On 17 June 2025, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau hosted its inaugural Luxury Summit Asia at The Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chaopraya River, bringing together some of the world’s leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and luxury experts in the travel and hospitality sector to explore how the future of travel can drive positive change, support local communities, and advance wellness initiative across the Asia Pacific region.
Curated by Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau’s Editor-in-Chief, Jeninne Lee-St. John, under the theme Travel for Good, the brand’s inaugural Luxury Summit Asia bridged the gap between consumers and hospitality leaders, forging connections and fostering conversations that are set to shape the future of luxury travel. Over 250 attendees purchased tickets to attend the brand’s inaugural Summit, including Founders, Vice Presidents, General Managers, Directors of Sales and Marketing, and Hospitality Educators from the world’s most influential brands.
The Summit featured panellists from world-renowned brands such as Potato Head, Nihi Hotels, Capella, Rosewood, IHG, Booking.com, Plaza Premium Group, Song Saa Cambodia, Lemongrass Marketing (an accredited B Corp.), Marriott International, Department of Tourism Bhutan, The Ritz-Carlton, Dusit International, and more.
Landscape architect, designer, and creative director of BENSLEY, Bill Bensley joined the Summit as a keynote speaker, offering insights into the work that he does with his Shinta Mani foundation – providing underprivileged families in Cambodia with homes as a promise of more than just shelter, but safety and building a thriving community through the BENSLEY GALLERY. The Summit featured a series of one-of-a-kind artwork by Bensley that was displayed for a silent auction, with Mei Mei Song, Chief Transformation Officer of Plaza Premium Group winning the bid on 2 of Bensley’s paintings, valued at over US$6,000 and all the proceeds going towards the Shinta Mani Foundation.
“Amid the explosive growth in travel and creative innovations in luxury hospitality, we thought we should take a moment to pause, reflect, and acknowledge who’s getting it right,” said Lee-St.John. “Who’s prioritising their teams, their communities, the environment, and guest wellbeing emotionally and physically. This is what we mean by ‘travel for good’—taking the viewpoint that regenerative, local and immersive experiences, holistic wellness, happy staff, and zero-waste can and should drive the definition of luxury today. Everyone we’ve invited to speak at the Summit has not just declared their intentions towards these goals but also made significant investment in them. They are inspiring to me, and, I hope, to other hoteliers and industry leaders and looking for new, impactful ideas to help travel do good.”
“The Luxury Summit Asia celebrates how fast the world of luxury travel and hospitality has evolved, and by being able to sellout our tickets in the first year, it signifies that the brand has an incredibly strong pulse on where the industry is headed,” said Christoph Pagel, COO, BurdaLuxury. “This Summit serves as a stage for industry leaders to be able to connect and foster a culture of innovation. We’re also proud to unveil our first whitepaper – in partnership with Vero – where we explored Gen Z travel trends across seven markets within Asia, and provided valuable data catered to our clients and partners in hopes that it will better help them navigate the landscape of the industry.”
Highlights from the Summit include:
- Discovering how to create a first-class itinerary, navigating the digital transformation space in luxury hospitality, and how to curate hyper-personalised guest experiences.
- Stories from icons that inspire radical changes in the industry, providing attendees with insights on how to unlock authenticity, promote inclusion, and discover strategies to lead with compassion.
- How to position and market your brand in the luxury space.
- Ways to create culinary experiences that leave a lasting impression.
- Breakout sessions that featured a wine presentation service workshop, a guided breathwork and mindfulness session, and a once-in-a-lifetime art workshop, led by Bill Bensley.
Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau’s inaugural Luxury Summit Asia was presented in partnership with Vero, Plaza Premium Group, IHG, and Mont Fleur, and was supported by Panpuri, Form Recovery and Wellness, Riedel, and Don Melchor.
Connect with Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau on social media @travelandleisureasia to stay up to date on the latest trends in travel, hospitality, and lifestyle.
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About Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau
Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau explores destinations through the perspective of the individuals that make travel so special, finding creative ways to tell meaningful stories and celebrate authentic luxury experiences. The Asian edition of the world’s leading travel brand, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau is the go-to source of travel inspiration, with an audience of luxury travellers, high-net-worth individuals, CEOs, and entrepreneurs. Travel + Leisure globally, and in this region specifically, enjoys a remarkable history of credibility and is the bible of luxury travel in Asia and abroad.
About BurdaLuxury
BurdaLuxury is one of Asia’s most vibrant and progressive media houses. Our portfolio includes a variety of successful regional publishing brands in lifestyle and luxury markets across Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Our portfolio of brands includes Prestige, Lifestyle Asia, PIN Prestige, AUGUSTMAN, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Macau, Travel + Leisure India & South Asia, HELLO! Magazine Thailand, and Architecture + Design. BurdaLuxury is part of the Hubert Burda Media family, one of the largest media companies in Germany. Burda is active in 14 countries, employs around 11,000 people, and publishes over 500 products.
