Jules Perowne's Unpacked - Ep. 5. Travel 2025: Places, prices, trends and gems

Ep5: Has the hospitality sector’s rapid growth led to a moment of reflection? Are travellers still getting value for money? Where will we be travelling to next year and do those countries even want us?Jules Perowne is joined by Annie Fitzsimmons, Editor in Chief at Embark Beyond and National Geographic travel expert, alongside Emily Jane Johnston, a leading voice on Instagram for travel, fashion, and food.They explore the rising trend of solo travel among women, why AI can enhance but never replace the human touch in travel, and the growing appeal of "Coolcations" – escapes from the busy crowd. All this and more discussed on our latest episode of “Unpacked”.

Ep 4: “The reality of flying today. The good, the bad and the ugly” Jules Perowne removes belts and shoes with air mile zillionaires Mark Ellwood of the luxury bible Robb Report, and Colin Nagy, Skift columnist and Head of Brand strategy at Instagram.  Over no more than 100ml of wine, they discuss everything from the app that airlines don’t want you to use… IVs for jet lag… customer service from the sublime to the monstrous... and why terrorists don’t pack scented candles.  

Ep 3: “Let’s hear it for the vaginal facial!”  In the latest from the Unpacked studio, Jules Perowne delves into spas, fitness and wellbeing. Watsu, moon circles, gong baths, body positive pottery making – before you laugh too loud, there’s $5.6 trillion to play for. Her exquisitely moisturised guests are the Queen of Spas and the King of Fitness: Sunday Times spa expert Susan D’Arcy, and Harry Jameson, Founder of Pillar Wellbeing and now heading up the members’ health club at Raffles in the OWO.  

Ep 2: “…I looked at Sumba and said, this can be somewhere incredible – let's go for it. And I moved to the jungle.”  We meet the remarkable James McBride, the hotelier’s hotelier and co-founder of NIHI Sumba. From an extraordinary career, James recounts his first job at a tennis resort with no tennis courts… and creating NIHI and its spa safari and equine therapy…and the one piece of advice every traveller needs to know. 

Ep 1: “Enough of $800 burgers and iPads to close the curtains.” Unpacked is unleashed… in this first episode, join travel PR CEO Jules Perowne together with Scott Dunn Private’s Jules Maury and former Tatler Travel Editor Fran Kellett. They discuss their craving for simplicity and authenticity… the insanity of long-haul air fares… and an island too perfect ever to reveal in a podcast. (But they do.)  

Diving deep into the world of extraordinary travel and remarkable hotels