatory service is the ultimate luxury.
And finally, what are your top five travel tips?
- Always book an arrival transfer! There’s nothing worse than arriving in a destination after a long flight and having to scramble to find a taxi or navigate public transport with luggage. Start the trip seamlessly.
- Pack with packing cubes. These completely changed my life. They keep everything organised, save space, and make unpacking easy.
- Use a travel advisor (wink wink!) We have the relationships, the insider knowledge, and the global network to elevate a good trip into an unforgettable one.
- Build white space into your itinerary. The biggest mistake any traveller can make is over-scheduling. Leave room for serendipity.
- Communicate your preferences early. Let your advisor or hotel know why you’re travelling. Is it a milestone anniversary? Do you prefer a firm pillow? The best hotels thrive on this to personalise your stay, but they need the information beforehand to work their magic.
Discover more about Charlotte Travel
But wait, there’s more…
- Inspired to go on safari? Discover the wild world of Dereck Joubert, CEO of Great Plains Foundation
- Here’s what it’s like to stay in the fabulously luxe Capella hotels
- …and speaking of the Upper House, we stayed in the Chengdu outpost, aka Panda City
