Vietnam DMC rounds up SME operators to craft creative itineraries

Vietnam-based luxury DMC is aiming to disrupt the market and offer a platform for South-east Asian SME operators to shine.

In an age of corporate buy-outs and acquisition of DMCs, the team behind Luxperia are doing things differently. The Ho Chi Minh City-headquartered company has spent the last 14 months gathering a collective of boutique operators from across South-east Asia to curate innovative itineraries that tap into their wealth of ground knowledge.

Luxperia partners SME operators to curate travel experiences around Asia

Linh Le, principal and co-founder of Luxperia, said: “During the last 10 years, there has been a lot of acquisitions with corporates buying DMCs and tour operators, through to ground suppliers. However, we’re seeing growth in the number of local SME operators. We don’t want to create another DMC model but a network of smaller DMCs to work as one collective.”

Luxperia has brought together a network of experts in MICE, adventure and culinary tourism across the region to craft creative itineraries that offer authentic and unique local experiences, enabling the DMC to curate a diverse range of luxury, niche-led itineraries.

Said Le: “We want to make it win-win for both economies and international buyers. We are seeing increased competition from large DMCs, but we want to use that as a positive. If we can turn it around and share best practices, learn from one another, then there’s huge benefits for SME operators to join together.”

Sustainability is another key driver of Luxperia’s philosophy. Its collective of operators includes grassroots experts able to tap into their local networks, ensuring that local communities benefit from tourism.

Added Le: “It’s important we support and boost local economies with each of these small individual players. For example, a regional expert in northern Laos would know local communities and cottage industries. Supporting these artisan villages, buying local produce and introducing crafts to international tourists helps the growth of the micro-economy and adds to jobs.”

With Luxperia’s Spain-based CEO Vicente Catala having established the company in Spain, Portugal and Latin America, Le is now tasked with growing business from English-speaking markets, including the UK, Australia, Europe and the US.

Added Le: “What’s most important is we offer a multifaceted win-win scenario for local people and communities, the buyer and the end consumer.”

To join Luxperia’s collective, visit https://luxperia.com/.

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