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Manifest Launches Elite Members’ Clubs for HNWI Travellers
Reflecting the insulated excursions we feature in Shielded Luxury for HNWIs, US tour operator Manifest is rolling out an elite travel membership targeting ultra-wealthy consumers. Members will have access to exclusive itineraries that ensure a protective cocoon remains around them from home to hotel.
Manifest operates as a city-based travel club, with chapters centred around the US’s highest-earning zip codes. The initial launch is taking place on the West Coast in Los Angeles, San Jose and Denver. To retain an exclusive ambience (and ensure high-level service), each city club is limited to 175 members. There are plans to launch within 50 cities over the next few years, with San Diego, Santa Barbara and Phoenix to follow in late 2020.
Members can pick from a selection of tours, which are sorted according to the activity type. The tours lean on outdoor excursions such as fishing, golf, yoga and hiking. There’s also a selection of softer trips that allow for wine tasting or spa treatments. It’s a clever mix that taps consumers’ increasing desire for nature-focused escapes – a trend we explore in Soft Tourism.
In addition to socially distant outdoor activities, Manifest provides travellers access to private ground and air transportation – a move that reflects the skyrocketing demand for private jet transportation among high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) since mid-March (see Shielded Luxury for HNWIs for details).
Manifest’s exclusive membership model ultimately illustrates the importance of discretion for wealthy travellers in the pandemic landscape. As we explain in Tomorrow’s Super-Spender Luxury Travellers, low-profile trips were making in-roads pre-pandemic, but they’re poised to skyrocket as HNWIs opt for tours that protect them from potentially crowded environments. Manifest’s vetted excursions adapted for family bubbles offer an appealing alternative.
