Luxury Oceania DMC Southern Crossings will make its return to ILTM North America this year after an eight-year hiatus, as its business from the region rebounds to new heights.

As the teams in Australia and New Zealand return to “full-strength” post-pandemic, Founder Stuart Rigg told LATTE that “the time is right” for Southern Crossings to return to the show and to “elevate our offering” in the North American market.

“Our North America business has most definitely rebounded – with strong double-digit growth, and more pleasingly also, great growth in higher-yielding luxury travellers – as a reflection of our elevated offerings and service levels,” he said.

The surge in North American interest has been driven by Southern Crossings’ loyal travel advisor partners as well as a burst of newcomers, according to Rigg. “Emerging from Covid, we have invested a great deal of time and funds, attending events around the globe reconnecting with existing travel partners and making valuable new connections,” he said.

Products that are proving popular in-market include Australia’s perennially popular “trifecta of icons: Sydney, Reef and Rock”, particularly among first-time visitors, Rigg shared.

“For our Travel Designers however, the focus is on tailoring how people experience these destinations in ways that best resonate with the individual’s preferences and passions: whether active travel (hiking, golf, running etc), food and wine, wildlife and nature, art and culture etc,” he stressed. 

Beyond the icons, Southern Crossings is seeing strong demand for luxury lodges, private villas and even private islands, as well as a range of different destinations. These include Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and South Australia’s wine regions, Tasmania, Bryon Bay and South East Queensland.

“In addition, we always encourage clients to explore a little further of the beaten path destinations: with places like Ningaloo and the Kimberley Coast, Lord Howe Island or the Tasmanian South West Wilderness – all of which now also have some fabulous accommodation and experiences to delight discerning travellers,” Rigg said. 

Fiji is also proving to be a hit with the North American market, Rigg revealed with US visitation numbers to the destination now exceeding pre-pandemic levels with double-digit growth last year. He attributed the rise to new direct flight connections, a favourable exchange rate and an elevated level of luxury accommodation and experiences.

“For us specifically, Southern Crossings was also formally recognised as Virtuoso Preferred On-Site for Fiji in May last year, raising our profile as Fiji destination specialists among this influential luxury travel network,” he added. 

This is the first time Rigg has attended ILTM North America, taking place this week in the Bahamas, but it represents a continuation of a long and fruitful relationship with the show. In 2023, Southern Crossings was the only Australian DMC at ILTM Cannes and one of very few Australian tourism representatives overall. At ILTM North America, it will be the only luxury Australia DMC for FITs exhibiting at the event.

Although Southern Crossings will not attend the Cannes iteration this year, Rigg confirmed it will do so in 2026. ILTM Latin America is also on its radar for 2026. 

“At these events I am looking forward to sharing a collection of exciting and unique new experiences that we have recently curated with our suppliers to elevate their Australian experiences through immersive and authentic local activities,” Rigg shared. These range from a beachside yoga and breath-work experiences to citizen science initiatives and more.