DMC AC Luxe expands offering amid ‘growing demand’ for personal interest trips

Destination management company AC Luxe has bolstered its portfolio in response to “growing demand” for personal interest trips. 

The UK, Ireland and France specialist, which launched its Journeys Beyond Ordinary collection last year, has added a range of specialist-led gastronomy, music, heritage, sport and culture experiences.

The company’s chief executive Rob Russell said the excursions are designed to offer clients the chance to “experience somewhere differently or [gain] access they simply wouldn’t find on their own”.

In England, one of the new experiences, Michelin Moments, will be hosted at Tom Kerridge’s two-Michelin-starred pub The Hand & Flowers in Marlow. Guests can enjoy dinner, an overnight stay, breakfast and a cookbook keepsake.

Other English activities include a private horse-riding session with equestrian and Olympic medallist Mary King at Badminton Estate; an after-hours tour of the Beatles Museum in Liverpool; and a London Without Limits tour by classic car, water taxi and helicopter.

In Scotland, guests can now book a private candlelit lunch at a Highland bothy, complete with whisky tasting and local storytelling, or opt for exclusive golf experiences in either St Andrews or Edinburgh.

Irish additions incorporate horse riding through the landscapes of Killarney and whiskey tasting in Dublin. In Northern Ireland, confectionary workshops are now available in Belfast.

New alcohol-focused experiences have been introduced in France, with opportunities to blend Calvados in Normandy; taste local wines in the Chateau de Chambord (pictured); and gain exclusive cellar access with a fine dining meal at Maison Martell in Cognac. 

Russell said: “Luxury travel is becoming far more personal. People still want iconic destinations, but increasingly they want experiences that reflect what they genuinely love – whether that’s food, golf, music, equestrian pursuits or history. 

“We wanted to give our partners more breadth across the UK, Ireland and France so they have even more flexibility when building itineraries.”