We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Luca Franco. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rochelle below.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Luca Franco here, and I’m the CEO & Founder for Luxury Frontiers – it’s a true honor to be speaking with you today. Thank you for having me.

My professional life has been quite diverse, starting back in Italy where I studied to become a building engineer. That education gave me a solid base in my field, but I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and a love for thinking outside the box. This spirit and drive have taken me all over the world, where I’ve lived in 10 different countries, traveled to over 100 destinations and I’m proud to say I speak 5 languages.

After getting my degree, I moved to South Africa, spending four fulfilling years working as an architect engineer on various projects. Afterwards, I returned to Italy and dived into working on various luxury hospitality projects with globally renowned brands like Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and Orient Express/Belmond as well as with the Ferragamo family.

In 2003, I relocated to London and began focusing on resort real estate. My area of expertise revolved around the development of high-end properties designed for both private and shared ownership, encompassing prestigious private residence clubs. One notable project was the development of Palazzo Tornabuoni, managed by Four Seasons, marking a significant achievement in my career. Additionally, I was involved in building the unique ice hotel in the North Arctic Circle, broadening my experience and allowing me to work on projects across various global destinations.

Then 2008 hit. The real estate market crashed, and suddenly there was a huge drop in demand for the kind of properties I’d been working on. I had to pivot and spent a good chunk of time doing research and reinventing myself. That’s when I discovered my passion for transformative travel, rewilding, business growth, collaboration, and global opportunities. In 2011, that led me to establish Luxury Frontiers, answering the rising demand for eco-friendly, immersive lodging experiences.

This brings us to today, where our award-winning international firm specializes in crafting emerging destinations, upscale adventure eco-resorts, lodges, and camps. We’re all about pushing boundaries, being innovative, and, above all, making sure our work respects our planet while giving travelers one-of-a-kind experiences.

Risk taking is something we’re really interested in, and we’d love to hear the story of a risk and resilience you’ve taken.
The very creation of my company, Luxury Frontiers, was a risk and a great story of resilience.

When I pitched Luxury Frontiers and the idea of tented camps to executives at top hospitality brands and investors, it wasn’t initially embraced. I’ve come to realize persistence and passion have been cornerstones in shaping my professional journey, and I believe they are crucial to success in any field. I always say that without persistence, many great ideas and projects may never come to fruition. And without passion, even the most successful ventures can feel empty and unfulfilling. When faced with challenges or setbacks, it’s important to stay committed to your goals and continue to pursue them with enthusiasm and determination.

Now, I am proud to say that I have formed partnerships with many of those same people who were skeptical of Luxury Frontiers’ business model, and we have worked together to design and develop some of the most stunning eco resorts, lodges, camps and safari projects in the world. The decision to enter the experiential travel industry was challenging, with obstacles along the way. But at Luxury Frontiers, our goal has always been to lead and innovate rather than just follow trends.

Our team has been dedicated to transforming luxury hospitality, and this year has been particularly rewarding with several prestigious industry awards recognizing our hard work. From having two of our projects (Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort and Wilderness Usawa Serengeti) included in this year’s Architectural Digest Hotel Awards, to winning the 2023 Radical Innovation Award for our upcoming project in the Bahamas, The Turtle Bungalow, I’m deeply honored.  These awards stand as a testament to Luxury Frontiers’ commitment to be trailblazers and innovators in the hospitality industry.

As an entrepreneur, the decision to pursue a career in the experiential travel industry by creating unique camps and resorts required immense courage, perseverance, and dedication. There were many obstacles along the way, both financial and emotional.

However, at Luxury Frontiers, we remained steadfast in actualizing our vision. We didn’t seek to conform to industry standards; our goal was to set new benchmarks. Innovation remains our perpetual pursuit. While the journey to success has been challenging, the fulfillment of leading and revolutionizing the hospitality and travel industry makes every obstacle worthwhile.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Building a strong client base involves a combination of strategies. For me, it’s all about using my global connections, nurturing relationships, and relying on word of mouth. The key is consistently delivering top-notch design and architecture for the projects we’re involved with, allowing Luxury Frontiers’ work to speak for itself and gradually building a reputation for reliability and quality service. Impeccable execution stands as our guiding principle, ensuring each endeavor not only meets but surpasses expectations, allowing us to grow and evolve within the industry through dedication to excellence. While talking the talk is essential, walking the walk with a touch of humor has helped me forge genuine connections and make lasting impressions. A good sense of humor can break barriers and establish rapport, making interactions more memorable and enjoyable, ultimately strengthening our bond with clients.

Contact Information:

• Website: https://www.luxury-frontiers.com/team/luca-franco
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luca_franco_/?hl=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luca-franco-5507b311

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