update

Luxury travel inspiration from the Asia-Pacific region

DestinAsian

The London-based CEO and founder of travel events company This is Beyond Ltd. is behind some of the world’s most successful high-end travel markets, including PURE Life Experiences in Marrakech, L.E/Miami, and Further East, an APAC-focused trade show held in Bali that wrapped up its fourth edition in November. Here, Dive speaks about the evolution of Further East, travel trends, and the importance of giving back.
<figure id="attachment_136703" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-136703" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-136703 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Further-East-Serge-Dive.jpg" alt="Further East - Serge Dive Profile Photo" width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Further-East-Serge-Dive.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Further-East-Serge-Dive-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Further-East-Serge-Dive-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Further-East-Serge-Dive-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-136703" class="wp-caption-text">Photo courtesy of This is Beyond Ltd.</figcaption></figure>
Could you give us a quick rundown of what sets Further East apart from other travel shows?
Asia Pacific is pushing the world forward in so many ways. Whether that’s fashion, food, music, or technology, the APAC region is redefining what luxury means and how we provide it. Travel is just one more example. People want truly authentic experiences that are less obsessed with Western ideals. These changes need somewhere to crystallize, to meet their potential in new ways every year.
Further East simply gathers the very best figures in high-end travel on a Bali beachfront, so they can connect and do more together. We’re the only community that showcases exhibitors exclusively from Asia Pacific, while our buyers and media come from all corners of the globe. They’re eager to discover what’s happening here. The whole event is designed to get people talking, immersing them in experiences they’ll never forget.
It’s the same atmosphere we conjure at all our events, from PURE in Marrakech to We Are Africa in Cape Town. Every show has its own community, and each of those wants to network in a new way and preserve the ecosystems it depends on.
&nbsp;
How did you select Bali for Further East’s location?
Bali is known as a profoundly spiritual place. Back in 2018, we chose it as the home for Further East because it keeps demonstrating what luxury travel is really capable of. We also don’t believe in doing business the regular way, so think talks on the sand, watching the horizon, sitting down for meetings before splitting off for adventures together. The more moments we share like these, the easier we connect without even realizing it.
&nbsp;
Who are the event’s key exhibitors?
From big hotel brands to yachts, resorts, private islands, and DMCs, our guestlist is invite-only. To join us, you must be brilliant—and be able to prove it.
Ideally, if you suit Further East, you’re a hero at the center of the luxury travel industry, seeing and doing business in special ways. We look for the people, brands, and regenerative models that pave their own road to success and transformation. But at the same time, they leave ego at the door. We don’t want rule breakers without a purpose. That’s reflected in our event program, too, in which there’s space to stretch back and reflect. Further East is about chilling out while doing the best business of your life.
&nbsp;
Which Asian destinations are of particular interest to overseas buyers these days?
There’s never a short answer to that question, because given the diversity here, every destination has a stake to claim on what a traveler might be desperate to do differently. Malaysia, for instance, has eclectic influences from China, India, and Arabic cultures all vying for attention. Then Thailand and Vietnam are both courting more than backpackers, pushing their high-end offers to the fore. So, we want to bring those ambitions out of every culture we’re orbiting.
&nbsp;
What new travel trends emerged from the show?
Aside from regenerative travel, we’re bound to delve further into AI—such as how you can leverage it to support marketing or customer service without losing the human touch. This is a big topic, and we’re hearing more great ideas about how to use it but not overuse it.
I’d also say that designing more authentic connections to local people and habitats will be really important in 2024. For example, how can you forge links with regional guides, artists, and hospitality staff? Where can travelers hear their stories off the cuff during their trip? If that happens naturally, and often enough, the luxury market will have a much better perspective on why protecting these places matters.
&nbsp;
You launched The House of Beyond in 2020 as a “digital clubhouse” for leaders from the high-end travel industry. Could you tell us more about its mission and prospects?
Even in our community, some people go further to make their mark and stir conversation. That’s what the House of Beyond is for—to give our most inspiring visionaries a home within a home, where they can connect 365 days a year.
It was pivotal during Covid when we couldn’t get together in person. Users enter an exclusive portal in which they can chat, share ideas, arrange meetings, and learn about more of the subjects defining APAC travel today. It helps us keep great discussions going when we’re not face to face.
As we build up to Bali, we’ll be furnishing The House of Beyond once again, allowing members to make more connections and strengthen them before, during, and after the show itself.
&nbsp;
PURE 2023, which was set to take place in Marrakech in September, was canceled as a result of the devastating earthquake there. Could you tell us a bit about the relief efforts your team has been involved in?
The Moroccan earthquake was a real test for all of us. Striking a few days before PURE 2023 was due to begin, it caused tremendous devastation to lives and livelihoods. We had to do something. And we’re proud to say that our PUREists leapt at the chance to lay a hand on the ground for disaster recovery, or used their supply networks to get rations, materials, and medical supplies to those who needed them the most. It was incredible, really. Our staff remained in Marrakech coordinating the response.
So, for PURE 2024, we’re putting our people on a higher pedestal than usual, making their stories the absolute centerpiece of our event. We’ll also focus on the lessons we can take from the earthquake for disaster recovery and the role that experiential travel businesses can play if and when something does happen.
Equally, we’ll be hosting our half-day community project to support affected regions in the Atlas Mountains. This always takes place the day prior to PURE’s Open House summit; the exact details are bubbling away behind the scenes. You’ll have to keep an eye out for that announcement!
Finally, we’ll be continuing our 14-year partnership with the Moroccan charity Education for All (EFA), for which we raised almost £42,000 last year alone.
&nbsp;
How else does This Is Beyond give back to people and the planet?
Well, doing good can’t have a finish line—it doesn’t work that way. Our leaders know that pursuing anything worthwhile needs to flex and grow with what’s feasible for their business, wherever they are. We can’t all race for the same benchmarks when there are so many variables that affect what we do and how we do it.
But we do try to stay consistent. So, for instance, each of our events has its own targets and partnerships—like Further East, which has been supporting the Bali Children’s Foundation (BCF) in its mission to improve literacy and numeracy for young people in remote areas of Indonesia. PURE Life Experiences, our flagship event, has also been part of the Education For All (EFA) Moroccan children’s initiative since 2010, while We Are Africa’s project plants 150 indigenous trees every year.
Combined, these programs allow cultures and individuals to thrive, nurturing the next generation who will decide what’s next for high-end travel. When we bring private, public, and non-for-profit interests into the same conversation, it’s easier to see how they can cross over and influence each other.

Serge Dive of This is Beyond Ltd.

Stay inspired with our DestinAsian newsletters