VistaJet crafts bespoke full moon rituals for mid-Autumn holidays

Renowned business jet operator VistaJet is putting a fun spin on the upcoming Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival with five creative private tours that introduce travellers to full moon rituals in various parts of the world.

Designed in partnership with some of the world’s leading hotels and tour operators, the itineraries cover China, Malaysia, Japan, Greece, Peru and Bolivia.

High-end travellers can access intriguing destinations more easily with private jet

In Japan, for example, the full moon getaway will be a 10-day voyage featuring kaiseki meals (traditional multi-course dinner) at every step, sake tasting with geishas in Kyoto, interaction with a renowned Japanese calligraphy artist, a private full moon appreciation ceremony in a temple with never-before-seen dance and taiko performance, and more.

For VistaJet’s Inca adventure, travellers will explore the lost city of the Incas over three weeks, calling at key destinations such as La Paz, Tiwanaku, Lake Titicaca, Sacred Valley and Lima. Flying over the Sacred Valley of the Incas in a hot air balloon, diving into Lake Titicaca, accessing secretive historical places, and sharing an extraordinary display of Chinese lanterns in Machu Pichu under the full moon are all part of the experience.

These tours are the latest additions to VistaJet’s Private World collection, which are primarily aimed at high-end leisure travellers as well as corporate incentive travel groups.

According to Amy Yang, director of marketing communications & partnerships in Asia for VistaJet, the company has been working with a broad range of hotels, high-end tour operators and luxury lifestyle specialists, such as yacht and luxury car manufacturers, private estates and wineries, to create unique travel experiences for its clients.

While most of VistaJet customers are travellers on corporate assignments, some continue to utilise the business jet operator for leisure purposes.

Yang said: “Travel today is all about providing unique and extraordinary experiences. For some of the more intriguing destinations, the only way to get there efficiently is by business jet. Our role is to help people to visit these places time-efficiently and in comfort, and create once-in-a-lifetime adventures for our clients across the globe.”

Besides Private World, VistaJet’s core business in private air charters has seen strong pick up. The company employs a subscription model where clients pay for a bespoke set of flight hours to be utilised anytime and for any destination. Subscription volumes are up 43 per cent year-on-year in 1H2022, and Ang expects numbers to continue climbing for the second half of the year.

She told TTG Asia: “Prior to the pandemic, McKinsey had a report that said only 10 per cent of people who could afford to fly on business jets, were doing so. That meant 90 per cent of the potential market was missing. Then, Covid happened and those who were part of the 90 per cent started to re-evaluate how they travelled.

“Covid changed peoples’ mindset. Rather than just think about the extra money involved in flying privately, they thought about the advantages of (doing so). It was safety and security that drove people to business aviation.”

She explained that customers were sold by the ability to “only fly with people (they) have vetted”, go through fewer touchpoints compared to flying commercially, and avoid crowds typically seen in a busy commercial airport.

“The other issue with commercial aviation is the airlines have reduced their route network, so many of routes…no longer exist commercially or there is only one flight a day. Also, not every commercial aircraft has a first-class cabin,” she added.

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