Luxury hospitality has long been synonymous with elegant architecture, refined culinary experiences, and impeccable service. Yet as the expectations of affluent travellers continue to evolve, the true essence of luxury remains fluid - shaped by cultural nuance, personal values, and emerging trends.
According to Allied Market Research, the global luxury travel market was valued at USD 890.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to more than double, reaching USD 2,149.7 billion by 2035. This rapid expansion signals not only opportunity but also a pressing need to reimagine what luxury truly means in today’s context.
Ahead of World Tourism Day on 27 September, industry communicators across the Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern regions recently spoke with Telum Media, offering insights into how the definition of luxury is shifting - and what the future holds for this dynamic sector.
Luxury as emotional connection
Luxury holds various meanings for different individuals, but there’s no doubt it goes beyond exceptional service and comfort in the hospitality space today. Jennifer Dembitz, Managing Director at Upcycle Communications explains, “Luxury is about storytelling - crafting a consistent, compelling message that’s felt at every guest touchpoint. The most successful luxury brands communicate their values with clarity, intention, and emotional resonance.”
Jennifer also highlights that luxury is increasingly about fostering deeper connections, whether through cultural stewardship or creating environments that encourage travellers to be fully present. “Today’s travellers want purpose, presence, and personalisation,” Jennifer remarks. “They’re not just booking a stay - they’re looking to connect with the spirit of a place. Soul doesn’t come with a price tag, it’s a mindset. That commitment to connection - the ability to evoke a true sense of place and presence - is what transforms a luxury stay into something unforgettable.”
Priscilla Chan, Director of PR and Marketing Communications at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, echoes Jennifer's sentiment from a more operational lens. For her, luxury is “characterised by genuine heart, humanity, and generosity. These qualities are embodied by our people who, through a million unscripted gestures that create memorable experiences, bring warmth and a sense of belonging, ensuring that every guest feels valued and cared for.”
These values, she says, are communicated with brand storytelling rooted in tales of kindness and elevated living.
Kelly Kuo, Director of Marketing & Communications at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, shares a similarly human-centered view.
After more than a decade in the industry, she has come to define luxury as the art of creating a memorable experience. Contrary to popular belief, that experience doesn’t always have to be grand or costly. “True luxury is often found in the smaller gestures, such as a personalised, handwritten card or a staff member remembering a guest's specific preferences. These details don't always come at a high cost; they stem from genuine care to create a special and meaningful stay.”
Luxury is subtle, but not unnoticed
Building on emotional connection and human touch, modern day luxury is also about how the brand presents itself. In this regard, restraint can be more powerful than overstatement, especially in markets saturated with flashy, over-the-top messaging.
“Luxury is a buzzword in the media and in every algorithm,” says Sara Barrow, Corporate PR Manager at Sunset Hospitality Group in Dubai. “While the Middle East is often viewed as the epicenter of luxury, I believe that if a brand must constantly label itself as ‘luxury’ in its marketing and PR, then it’s not luxury. True luxury is communicated subtly through experiences, imagery, interiors and invites curiosity and language that sparks emotion.”
What the future holds: present, personal and proactive
So, what’s next for luxury? Like other industries, the luxury hospitality sector considers technology, such as AI. “We are integrating AI into our digital strategies through Google solutions to optimise our reach and channels. We foresee that AI will become increasingly important in enhancing our data analysis capabilities,” said Priscilla.
She also emphasised that the integration of technology works to complement rather than replace personal connections.
“The future of luxury hospitality will increasingly prioritise human interactions. While technology can streamline simple tasks, luxury travellers value not only the luxury of time but also personalised recommendations and tailored alternatives. Human interaction will always be central as luxury travellers value personal recommendations and real conversations. As we move forward, we will continue to prioritise the human element of service.”
Intentionality will also remain central in the sector's future. Citing research from Skift and McKinsey, Jennifer notes that luxury travellers are significantly more likely to seek adventure, meet new people, and disconnect from devices.
“Unplugging is becoming the next evolution of wellness,” she says. “And with that comes a deeper desire to reconnect - with themselves, others, and the world around them.”
Conscious consumption is another key focus.
“At The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, we’re committed to eco-conscious practices and preserving cultural heritage, especially as custodians of the historic General Post Office building,” Kelly explains. She emphasises that prioritising the planet is an important responsibility for luxury brands, with sustainability integrated throughout operations.
This is reinforced by Jeniffer, who notes that regenerative travel is not a trend but a responsibility. “Today’s most aspirational brands are those that invest in local communities, preserve heritage, protect natural environments, and ensure their impact endures,” she remarks. This is reflected by an increasing number of hotels committed to sustainability and social responsibility, which are no longer considered ‘nice-to-haves,’ but essentials.
The changing face of luxury PR
Alongside the push for sustainability, wellness, and technology, the way luxury brands communicate is also evolving. With a shrinking media pool, tighter budgets, and a crowded market, the PR landscape is becoming increasingly complex.
The next phase of the luxury market will demand agility and thought leadership will play a more significant role, Sara believes. “I see PRs securing conference stages, panel spots, and strategic speaking opportunities while also maximising professional platforms like LinkedIn and developing brand-owned channels that function as media outlets. The future will be less about broadcasting and more about listening, then creating content that’s as relevant and alive as the guests we serve.”
Bank of America welcomes APAC comms VP
You might also enjoy
.jpg)
Every few years, someone declares the death of the media release.
Today, the arguments sound familiar. Journalists don't read them anymore. Everything is social-first. AI is replacing traditional media outreach. It's all about the pitch. Press releases are becoming little more than AI-generated filler.
And yet, when we speak with journalists across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, a different picture emerges.
Media releases aren't dead, but expectations around them have changed significantly.
We've analysed more than 10,000 Journalist Interest Survey responses in the Telum Media platform collected over the past five years, alongside insights gathered from conversations with editors, reporters, and producers across the region.
Key takeaways:
- Journalists still value useful PR content
- Relevance matters more than reach
- The pitch and the release serve different roles
- The best releases reduce friction for journalists
- Modern releases need to support multiple platforms
The conclusion is clear: journalists still value media releases, but they value them for different reasons than they once did.
The media release has evolved from a distribution tool into something far more strategic.
The media release is no longer the story
For decades, many PR professionals treated the media release as the centrepiece of media relations activity.
Write the release. Send it widely. Hope for coverage - “spray and pray”.
That approach was far from perfect, but you could get away with it in an era when newsrooms were larger, competition for attention was lower, and journalists had more time to evaluate incoming information.
Today's reality is very different.
Journalists are producing content across multiple platforms, often with smaller teams and tighter deadlines. Their inboxes are flooded with pitches, announcements, thought leadership submissions, and increasingly, AI-generated content.
As a result, journalists have become far more selective about what earns their attention.
The modern media release is no longer just about news stories. It has become a source-of-truth asset, a newsroom resource, and a content hub that supports broader communications activity.
The best PR teams understand this shift.
“The strongest message from journalists can be summarised in a single phrase: ‘Understand what I cover’. Relevance remains the most important factor in successful media engagement.”
What journalists are actually rejecting
One of the most revealing findings from our analysis is that journalists are not rejecting PR content altogether.
What they're rejecting is low-value outreach.
Across thousands of responses, the same frustrations appeared repeatedly:
- Irrelevant pitches
- Generic outreach
- Mass distribution
- Weak story angles
- Excessive follow-ups
In other words, this is less a rejection of media releases and more a rejection of poor media relations practice.
The strongest message from journalists can be summarised in a single phrase:
"Understand what I cover."
Relevance remains the most important factor in successful media engagement. In fact, our journalist surveys over the past two years have seen a sharp increase in a desire for both relevance and personalisation in pitches.
Journalists increasingly assess pitches within seconds. If the connection to their beat, audience, or current priorities isn't immediately obvious, the opportunity is often lost before the email is even opened.
The pitch and the release have different jobs
One of the biggest misconceptions in modern media relations is treating the pitch and the release as the same thing.
They are not.
The pitch exists to earn attention; the release exists to support the story.
The best pitches are:
- Brief
- Human
- Relevant
- Contextual
- Conversational
The best releases are:
- Structured
- Factual
- Complete
- Reusable
- Easy to reference
At a recent Telum Media event, a senior journalist described the fastest way to kill a pitch with a single word: “Respect”. Or a lack thereof.
A generic greeting. A story unrelated to their beat. A mass-produced email that demonstrates no understanding of their audience.
All signal a lack of respect for the journalist's time and expertise.
High-performing PR teams increasingly write pitches and releases for different audiences. The pitch is written for the journalist. The release is written for the journalist's audience.
That distinction matters.
Why journalists still value media releases
Despite predictions of their demise, journalists continue to actively request media releases.
But they want releases that help them work more efficiently.
The most common requests include concise writing, clear headlines, strong news angles, supporting data (with downloadable images and assets), spokesperson access, and easy-to-use formats.
These preferences reveal the modern role of the release: it functions as a workflow tool.
A strong release helps journalists:
- Understand the story quickly
- Verify information
- Access supporting materials
- Build content efficiently
The best releases reduce friction. And in today's newsroom environment, reducing friction is often more valuable than generating hype.
Think beyond media coverage
Another major shift is that media releases are increasingly serving multiple audiences.
A modern release doesn’t just support journalists; it might also support clients and prospects, employees, investors and analysts, partners, and search visibility.
Rather than creating a single-use document, leading communications teams are building content ecosystems.
The release becomes the foundation for:
- Media outreach
- Newsroom content
- Executive communications
- Social media content
- Email campaigns
- Sales collateral
- Thought leadership activity
This approach not only improves consistency but also increases the return on investment from every announcement.
The role of the modern media release
Not every story needs a release
Perhaps one of the most important lessons is recognising when a media release is the wrong tool.
Releases tend to perform best when there is:
- Genuine news value
- Multiple stakeholder audiences
- A need for factual consistency
- Strong supporting assets
- Broader business significance
They are often less effective for internal milestones framed as major news (or self-congratulatory announcements), generic thought leadership, and untargeted mass outreach.
In some situations, a targeted pitch, LinkedIn strategy, executive commentary programme, or direct relationship-based outreach may be more effective.
Good communications strategy isn't about defaulting to a media release; it's about choosing the right tool for the objective.
A framework for modern media releases
If there is one word that captures what journalists are asking for today, it is respect.
At Telum Media, we summarise this through the RESPECT framework:
R – Relevance
Make it relevant to the journalist, their audience and the moment.
E – Efficiency
Help journalists work faster through clear, concise, and usable content.
S – Substance
Provide genuine value through expertise, data, insight, or access.
P – Personalisation
Demonstrate that you've done your homework.
E – Ecosystem
Think beyond the release and consider how it supports broader communications goals.
C – Clarity
Make the key message immediately obvious.
T – Timing
Reach out at the right time, not simply any time.
What journalists are asking for in a pitch / media release: RESPECT
The future of the media release
The debate over whether media releases are dead misses the point.
The more useful question is how do we make releases work better in today’s media environment?
Journalists still value relevant information, credible sources, strong story angles, and efficient communication. Media releases continue to play an important role in delivering those things.
But success today depends less on the existence of the release itself and more on how strategically it is used.
The media release remains a valuable communications tool.
Just not in the way many of us were taught to use it.
FAQs
Are media releases still useful in 2026?
Yes. Journalists still value media releases, but these days want targeted outreach, relevance to their beat, alignment with their audience, and contextual pitching.
What makes a media release useful to journalists?
Journalists are looking for releases in a format that helps them work efficiently. Which means releases that are concise, factual, with a clear angle, contain usable quotes, and come with downloadable assets and supporting data.
What is the difference between a pitch and a media release?
A pitch earns the journalist’s attention in their cluttered Inbox. A media release supports the story by providing structured, factual, and reusable information relevant to their audience.
With more than 30 years’ experience spanning journalism, corporate communications and media intelligence, Reuben Aitchison is Telum Media’s Head of Insights and Communications.
Explore Telum Media tools that help PR teams pitch with precision.
.jpg)