The buzz on hot new destinations and travel trends

Hot destinations and luxury trends were the talk of the hoteliers, travel suppliers and advisers attending Virtuoso's annual symposium in Berlin earlier this spring. Virtuoso, a luxury travel agency consortium, has a network of nearly 9,000 advisers. The conference's big takeaway? The rise of big data and what it means for personalizing travel.

Here's what else is buzzing:

Hot destinations

Beyond Italy:

Perennial favorites like Italy and France aren't losing popularity, but Virtuoso's sales data shows big growth this year for newly favored countries. An increase to Brazil is hardly a surprise with this summer's World Cup, but destinations showing an intriguing uptick include Norway, Indonesia and Ecuador.

Lima is the new Mexico City:

Like Mexico City, Lima has grown dramatically as an edgy, emerging destination. "We've gone through cycles of uncertainty, but now there is an incredible enthusiasm for the economy, and in culinary and contemporary art," said Ignacio Masias, Founder of Andean Experience and Developer of Hotel B, one of Lima's hottest new hotels, showcasing over 200 pieces of contemporary art in the trendy Barranco neighborhood. "It would have been unheard of before, but people are coming to Lima for the weekend to enjoy the mild weather, access to the ocean and mixture of cultures."

Berlin's start-up scene: Move over Silicon Valley. Berlin's startup ecosystem is exploding, with inexpensive rents attracting both bright young talent and venture capitalists. One to watch: Berlin TXL, The Urban Tech Republic, a massive center of technology to be built on the grounds of Tegel airport when it closes. Philipp Bouteiller, CEO of Tegel Project, said, "We are miles away from Silicon Valley but we are in a comparable dynamic to its early days. We have more highly talented and ambitious people than jobs but instead of moving away, they're opening their own companies." Bouteiller noted that both Google and Microsoft opened start-up facilities in Berlin last year. In June, Factory, a campus for start-ups in the city's Mitte neighborhood, will open, co-sponsored by Google.

The vibrant culture is attracting more visitors too, as Virtuoso noted a 24% increase in travelers to Germany over last year. And this year's 25th anniversary celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall puts another spotlight on this dynamic city.

Trending now

Buying authenticity: Travelers can't buy how they will feel, but through the connections provided by a travel adviser, tour operator or guide, authentic experiences can be bought -- and that is true luxury. "The bottom line is, it's all about connections," said Michael Holtz, Owner & CEO of New York-based agency SmartFlyer. "We scout all around the world to figure out what the client likes."

Global citizenship for families: "Going back 25 years, no one was going to China or Brazil," said Holtz. Today, he said, families are "taking their kids to Japan and bringing a tutor" or homeschooling for longer sojourns. Samantha McClure of Austin-based Small World Traveler said that families have moved away from kids' clubs and nannies to educational experiences. Her team orchestrates around-the-world journeys lasting 6-12 months for families and even has a curriculum consultant on staff for homeschooling needs and to work with schools to ensure that students can matriculate into the next grade when they return.

Flying: It's better (sort of): If you can afford it, flying experiences like Etihad's new 125-square-foot three-room suites including en-suite bathroom with shower stall ensure that you won't want to get off the plane.

Meanwhile, some airports are catching up to the 21st century like Heathrow's new Terminal 2, which opened this month; Berlin's gleaming Brandenburg airport, to open in 2016; and Turkey's new Istanbul Grand Airport, which will open its first phase in 2018 and eventually carry more than 150 million passengers a year in what will be the world's largest airport terminal.

Still, fees are still climbing and there are fewer flights than ever before. And airlines are axing routes to smaller cities, like Southwest ending service to Branson and Key West, and United cutting routes from Cleveland.