Posts by: Jean Carmela

Jean Carmela

Jean Carmela Lim is the voice behind luxury and adventure travel blog, Holy Smithereens. Since a childhood trip to Hong Kong and her first typewriter, Jean has spent a lifetime pursuing her passion of travel writing. With a background in the airline industry and government travel, Jean now creates travel content full-time on blogs and social media, exploring life's unforgettable moments through luxurious travels both near and far.

March 15, 2023March 10, 2023

Top food and beverage trends shaping the Middle East in 2023

Blog, Food Tourism

If your food preference and choices changed during the pandemic, you’re not alone. A 2021 study done by the American Society for Nutrition found that how people ate, shopped and ... Read more

December 15, 2022December 15, 2022

Wellness travel demand: How can travel brands offer value to wellness-seeking customers?

Blog, Food Tourism, Medical Tourism, Travel Industry, Trends, Wellness

I think that we can all agree that the biggest lesson here is one that we’ve often heard long before the pandemic: that health is indeed our greatest wealth. Often, ... Read more

October 14, 2022October 17, 2022

The Return of Business Travel: trends, changes and recovery for 2022 and beyond

Blog, Business Travel, Resilience and Recovery, Travel Industry, Trends

The summer season has paved the way for the return of leisure air travel. The US Travel Association’s latest travel data for September 2022 showed that after four straight months ... Read more

August 25, 2022August 23, 2022

How should the travel sector deal with the aviation industry crisis? A Q & A with aviation recruitment leaders

Arabian Travel Market, Aviation, Blog, Resilience and Recovery, Travel Industry, Trends

Let’s throw back to a year ago when the prospect of travel returning to pre-pandemic days seemed to be an elusive possibility on the horizon. Plenty of fearless predictions foresaw ... Read more

July 1, 2022June 29, 2022

How should brands cater to the LGBTQ+ traveller?

Blog, Diversity & Inclusion, LGBT

With an estimated annual spend of more than $218 billion worldwide prior to the pandemic, the LGBTQ+ travel market is armed and ready to explore the world. It’s not surprising ... Read more

March 1, 2022March 1, 2022

Is off-peak season the new peak season to travel?

Blog, Travel Industry, Trends, Uncategorised

The past couple of years certainly has not been short of drastic changes: major lows, eventual, and in some cases, short-lived highs. But one thing remains true: life goes on. ... Read more

May 3, 2021April 29, 2021

Private Jet Companies Flourish Amidst Industry Slump

Aviation, Blog, Luxury

Due to the limitations and complications of commercial travel, private jet transport has seen a marked increase since last year.

March 4, 2021March 10, 2021

Balancing Safety and Business: How the Hospitality and F&B Sector are Thriving and Surviving in the Face of COVID-19

Blog, Hospitality

The hospitality and F&B sectors are two of the industries most affected by COVID-19. Though normal dining appears not too far away from the horizon, establishments are navigating the balance ... Read more

January 4, 2021January 4, 2021

Marketing luxury travel and hospitality brands in 2021

Blog, Hospitality, Luxury

With not much to travel to and explore, everybody is on their digital devices these days. It’s only wise for brands to use this as a means to reach their ... Read more

December 8, 2020December 8, 2020

Winter Ski Season in the time of COVID-19: What we all Need to Know

Adventure, Blog

It’s that time of the year again when we all crave that much-deserved break and good cheer over the holidays. Given the challenging year we’ve all had, a winter break ... Read more

November 13, 2020November 12, 2020

Travelling to the Maldives: A Paradise Escape in the Time of a Pandemic

Blog, Destinations, Luxury

Last month, UK government authorities have made the decision to include the Maldives to their travel corridor after observing that the epidemiological situation in the island country has ameliorated.

October 7, 2020October 7, 2020

Why Should Travel Brands Get Both a WTTC Stamp and a Certification?

Blog, Travel Industry

The travel sector is proving to be ever hardy and resilient. Six months into the pandemic, and after worldwide lockdowns have taken place, destinations and certain travel and tourism brands ... Read more

August 20, 2020August 19, 2020

Travel Talk and Insight: Adventure Tourism Post-COVID and Beyond

Adventure, Blog, Resilience and Recovery

To help us navigate the terrain of adventure tourism post-COVID, I sat down with a legit adventurer, CEO and Tour Manager of Outdoor Activities in Romania, Mr. Dan Chitila.

July 22, 2020August 19, 2020

Why is it essential for luxury travel and sustainability to have a harmonious future?

Blog, Luxury, Responsible Tourism

Harmony should be created between luxury travel and sustainability. Here’s the reason why…

July 17, 2020August 17, 2020

How will luxury travel preferences shift in a post-Coronavirus world?

Blog, Luxury

If history is believed to repeat itself many times over, then it is predicted that the luxury market will be the first to come out of the dark that this ... Read more

June 19, 2020August 17, 2020

Stringent hotel protocols unveiled as hospitality industry re-opens

Blog, Hospitality, Luxury, Resilience and Recovery

Cleanliness is the new godliness. This is the path that the hospitality sector is headed as major hotels chains and resorts make their re-opening plans known.

April 9, 2020August 12, 2020

What Can Luxury Travel Brands Do in the Midst of a Pandemic?

Blog, Luxury, marketing, Resilience and Recovery, Responsible Tourism

Luxury during a global pandemic. Is there such a thing? Moreover, is it even proper to think about luxury at this time?

December 23, 2019December 23, 2019

How the Quest for Epic Adventures is Changing Luxury Travel

Luxury

Last November 4-6th marked the 40th World Travel Market annual tradeshow at the ExCel London. Attended by over 50,000 representatives from the tourism and travel industry all over the world, ... Read more

September 30, 2019September 30, 2019

Why are Luxury Travellers Heading to Tokyo?

Uncategorised

All eyes seem to be on Japan as the next holiday and event destination. With the Rugby World Cup currently taking place, (it ends on the 2nd of November), and ... Read more

August 15, 2019August 15, 2019

6 Simple Things in the Hospitality and Travel Industry that create a Luxurious Difference

Luxury, WTM Team

It is a well-known fact that it’s the little things that make a big difference – especially when you are in the travel industry. When a client’s experience is comprised ... Read more

June 21, 2019

A Spotlight on the High-Spending Chinese Tourists

Luxury

There is a Chinese proverb that goes, “When the wind of change blows, some build walls, while others build windmills.” When you’re in the tourism and travel industry, you know ... Read more

May 17, 2019May 17, 2019

How Can Travel Brands Make Things More Personal For Luxury Travellers?

Luxury

When talking about travel trends, ‘experience’ has been the keyword in trends across the travel industry. As a whole, consumers are choosing to spend on things that enhance their lives ... Read more

April 17, 2019April 25, 2019

5 new and luxurious resorts that encourage the indulgent

Luxury

Unlike hotels where guests can sometimes book nights out of necessity, resorts are an entirely different business wherein guests book simply because they want to indulge. From equine therapy to ... Read more

March 20, 2019March 20, 2019

How luxury hotel brands cater to female travellers

Luxury

March is a month that celebrates women. It is Women’s History Month, an annual commemoration to highlight the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. On top ... Read more

February 26, 2019February 26, 2019

Popular honeymoon destinations in the Middle East & Asia

Destinations, Halal Tourism, Trends

They say that love is the food of life, and travel is the dessert. If that is to be believed, then it means that honeymoon (the dessert after the wedding) ... Read more

February 14, 2019

Most Romantic Luxury Hotel Amenities

Luxury

“Roses are red, violets are blue. Love is in the air, bring out the fondue.” It’s the month of love, and whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, I think ... Read more

February 1, 2019July 13, 2022

Top 10 Halal Friendly Luxurious Family Destinations

ATM Holiday Shopper

Halal holiday packages are on the rise, with more hotels and countries adapting their offers to their Muslim guests every year. Global demographics are changing, and the range of Muslim ... Read more

January 25, 2019

The Luxury of Solo Travel

Luxury

Solo travel is on the rise across all markets, and you would have to be living under a rock not to notice it. Open any of your favourite social media ... Read more

November 30, 2018

Emerging Luxury Destinations for 2019 and Beyond

Luxury

True or False: When we think of luxury destinations, images of overwater villas in the Maldives and luxury hotels and cars in Monte Carlo may come to mind. Answer: True. ... Read more

October 24, 2018October 24, 2018

Luxury Brand Innovation in Aviation: The Interesting Case of Etihad Airways

Luxury

According to American economist Theodore Levitt, the difference between creativity and innovation is: “Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.” Due to a market that is ... Read more

October 9, 2018August 14, 2020

How Travel & Luxury Brands Can Embrace the Rise of LGBT Travel

Blog, Diversity & Inclusion, Luxury

2018 is filled with news of natural disasters, worldwide political changes, and long-standing wars coming to an end. But there is one thing that is steadily being fought for over ... Read more

July 19, 2018July 19, 2018

Solo Travel is the New Luxury: What This Means for Travel Brands

Luxury

“The man who goes alone can start today, but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.” – Henry David Thoreau Combining adventure with luxury travel ... Read more

June 25, 2018June 25, 2018

How the Travel Industry Provides the Luxury of Sleep

Luxury

The past decade has taught us that luxury is subjective. Luxury no longer has defined and exact standards like chandeliers and butlers. But we can all agree that a simple ... Read more

June 1, 2018

Trends in Luxury Travel for 2018 and Beyond

Luxury

We’re mid-way into 2018 and we can see main luxury travel trends like authentic experiences and travellers going to colder destinations happening. Unique experiences can be quite a general and ... Read more

April 19, 2018

Middle East Carriers and Luxury: A Battle of Indulgence

Luxury

Let’s all do a little time-travelling and look back in the mid-90’s to early 2000’s. This was a time in commercial travel where in general, airlines’ business class seats were ... Read more

March 19, 2018

Why is there a luxury hotel boom in the Middle East?

Luxury

As travellers enjoy the benefits of shared economy business models in companies like Airbnb and Uber, I cannot help but think that the theory of negative correlation rings true across ... Read more

February 22, 2018March 2, 2018

How can travel brands appeal more to the Millennials of the Middle East?

Luxury

If there’s any consumer market that’s been studied the most the in last five years, it would be Generation Y, more popularly known as the Millennials. Millennials, classified as those ... Read more

November 24, 2017November 24, 2017

The shape of luxury travel for 2018

Luxury

As we hang on to the remaining weeks of 2017, I can’t help but marvel how time flies so quickly, and it seems to even pick up speed towards this ... Read more

October 19, 2017October 20, 2017

The future of luxury aviation is closer and simpler than it seems

Luxury

Today’s society has never been more educated and aware about being politically, racially, culturally, and sexually correct. Yet whenever I feel that we are truly living in the age of ... Read more

September 27, 2017October 4, 2017

What should luxury hotels do in order to thrive?

Luxury

Put yourself in a luxury hotelier’s shoes for a moment. It’s 2017. With endless types of accommodation options and lodging models, it’s a great time to be a traveller and ... Read more

July 26, 2017October 4, 2017

How can brands sell luxury travel effectively?

Blog, Luxury

As each year brings different travel trends in the luxury market, we see the face of luxury travellers changing. Their lifestyle, the way they travel, and even who they are, ... Read more

June 26, 2017October 4, 2017

Young, Rich and Adventurous: What do the Affluent Chinese Millennial Travellers Want?

Luxury

It’s not news that Chinese travellers have been dominating the tourism sector over the last decade as outbound travel from China continues to grow. It’s also no secret that Asian ... Read more

June 7, 2017October 4, 2017

Defining the luxury traveller of today

Blog, Luxury

As luxury travellers’ needs keep evolving, it gets more and more complex to define who they are and what they really want. It’s no longer just about targeting who likes ... Read more

April 27, 2017June 7, 2017

Is isolation the next big thing in luxury travel?

Blog, Luxury

Through the years, there have been many attempts to define what luxury is. What we can all agree on is that luxury is subjective, personal, and ever changing. Last month, ... Read more

March 22, 2017March 22, 2017

The Rise and Rise of Luxury Travel Agents

Luxury

When online travel booking sites became the norm for people to book their travels, everybody soon became their own travel agents. For a number of years, we’ve seen the closure ... Read more

February 22, 2017February 23, 2017

5 Luxury Travel Trends for 2017

Blog, Luxury

We may be in the last throes of 2017’s first quarter, but it’s better late than never. For a luxury travel trend article, that is. From the rise of smaller hotels ... Read more

October 28, 2016January 23, 2017

Luxury Travellers Target Peaceful Nations Over Traditional Luxury Destinations

Luxury

We all know that global issues directly affect travel decisions. To further solidify this belief, the latest report from Travel Leaders Group show that affluent travellers has turned to the ... Read more

September 28, 2016April 27, 2022

The Emerging Niche of Luxury-Adventure Travel

Luxury

“A serving of adventure with a dose of luxury, please…“ Virtuoso’s Luxe report is out, and the message is clear: Luxury travellers are getting more adventurous. Virtuoso, an international network ... Read more

August 31, 2016January 23, 2017

Luxury Travel is on the Rise. How Can Travel Brands Take Advantage?

Luxury

Luxury Travel is on the Rise. How Can Travel Brands Take Advantage? A couple of months ago, we dissected the six new types of traveller tribes based on travel IT group ... Read more

July 29, 2016January 23, 2017

Defining the Asian Luxury Traveller

Luxury

Six years ago, the annual Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Report declared that Asia has caught up with Europe in terms of its high-net worth population and their wealth. It was reported then ... Read more

June 29, 2016January 23, 2017

Say Hello to the New Tribe of Luxury Travellers. Which One Do You Belong to?

Luxury

Travel IT group Amadeus has recently released a new report, “Shaping the Future of Luxury Travel”. From recent luxury travel trend reports, we have gathered that the needs of the ... Read more

May 31, 2016February 6, 2017

4 Luxurious Expeditions That Will Bring out The Adventurer in You

Luxury

“It is human nature to stretch, to go, to see, to understand. Exploration is not a choice, really; it’s an imperative.” – Michael Collins For the longest time, humans have ... Read more

March 30, 2016January 23, 2017

7 Luxury hotel openings to look forward to in 2016

Luxury

The year 2016 is a bustling and exciting one in the luxury hotel industry. We’ve just finished off the first quarter of the year, and already, there have been long-awaited ... Read more

February 29, 2016January 23, 2017

Five Luxury Travel Trends We Can See in 2016

Luxury

It feels like we were just wishing colleagues and business contacts pleasantries and tidings of the new year, and here we are, well into entering the third month of 2016! ... Read more

December 21, 2015January 23, 2017

The Most Expensive Cities in the World to Ring in the New Year

Luxury

In less than 10 days, the New Year will be upon us. While some of us will choose to stay at home considering that this season is one of the ... Read more

November 16, 2015January 23, 2017

Luxury Travel Trends to Look Out For

Luxury

The 2015 World Travel Market just ended successfully last week. As always, WTM serves both as an industry ‘wrap up’ for the travel year that’s been, and more importantly, as ... Read more

October 19, 2015April 29, 2022

Cycling is the new golf: 5 ways that may change luxury hotels

Luxury

Last year’s World Travel Market’s Global Trends Report has revealed that cycling tourism is overtaking golf tourism’s popularity as more businessmen (middle-aged males) swap their golf clubs for bicycles. In the ... Read more

September 14, 2015January 23, 2017

Top 5 Luxury Cabin Products From Major Airlines

Luxury

For quite some time during the 90’s to the early 2000’s, frequent fliers have lamented that the so-called “Golden Age” of flying is gone. No one dressed up for flights any more, ... Read more

August 11, 2015April 14, 2022

Luxury Travellers Seek Authentic Experiences When They Travel

Blog, Luxury

There’s more to life than thread count and butler service. At least that’s what luxury travellers these days are telling themselves. This year’s Virtuoso Luxe Report included finding out the top reasons ... Read more

July 17, 2015April 20, 2022

10 Luxury Travellers’ Dream Destinations for 2016

Luxury

Yes, it’s that time of the year already. The first half of the year has gone and it’s now time to start planning where the travel bug will take you ... Read more

June 19, 2015January 23, 2017

How the Big Spenders of the World Splurge

Luxury

Today let’s talk about the world’s big spenders and their spending habits. The Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus wisely said: “You must spend money to make money.” Going by this year’s ... Read more

May 11, 2015January 23, 2017

7 Surprisingly Simple Luxury Hotel Amenities That Make a Difference

Luxury

More than the bed linen thread counts, gleaming bathroom tiles, and penthouse suites sizes, what most guests remember when staying at luxury hotels are the unique service experience they get. ... Read more

April 15, 2015April 29, 2022

Luxury Travel Trends for 2015

Luxury

“Luxury is in each detail.” – Hubert de Givenchy, designer. While not exclusive to fashion, the description of luxury remains true, and year after year, luxury travellers all over the ... Read more