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New owner transforming Dynasty Travel into travel tech company, planning luxe experiences

SINGAPORE - Dynasty Travel, a brand-name agency established in 1978, is transforming into a travel technology company for the post-pandemic landscape.

It was acquired late last year in an eight-figure deal by Travel Curators, a Singapore-headquartered travel technology company that began as a mobile app targeted at affluent travellers seeking bespoke travel services in Japan.

The global pandemic is an opportune moment to digitalise Dynasty Travel, after its 100 per cent acquisition from JTB Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of Japan's largest travel company JTB Corporation, said Mr Teo Tianyi, founder of Travel Curators.

"With leisure and business travel severely disrupted by the ongoing pandemic, we see a unique opportunity to lead the digitalisation of the travel agency industry, and provide greater value-added services for global clients seeking safe and hassle-free ways to explore and learn more about our planet," said the Singaporean private equity investor, who was based in Tokyo for a decade.

The niche experiences in Japan crafted by Travel Curators include hunting ezo-bafun sea urchins with local fishermen on Rishiri Island in Hokkaido, while learning about how climate change is affecting the population of these ocean delicacies.

Travellers can also harvest organic mazuma wasabi with an artisanal grower who picks off pests by hand daily.

Travel Curators, a start-up founded in 2016, works closely with local communities in Japan and other countries to design one-of-a-kind experiences that also create a positive impact on the people, economy and environment of each place.

It is helping to preserve culture by, for instance, producing short films on best-in-class Japanese artisans, many of whom are retiring without successors. These include a Noh mask carver in Kyoto and an incense maker in Osaka.

Though it has stayed low profile, its refreshing approach to bespoke travel and efforts to give back have been highlighted by international media, including National Geographic and Esquire.

Bloomberg reported in 2018 that it has "an impressive Rolodex with the country's elite, facilitating everything from brown bear safaris in Hokkaido to private dinners with the cast of a live-action manga movie".

In the same spirit, Dynasty Travel, one of the largest travel agencies in Singapore, will design bespoke adventures aligned with the environmental and social responsibility practices of its new owner - beginning with chartered luxury cruises to exotic places such as Antarctica and the Galapagos this year, Mr Teo said.

Journeys to Indonesian rainforests to learn more about wildlife protection and climate change are also being planned.

In line with the new ethos, the premises of Dynasty Travel in New Bridge Road will be redesigned for clients to enjoy a concierge-style customer experience that differs from the previous counter-style format.

The office floors will also be revamped to reflect the company's new technology-driven business approach, with an array of spaces such as quiet spots for focused work and relaxing common areas for informal discussions.

Meanwhile, the company is also recruiting new talent to strengthen its management team.

The rebranded Dynasty Travel is expected to amplify its presence in Asia under the ownership of Travel Curators, which also supplies its proprietary Tora-Q trip planning and management technology to leading travel agencies around the world.

In a strategic partnership, Travel Curators is also providing its Tora-Q system to JTB Asia Pacific to transform its business model and create new digital touchpoints for clients.

JTB Asia Pacific will also leverage Travel Curators' technology and trip curation expertise to design unique travel experiences around the world for a global clientele.

More transformation lies ahead. Mr Teo said: "As worldwide travel demand rebounds in the coming years, our acquisition of Dynasty Travel will put us in a prime position to rapidly grow our business and user base."

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Dynasty Travel, a brand-name agency established in 1978, is transforming into a travel technology company for the post-pandemic landscape.

31 January 2022

In a world where we can see nearly anything our hearts desire online, traveling is no longer about seeing new places. We believe that travel can be a force for good, when it is weaved together with education, entertainment, engagement and the environment. And with technology, traveling with us becomes a hassle-free and seamless experience.

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CUSTOMER REVIEW

The May trip to Japan “The Best Of Central Honshu”, was a very good experience especially the Alpine Route. This “Premium Tour” small group was very good, from total strangers became good friends. Very Good Food and Hotel arrangements. I would like to compliment Ms Diana Chua, our Singapore Tour Leader, she is pleasant, very caring and helpful. The Japan Tour Guide Philip Tan was good too.

As a first-time client of Travel Curators, I did not know what to expect. But by the end of my trip, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of their service, their systematic planning and especially their responsiveness throughout the trip to last minute requests. They lived up to their billing as a white glove travel concierge service. While I could do my own research and plan a rough itinerary to meet my families’ specific interests, Travel Curators helped tremendously. Thanks to Travel Curators, my family left Japan with many fond memories.”

Had a 12 day private tour to Japan via Dynasty Travel. Overall, a refreshing, memorable and meaningful trip given our focused and free and easy tour. Meticulous and customised arrangements to fulfil our requirements. We thus have a good grasp of both Kyoto and Nagoya, and Japan in general after this trip.

Good food and hotel and itinerary. Their tours are good. Went with them to Turkey in Oct 22.

My husband and I had a wonderful experience to Central Honshu with Dynasty travel in May. Itinerary is good (esp. the Alpine Route!) and not so rushing throughout the trip. Tour leader, Diana, is friendly, well organized and helpful. She attend to our needs from simple things like buying fruits to buying Sake. 🍶😁 Also, Diana always make effort to look out on my elderly sister! Our travelling group were all lovely companions and everybody got along very well – A very comforting feeling! Overall the whole trip was very enjoyable. Good job Dynasty! 👍

Did a Mie/Aichi Japan private trip in early April. Thanks to Stephanie and her team, our needs and interests were met. Fine details like our food and accommodation preference from our previous Shizuoka trip in 2022 were noted. The clam digging experience in Aichi perfecture was definitely a unique birthday gift for my wife. Looking forward to our next trip.

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Dynasty Travel bakes up a storm for charity drive

The pandemic may have dealt the travel industry a massive blow, but Singapore-based tour agency Dynasty Travel is forging ahead with its annual charity drive to aid needful residents of Singapore.

It has launched Food from the Heart – Project Belanja, an initiative that enables beneficiaries to redeem freshly cooked meals at designated food stalls across the island. These include hawker stalls and F&B owners in residential areas such as Tampines, Toa Payoh and Mountbatten, with both halal and non-halal food options.

Aiming to raise S$10,000 (US$7,240) towards this cause, staff of Dynasty Travel have been kept busy baking, cooking and delivering meals, as well as designing and broadcasting digital content for the campaign.

“Our director of MICE will be cooking XO prosperity glutinous rice, our senior manager of product development will be baking chocolate cake and monster cookies, and our senior manager in marketing is baking cheese cake and cinnamon rolls. For myself, I will be baking the butter banana raisins cake,” shared Alicia Seah, Dynasty Travel’s director, public relations & communications.

She added: “Despite the difficulties and challenges, we are forging ahead with our charity drive as it is even more important that we continue our CSR journey this year to help those who have been hit hard by the current crisis.”

To prepare for the project, staff involved in food preparation attended and passed the Workforce Skills Qualification food safety and hygiene course, approved by the National Environment Agency.

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Singapore travel company Dynasty Travel launches 19-day expedition to Antarctica

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The expedition, taking place on board the Ocean Albatros, begins in Argentina, travelling through the Drake Passage then continuing on to Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).

The Ocean Albatros. (Photo: Dynasty Travel)

Melissa Stewart

Leading luxury travel company Dynasty Travel is celebrating its 45th anniversary and to mark this milestone, the company has announced a 19-day expedition to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and South Georgia. The expedition will take place on board the brand-new Ocean Albatros, operated by Albatros Expeditions.

In a press release, Dynasty Travel said that the ship will take no more than 150 clients. Guests can expect gastronomical delights on board, prepared using locally sourced seafood by a renowned chef specially flown in from Japan. The company will also collaborate with luxury brands to create special gifts that clients can use during and after the trip.

The expedition will begin on Nov 5. Guests will start the ocean-going part of their journey in Ushuaia, Argentina. The ship will travel through the mighty Drake Passage before making landfall at the South Shetland Islands. The journey then continues to the Antarctica peninsula, followed by South Georgia and the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). Guests will return to Ushuaia 19 days later.

On board the Ocean Albatros, guests will find spacious cabins and a luxurious interior design incorporating wooden fittings, a pastel colour palette and colourful Scandi accessories. Complementing the usual buffet restaurant is a new sushi restaurant built on Dynasty Travel’s request, with an open sushi counter.

During the expedition, guests can disembark and explore the Antarctica continent on foot, coming up close with nature and wildlife. With leading polar researchers as their guides, they will also learn about the deeply intertwined relationship between ice shelves and Earth’s terrestrial organisms, and how climate change is affecting the ecosystem of Antarctica and the rest of the world.

Dynasty Travel was founded in 1978. In early 2022, the company was acquired by Japan-based travel technology company, Travel Curators. Since the acquisition, the company has undergone a brand transformation.

Its new motto is “travel well, learn more and do good”. In this line, the company’s new focus is to provide its clients with meaningful, educational and immersive travel experiences.

What is it like to travel to Antarctica and is it worth it?

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Welcome to Dynasty Travel

Travel agency, about dynasty travel.

Dynasty Travel pledges over 30 years of dedication in serving all travelers' needs beyond the shores of Singapore. Our corporate objective is to provide the most comprehensive personalised travel services by our team of professionals. We are committed towards offering a full range of products and services to cater to the specific needs from escorted group and free and independent packages for the general public, to incentive and conference packages for corporate firms. Our achievement awards serve as public endorsement for our dedicated staff and Management to continuously upgrade ourselves in customer travel service.

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Eco-friendly, family holidays, yoga & meditation, singapore , brisbane , gold coast , tangalooma, 1 rating & 1 review.

Kausani itself a nice palace but root is very tired. Only one day we can expand.

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Company Profile

About / Company Profile

Name of the Company : DYNASTY TRAVELS LIMITED

• Dynasty Travels Ltd (DTL) is one of the leading and renowned travel agents in Bangladesh, serving in the Travel, Hajj and Umrah sector for the last 3 decades. DTL is an IATA Accredited agent having IATA code # 42302514 and providing best possible travels solution to its valued clients. It is incorporated with the register of joint stock companies, Government of Bangladesh since 1989.
• Having established long 3 decades back, the company went through assorted experience and gained slowly but steadily a strong footing through its long journey in the Travel Industry of Bangladesh. Apart from doing conventional Ticketing, Hajj & Umrah business it has expended its business significantly in the area of Hajj and Umrah which forms a major part of total travel business in Bangladesh. Hundreds of Umrah and Hajj packages are sold by the sister companies of Dynasty Group of Companies. Dynasty organizes its big volume of Hajj and Umrah business through its sister concern and associate members and controls more or less 20% of Hajj Umrah business through its group network. Dynasty Travels Limited deploys adequate manpower and uses resources and logistics for procuring Hajj and Umrah operation in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia as well. DTL and some of its group members are approved by Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia as Umrah and Hajj Visa processing Agent. Dynasty Travels Limited is the largest Hajj & Umah Ticket seller in Bangladesh.
• Dynasty Group of Companies has a Manpower Recruiting wing in the name of “Shaheen Travels” which recruits and sends manpower and process Visa for Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman and other Gulf Countries.
• We have very experienced personal for ultimate travel solution. Dynasty Travels Limited provides you one-stop service where you can get Air Ticket,Hajj & Umrah Package ,Visa Processing and many more. Dynasty Travels Limited has well experienced Airlines professional, well trained and qualified sales team to find complete travel solution for its passengers. DTL is authorized by all major Airlines operating to and from Bangladesh to have real-time access their reservation network with issuance of tickets for travelling anywhere of the world. It provides its services to wide range of high profile customers of government and non-government organization.
• DTL has a comprehensive network in the travel trade of Bangladesh and extends services to its variety of customers that includes business people, leisure traffic, holiday makers to different points of popular destinations in the Gulf Region and rest of the world. It gives full range of hajj service, umrah service, travel services, Visa assistance and other related services required by travelers during their journey.
• Year of Establishment : 1988
• Managing Director & CEO : M. Shahadat Hossain (Taslim)
• Registered Office : Paramount Heights, Level-11 65/2/1, Boxculvert Road Purana Paltan, Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh.
• Corporate Office : DR Tower 65/2/2, Box Culvert Road, Purana Paltan, Dhaka-1000
• Nature of the Company : Private Limited Company
• Country of the Incorporation : Bangladesh
• IATA Accreditation Code : IATA-42-3 0251 4
• Affiliation : ATAB, HAAB, BAIRA, ATAB, IATA, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism
• Number of Staff : 28
• Website Address : www.dynastytravelsltd.com

Our Specialty as service provider

• International Ticketing on all Airlines
• Specialized for Hajj & Umrah Operations
• Best possible Air fare
• Specialized Visa Assistance
• Domestic Ticket on all local carriers
• Specialized Visa services for Umrah
• Work on holidays and after office if so required by clients.

Dynasty CEO: IPO still 'on the radar' as firm targets $100B by July

shelved plans for an initial public offering , supported independence firm Dynasty Financial Partners still has ambitions to go public when markets get on steadier ground. 

Investors Forum in Nashville. Ron Insana, CNBC contributor and chief market strategist at Dynasty, moderated the chat. "Look out a couple of years when maybe things have normalized a bit in the market, where it's less choppy," Penney said. 

IPO filed Jan. 2022 that would have raised $100 million , instead electing to finance with minority stakes to Charles Schwab and private equity firm Abry Partners. Many RIAs in the network and firm employees also own shares, he said.

Penney told InvestmentNews he still hoped to go public "well into 2023" if market conditions improved. Currently over half the firms in the Dynasty network use Schwab as their custodian, a Dynasty spokesperson said in an email.  

The IPO market is tricky to navigate and takes a long time to weave through, Penney said on Tuesday. "You can't just file and then start a roadshow. You have to get all the public audit work done, which takes a year, and it's very expensive and time consuming. You have to get all your ducks in a row with your investment banking partners, you have to line up all the conversations and get to know the investors." He blamed Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 2022 for scrambling the IPO markets and closing the IPO window for a historically long time. "We talk every week to the head of capital markets at our investment banks. The window wasn't gonna open anytime soon. We pivoted." 

St. Petersburg, Florida-based Dynasty is still sitting pretty. The firm Penney began in 2010 currently has 52 RIAs in its network of advisors, he said, and $85 billion of assets that sit on its tech platform. 

Dynasty seeks to boost M&A work with its own new investment bank

"Internally … don't want to do this too prematurely, but we've started planning for our $100 billion party," he said. Penney said he was aiming to reach that mark, "conservatively," by July 4, 2024 — a date the firm hopes to capitalize on in its appeal to independent advisors as "independence day." 

Wells Fargo — and Penney sees no sign of that slowing down. 

"You're going to see larger, more sophisticated teams that have larger, more sophisticated end clients continue to move to independence quickly, because they realize higher income for them ... and more freedom and flexibility in how they service clients," he said. He added that when Dynasty launched 14 years ago, a very large breakaway team might have had $250 million of assets under management — but the firm has since onboarded "dozens" of teams with $500 million, $1 billion, or multi-billions in AUM. 

"I would venture to say that in the last five years, we've probably done more $1 billion dollar breakaways than the rest of the industry combined. Our pipeline is filled with more large, substantial breakaway opportunities." 

The winds of the industry are flying at Dynasty's back, Penney said. "There are no break-back brokers," he said, adding that virtually no large teams have ever gone independent and then come back to a wirehouse or large BD environment. "So it's a one way street over the last 20-plus years." 

launched an investment bank this year which can help advisors grow inorganically. That new service is a unique part of its value proposition to advisors, Penney said. In addition, "We've launched our leads business, Dynasty Connect, which is starting to gain some great momentum." 

At a separate panel for media Tuesday on the firm's role in the M&A market, Harris Baltch, the head of M&A and capital strategies at Dynasty, said there are many more advisors moving to independence than before. At the same time, many advisors are retiring out, creating deal demand. "The number of RIAs that were created in the first three quarters of the year far outpaces the number that are getting gobbled up." He said he expected more M&A in years to come. 

Phillip Knight, managing director and partner at Americana Partners, an RIA in the Dynasty network, said in the panel that the firm's support in scaling up and deciding how to set up his business was helpful on many levels and had given him confidence in becoming more entrepreneurial after leaving Morgan Stanley. 

join Americana had been a very hard process, but "absolutely worth it. I wouldn't go back." 

Penney said his firm's strong financial position would make it even more attractive in the M&A market for helping advisors with deals. 

"We're flush with capital in an environment where it's a huge advantage to have that balance sheet, and Dynasty has zero debt. So, relative to a lot of other players that have high levels of leverage with interest rates that are probably about to reset on them higher, it puts us in a very strong position to support our advisors on growth," he said. 

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Dynasty Program Teaches Advisors How To Act As CEOs

June 26, 2024 • Jacqueline Sergeant

But are they prepared to run a business? As Casey Jorgensen puts it, “To their credit, broker-dealers did a pretty good job of training [advisors], but now we are getting into this world where advisors who are now first-time executives and business owners don’t have the training to run their firms.”    Jorgensen, senior vice president for relationship management at Dynasty Financial Partners, said that with the rush of advisors starting their independent wealth management firms, “there isn’t a lot of specialized executive coaching to help them with that journey, not to mention the fact that they are bringing talent with them or trying to hire talent within their organization."

Dynasty, she said, has recognized that there is a lack of training and development programs for the RIA space, and has created Dynasty Institute for Executive Leadership to help fill the void. The program, over the past four years, has created professional development offerings for all levels of the organizational chart of an independent wealth management firm, she said. The offerings include the  Emerging Advisor Program for new or aspiring financial advisors, which focuses on client acquisition; and the Whole Family Advisors Training Program for advisors who are working with wealthy families and those aspiring to do the same.

In 2021, the Advisors to CEOs program was added. The program, in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, trains first-time executives how to run their business. The year-long program includes two days of in-person sessions, webinars and roundtables, Jorgensen said. It covers a range of topics including  entrepreneurial leadership, effective performance conversations, advisor accountability, categorizing talents and evaluating performance, client experience innovation strategy, next generation leaders and navigating AI in the wealth management industry.

Jorgensen said there has been great interest in the program from new CEOs who have become a part of the Dynasty network. And many of them have repeated the program to take advantage of the new content delivered annually, she said. Jorgensen said that the program has built a network of executives. Twenty-five executives graduated from the program in 2022 and 50 graduated in 2023, she said. 

One of those graduates is Michael Durso, CEO of Shore Haven Wealth Partners in Red Bank, N.J. Durso, who co-founded the firm in July 2020, said he worked in asset management for 10 years before working alongside his father, Lawrence Durso, at Morgan Stanley from 2016 to 2020.

Durso said he learned much from his father, who has been in the industry for more than four decades and now serves as chairman for the business, but the Dynasty program was a welcome step in the learning process. He noted that while his father handled his business at Morgan Stanley as if it was his own, “at the end of the day, when you’re inside a big company … you really only have so much autonomy to what you can do for business or for your client." Durso said that as he was transitioning to the CEO role at his firm, his father encouraged him to go through the program. He went through it twice. His other partner in the firm, Michael Lombardi, who serves as chief planning officer, went through the program in the second year.   

“It was really helpful,” Durso said. “I think historically a lot of the things you saw from a training standpoint focus a lot more on the traditional financial advisor activities like financial planning or maybe investment type stuff, but this was completely away from that. A lot of the things we learned were much more relevant to business owners."

He noted that the second year of the program was more focused on AI, specifically leveraging the technology to create scale or in the place of hiring an employee. The key takeaway here, he said, is to make sure that your employees are in the right roles or doing the right things to keep up their skills.

Durso said it was gratifying to go to MIT and learn from “some of the smartest people in the world” about different techniques and approaches to managing a business. And having his partner with him at the in-person sessions also was a plus, he said, because there were things that they could really dig into for their business. “We were able to bring back some really good things to the team,” he said.

Spending time with network partners also was one of the high points of the program, Durso said. “You kind of learn some of the tricks of the trade from people who are either CEOs for a while or people like myself who were becoming a CEO. Learning different ways that they have done things in their businesses was really helpful,” he said.

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Duck Dynasty: Everything That Happened With Willie's Duck Diner (& Where Willie Robertson Is Now)

• Willie Robertson opened Willie's Duck Diner in 2013, serving duck dishes and classic comfort foods, but closed it in 2019.
• Willie and his family faced a drive-by shooting in 2020, leading to the arrest of the assailant, who later sued the Robertsons.
• Willie remains CEO of Duck Commander. He also appeared on The Masked Singer and released a book on faith in 2024.

Willie's Duck Diner in Louisiana was Willie Robertson's other money-making venture during A&E's Duck Dynasty . Willie was one of the main cast members on Duck Dynasty and the third son of the dynastic Robertson family. With a business degree from Northeast Louisiana University, Willie became CEO of the family-operated Duck Commander business and is arguably most responsible for turning the company from a small shop into a multimillion-dollar bonanza .

Like all the male family members in Duck Dynasty , Willie sports a long beard, though his is much bushier than everyone else's, making him a standout figure on the reality show. The series premiered in 2012 and lasted for 11 seasons before ending in 2017. Duck Dynasty was about the company on the surface, but it really centered on the bandana-wearing, duck-shooting, controversy-courting Robertson family. The family's new fame and wealth made for interesting content outside the show too , as they all capitalized on their name for a variety of ventures, especially Willie Robertson.

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Willie's Duck Diner Closed In 2019

The duck-themed louisiana restaurant opened in 2013.

In 2013, Willie opened his own restaurant "Willie's Duck Diner" in West Monroe, Louisiana, and of course, duck was a big menu item (via Eater ). The restaurant served duck gumbo and fried duck strips, as well as classic restaurant comfort foods like meatloaf and chicken-fried steak. However, Willi e and his wife Korie had to close the business in 2019 , and it has not since reopened. On Yelp , the location is marked permanently closed, with a final review score of 2.8 out of 5 stars. It's unknown why Willie's Duck Diner closed.

Willie Robertson & His Family Survived A Drive-By Shooting In 2020

The assailant was arrested and then sued the robertsons.

Willie and his family have had to face more hardships than their restaurant closing after Duck Dynasty . On April 24, 2020, Willie's family was the victim of a drive-by shooting (via News Star ). That evening, 8-10 bullets struck Willie's estate in West Monroe, Louisiana . While Willie wasn'tt at the time, one bullet went through a window into the bedroom shared by Willie's son John Luke Robertson lived with his wife, Mary Kate McEachern, and their infant child. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

Two days later, the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of Daniel King Jr., 38, of West Monroe.

Two days later, the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of Daniel King Jr., 38, of West Monroe. He claimed he had been drinking and wanted to test out a new gun. Oddly, King went on to sue Willie's family for defamation (via TMZ ), saying that the Robertsons' statements to police after his arrest were, " calculated, false and ultimately defamatory ." However, at the time of his arrest, King confessed to the shooting and there's still a criminal case open against him. THus, it's unclear why exactly King has presented this lawsuit.

Willie Robertson Remains CEO Of Duck Commander & Wrote A Book On Religion

Willie also appeared on season 6 of the masked singer.

Willie became CEO of Duck Commander in his 30s, finally realizing just what his father was trying to build (via Sioux Falls ). The company, which he is the chief executive operator of, sells paraphernalia related to duck hunting, Duck Dynasty , and their signature duck calls, along with a line of other animal calls for hunting (via Duck Commander ). Besides duck-related business, Willie also competed in season 6 of The Masked Singer under the name "Mallard" . Wearing a swanky duck costume with a top hat, Willie went far and was eliminated in Week 8.

Pop singer Jewel, dressed as the Queen of Hearts, ended up winning The Masked Singer season 6.

Willie Robertson released a book in May 2024, Gospeler: Turning Darkness into Light One Conversation at a Time . This book tracks Willie's journey to find his faith. He often posts about the book on his Instagram along with plenty of pictures of his Duck Dynasty friends and family.

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Luxury property on Wander.com

How the Luxury Travel Industry is Changing

High-quality accommodations are a cornerstone of luxury travel. Five-star hotels and resorts dominate the landscape where guests expect a consistent experience across a brand’s portfolio. While each location may have its unique traits, certain “creature comforts” like rainfall showerheads, fireplaces, or comfortable bedding are uniform.

The coronavirus pandemic is a catalyst for the industry’s rapid changes. Specifically, many travelers started staying at vacation homes for extra privacy and personal amenities. However, the lack of hotel-grade amenities at many properties detracts from the guest’s experience.

Experiencing the imminent need for better stays himself, John Andrew Entwistle founded Wander in May 2021 to provide luxury vacation home experiences without sacrificing the quality of luxury hotels.

Entwistle’s timing is impeccable. He had just stepped down from running his last company and was using this getaway to reflect on his future. Specifically, his Colorado rental cabin with uncomfortable beds, unreliable internet, and no dedicated workspace inspired him to mesh the quality of luxury hotels with the comfort of private vacation homes.

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Currently, Wander embraces his dream by owning and operating more than 90 locations in desirable destinations across the United States, including Big Sur, Yosemite, Malibu, Vail, Telluride, the Atlantic Coast, and the New England countryside.

Each property includes the following core amenities:

• AI-assisted services
• Smart bed technology
• Modern workstations
• Wellness features (i.e., pools, saunas, and hot tubs)
• 24/7 concierge service

“With an industry-leading 93%+ guest satisfaction rate, we’re the first end-to-end travel platform for trips, experiences, and concierge service,” says Entwistle who is currently Wander’s CEO and previously a Forbes 30 under 30 and Thiel Fellow.

Entwistle continues, “In a world where expectations are high and disappointments are plenty, where so much of the infrastructure to experience the world is broken, Wander stands as a

beacon of what the future of luxury travel can be: consistent, beautiful, and

unforgettable.“

Luxury Travel Growth Trends

Luxury hospitality is the fastest-growing travel segment with 6% anticipated annual growth through 2025, reports McKinsey in its The State of Travel and Hospitality 2024 report.

McKinsey finds the rapid increase stems from several factors:

• Younger generations prefer experiences, thereby allocating more for travel than previous generations at a similar age.
• 66% of surveyed travelers are more interested in travel now than pre-pandemic.
• 35% of travelers have a net worth between $100,000 and $1 million. The advent of aspiring luxury travelers who splurge on select trip components—lodging, special meals, or flight upgrades—debunks the notion that luxury travel is only for millionaires.
• Luxury travel is no longer almost exclusively for travelers from the United States or Europe, as more international residents have increased purchasing power.
• An increasing number of modern travelers prefer branded luxury and loyalty programs to independent operators while seeking personalizable itineraries and experiences.

The burgeoning interest in the upscale travel segment is increasing competition among operators of luxury hotels and vacation homes, which are adapting to today’s travel needs.

Guests Want Standardization in Luxury Travel

As the industry pivots to a growing audience and more diverse traveler behaviors, McKinsey recommends digging deeply and segmenting by age, nationality, and net worth to serve the needs of their primary guest with a standardized experience.

Recognizing the industry-wide changes and learning from personal travel experiences, Wander has had over 17,000 guests experience its modern, white-glove amenities so far.

Unlike most vacation rental platforms, which simply list properties from a broad swath of individual hosts and agencies, with vastly different amenities and minimum property standards, Wander fully operates each home on its platform. This practice allows the company to provide a uniform experience across its portfolio.

Further, implementing the latest technology available is one of Wander CEO John Andrew Entwistle’s priorities to provide a personal touch from booking until checkout. Embracing technology is second nature as Entwistle was previously the co-founder of Coder.com before launching Wander.

Instead of just browsing listings by destination at the beginning of the booking process, aspiring guests receive AI-assisted property recommendations to find the ideal destination. Further, each listing includes virtual house tours, local attraction guides, and guest testimonials to get an in-depth grasp of the stay experience and panorama before arrival.

Economic Challenges Facing Luxury Travel Providers

While the increased demand for premium travel experiences is a net positive for travel hosts, financial obstacles lie beneath the surface that can impact the profitability of high-end short-term rental properties.

Specifically, in 2023, short-term rental owners experienced a double whammy of inflation and an overall decline in revenue per available room (RevPAR). Thankfully, the industry forecasts modest improvements in the average daily rate and revenue so hosts can continue offering services that affluent and high-income travelers expect.

Wander is leaning into the industry’s changes through the following strategies :

• Authentic experiences: Focus on differentiation and make customer experiences the core emphasis instead of offering a cookie-cutter solution for all guest backgrounds.
• Portfolio diversification: Be rigorously selective when choosing homes and locations. Inspiring destinations are one research factor, but choosing the right spot is crucial.
• Top 1% of vacation rentals: Data points indicate the top 1% of properties earn 35% of all short-term vacation rental revenue. Wander prides itself on only owning top-tier properties resulting in strongly positive guest reviews for a win-win situation.
• Ignore the hype: Many temporary distractions—especially advancing travel demand—make it harder to achieve the cardinal goal of building a stable and durable business.

Entwistle’s vision is to be a resilient smart vacation home platform for the foreseeable future while remaining receptive and adaptable to guests' needs for a top-notch experience. Guests can expect a level of consistency across Wander’s portfolio at their favorite destinations and new adventure spots to spend more time exploring instead of adjusting to a property’s shortcomings.

Recent studies indicate that 77% of travelers care more about the best-fitting travel experience than about the cost of the trip, according to the 2024 Global Travel Trends Report from American Express Travel .

For instance, Wander’s ambitions include establishing a global footprint while expanding its United States portfolio simultaneously. As the company grows, it plans to seamlessly integrate other travel booking options, such as flights and additional services, that the next generation of travelers is seeking. Premier guest stays remain its core focal point, though, assures Entwistle.

Final Thoughts

Leisure and business travelers flocked to luxury vacation rentals during the pandemic. While many enjoy the coziness and extra living space, the lack of hotel-grade amenities and cleanliness leaves something to be desired. Wander is addressing these shortcomings through vacation homes meeting the travel needs of the 21st century to work or rest.

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