The fusion of food and hospitality is a major driving force in the world of luxury travel. We spoke to Michelin Guide's Marie-France Perrel about how the sector is changing.
Euronews – In years gone by, the luxury travel sector was all about opulent hotels and extravagant surroundings. But for today's travellers, the experience is becoming much harder to define.
Speaking at the Euronews Travel & Tourism Summit 2026 in Brussels last week, Marie-France Perrel, Head of Business Development, Hotels at Michelin Guide, said luxury hospitality has evolved to bring together a fusion of food, wellness, service, as well as connection to the destination.
“Luxury today is completely different than what it was,” she said. “It’s no longer the sort of standards of opulence that we had in mind. It’s no longer about the amount of marble you have in a bathroom or the number of rooms in one property.”
Instead, Perrel said travellers are looking for “properties who are giving you a sense of place” and hotels with a special connection to their surroundings. “It really is a whole ecosystem, and I think that’s what luxury is today,” she added.
Food is increasingly central to this changing definition of hospitality. While there’s always been a correlation between eating and travelling, Michelin is seeing evidence that visitors increasingly consider the two as part of the same experience. “Before, they were lived as two separate experiences, whereas now we’re seeing that as one experience,” Perrel said.
