Don’t be intimidated by luxury travel or the affluent clients it attracts. More and more travelers are seeking luxury these days, but keep in mind it’s often a different kind of luxury. Today, it’s more about once-in-a-lifetime experiences and creating lifelong memories.

Some home-based agents—especially those new to travel—may shy away from higher-end products or only sell products based on preconceived notions about the luxury niche. “Over the years, I’ve gotten better at not assuming anything about clients and how much they want to spend,” said Laurel Brunvoll of Gaithersburg, Md.-based Unforgettable Trips, an OASIS Travel Network agency.

“I try not to focus solely on money, costs, and budgets, and instead glean information about clients’ expectations for their trip. If you take the time to get to know them and what they want from a particular trip, it becomes very clear if it will be a luxury journey—or not.”

For Valerie Lederle of Travel Leaders in Colleyville, Texas, education and experience were the key. “There’s no better way to sell a luxury client than to have those experiences yourself, and to feel comfortable in presenting the value of yourself and the product to them.”

For advice on how to move into selling luxury travel, turn to our cover story on page 22. Other veteran agents offer plenty of advice on how they personally moved into the luxury realm.

Other stories in this issue examine how to sell other high-end products, such as Crystal River Cruises. A relatively new entrant on European rivers, the company promotes itself as the only true luxury river cruise—read more about it on page 26.

We also outline how to sell Velas Resorts, a collection of five luxury, all-inclusive properties in Mexico. These properties appeal to a range of clients, including foodies, families, wedding parties, wellness seekers and travelers seeking adults-only vacations. Read more on page 30.

On page 32, we profile Preferred Hotels & Resorts as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. Its portfolio of properties will provide your clients with unique, independent hotels options around the world.

There’s plenty more packed into this issue that you won’t want to miss, but I’ve run out of time and space. Hope you have a happy and productive summer!