Founder and chief executive of Wanderlux on finding her niche

I got into travel… because I had a very adventurous mother. All our holidays were unusual and immersive, such as sailing around the British Virgin Islands or exploring the Brazilian wilderness. I’d walked the entire Great Wall of China by the age of 16, and from then I was hooked. I’m a keen snowboarder so I worked as a ski technician around the world for a few years, then started organising tailormade school ski trips to North America before going global.

I started the business… in 2018 after finding a niche in the high-end market. I identified a gap between luxury desirability, service and the more emotional journeys that affluent clients are really after, so Wanderlux was born to bridge it. It’s all about creating a deeper connection with destinations, all while offering those really enhanced, personalised and non-Googleable experiences.

I have grown the business… almost completely organically. I’m not one to invest in PR and marketing, so it’s all about building trusted relationships with clients so they become confident in the ‘wow factor’ of our trips and recommend us to their friends. For example, last year we took a client to Point Nemo – the most remote place on Earth, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean – so they could collect scientific samples. Experiences like that wouldn’t be possible without our incredible partners, who have also been key to our success.

The fastest-growing area of the business is… our ever-developing concierge service, which has evolved as we’ve built our network. There’s also been huge interest in wellbeing travel experiences and retreats since we began offering them last year.

Our strongest supplier relationships are… with a lot of destination management companies on the ground that provide ultra-unique experiences. Eyos Expeditions has been a great partner, particularly around Antarctica, and we have worked with Como Hotels and Resorts to develop a space camp programme at Como Maalifushi in the Maldives through our astronaut contacts.

My proudest career achievement is… running the world’s first Antarctic expedition after the Covid pandemic for clients to witness the continent’s last total solar eclipse for 400 years. It was a very moving experience, as it was a remarkable trip with remarkable people.

My biggest industry bugbear is... When luxury is mistaken for excess. It’s not all high thread-counts and silver service. It’s about access, authenticity, connectivity and emotional resonance with a destination. It’s far more than just extravagance.