Hosted buyer registrations for Premium Travel 2006 are already 150% up on the same time last year.

Research conducted on the show’s website among those registering for a place, reveals that 59% of individuals are handling travel budgets in excess of £1m and 19% look after budgets in excess of £500k.

To date buyers from the UK, Continental Europe, the Middle East, China, India, Russia and the USA have already confirmed their attendance.

Premium Travel, which takes place at London’s Royal Albert Hall on 27th and 28^th April, is the UK’s only dedicated business forum for the luxury end of the travel industry and over 2 days more than 10,000 appointments between both UK and overseas buyers and the top international travel brands will take place.

Exhibiting companies have also increased by over 100% with luxury brands representing hotels, tourist offices, cruise lines, destinations, and spas. Over 60 companies and many hundreds of individual properties will be present.

A full list of participating companies is detailed on www.premiumtravel2006.com.

According to a new report entitled “The World of Travel in 2020” delivered by The Future Foundation;  “Luxury will no longer equate to the most expensive. A one size fits all approach will no longer work - WTO estimates that by 2020 the average traveler will be taking up to four vacations a year in an expansion of the current trend for more short breaks and over the next 15 years people will increasingly want to be differentiated by what they do, not what they buy and this will drive a desire for experience- driven travel.”

“In their pursuit for individualism, consumers will look for new experiences such as controlled danger, unusual environments and cultures, personal or physical improvement and emotional development. They will not, however, wish to re-visit the same place.”

“Loyalty to a travel supplier will be driven by an intermediary’s ability to deliver a fresh stream of one-off experimental vacations. They are likely to combine pampering with personal development and purchase vacations based on emotional, not financial values. The study also suggests that personal service will increasingly outweigh price as the key differentiator. In response, travel companies will have to redefine their luxury offers.”

“Participating companies at Premium Travel are focusing on the luxury experience, whether they be individual hotels, an island, spas, hotel groups, and destinations they all of have one thing in common – they are dedicating their time to discuss how they can tailor make an experience for their guests that suits their every need” says Nick Perry, Chairman of Ultratravel Ltd.

For information on exhibiting please contact emma.cuthell@haynet.com or nick@ultratravelgroup.com. For buyer registration please register on www.premiumtravel2006.com. Attendance is by invitation only with all attendees being pre-selected.