Internova Reveals the One Thing UHNW Travelers Won’t Stop Paying For
Year-to-date booking insights highlight strong demand for front-of-plane travel, private yachts, and remote, nature-led destinations.
Photo: Frugal Flyer / Unsplash
Internova Travel Group used its ILTM Cannes briefing last week to share new year-to-date booking data for 2025, and one theme cuts through the numbers: UHNW travelers are consistently paying more for privacy-focused travel. The company reports sustained strength in premium cabins and sharp growth in private-format sea bookings, pointing to the segments where high-end travelers are directing the most spend.
Across Internova’s $4.5 billion global air program, 63% of all air dollars this year have gone to the front of the plane. Europe remains one of the company’s top international performers, while demand in Japan continues to expand beyond Tokyo into secondary cities such as Osaka. The Caribbean also remains one of the most reliable luxury leisure regions. At the same time, interest in remote and nature-driven destinations—including Patagonia, Atacama, and the Galápagos—is rising across the network.
Sea travel shows even more concentrated spending. Luxury cruise bookings now average more than $20,000, up 8% year over year. Private yacht bookings average $38,000 and have grown nearly 20%, reflecting heightened interest in customizable, small-format travel. Expedition cruising, particularly to Antarctica, remains one of the fastest-growing categories.
“Luxury travelers today are prioritizing deeper access, greater privacy and more personalized experiences—and the way they’re getting that is through expert travel advisors,” said J.D. O’Hara, CEO of Internova Travel Group. “Privacy has become one of today’s most powerful luxury currencies,” added Albert Herrera, the group’s executive vice president of partner relations.
Internova represents more than 100,000 advisors across more than 80 countries and was recently named to Forbes’ Most Trusted Companies in America 2026 list.
