The New Luxury

What’s your definition of the word “luxury”? Dictionary.com says:

Luxury: n. a material object, service, etc., conducive to sumptuous living, usually a delicacy, elegance, or refinement of living rather than a necessity.

That’s probably some variation of what you said isn’t it? Well according to my research on travel in the future, you and Webster would be wrong.

Many of my sources say that in the future luxury is less about materialism, but more about self-enrichment and time. In a future where we’ll be working non-stop and barely have time for personal lives, time with friends and families will be a luxury. Relaxation even in a tent in the woods will be a luxury. Photographing birds on pier will be a luxury if photography is your passion.

In the future, the concern when it comes to vacations isn’t so much about what you are getting as what you are doing. We’re moving towards an “experience economy” where people want to be differentiated not by what they have but what they are doing. For example, hiking in the Galapagos with your significant other would be considered more luxurious than owning a Lamborghini in this experience economy.

The new definition of luxury and the experience economy are results of what author Oliver James has coined “affluenza.”

Affluenza is “a contagious middle class virus causing depression, anxiety, addiction and ennui, a global tour of infected minds by a renowned psychologist in search of being successful and staying sane.”

My idea of luxury? I would love to go glamping! The outdoors has never been my thing, but if I had all the comforts of home and then some, you best believe I’d brave it out there in the woods! I think it would be so neat to stay in one of these exotic locales in one of these amazing abodes. What do you think of glamping? What’s your idea of luxury at the moment?