MYRIAM GUYON, FOUNDER OF VOYAGES CONFIDENTIELS: "LUXURY TRAVEL REQUIRES UNDERSTANDING THE INVISIBLE AND ANTICIPATING THE INEFFABLE"
The founder of the first European agency to join the Virtuoso Travel network shares her values, favourite destinations and vision of exceptional travel. |
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MYRIAM GUYON, FOUNDER OF VOYAGES CONFIDENTIELS: "LUXURY TRAVEL REQUIRES UNDERSTANDING THE INVISIBLE AND ANTICIPATING THE INEFFABLE"
The founder of the first European agency to join the Virtuoso Travel network shares her values, favourite destinations and vision of exceptional travel. |
Category: Worldwide - Industry economy
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- Suppliers
- Tourism - Providers - Interviews
Interview made by Sonia Taourghi on 2025-04-16
 Myriam Guyon founded the agency Voyages Confidentiels in 2011
Photo credit © Voyages Confidentiels
Meeting Myriam Guyon is to discover a woman whose passion for travel was forged from a very young age when her parents took her to explore fascinating cultures across the world's four corners. This insatiable curiosity, combined with a personal event that led her to redefine her priorities, gave birth to Voyages Confidentiels, the first European agency to become a member of the prestigious Virtuoso Travel network.
What distinguishes Myriam's approach is her vision of luxury, which has evolved from external display towards a quest for inner authenticity. For her, exceptional travel is defined by rare emotions, suspended moments, and genuine human encounters. Her philosophy is based on orchestrating experiences where elegance resides in the invisible, far from conventional standards – a philosophy that undoubtedly contributed to her receiving the award for the Most Committed Agency at the Virtuoso Travel Awards last March.
Through this conversation, Myriam invites us to discover how she balances luxury expectations with a responsible approach to travel and emerging trends to remain competitive whilst always staying true to her signature style.
Journal des Palaces: What inspired you to create Voyages Confidentiels, and how did you become the first European agency in the Virtuoso network?
Myriam Guyon: Voyages Confidentiels was born from a deep passion for travel as a vehicle for emotions and exceptional encounters.
From a very young age, my parents opened my eyes to the world's diversity, taking me to discover fascinating cultures across the globe. This insatiable curiosity, coupled with a life event that pushed me to redefine my priorities, led me to create an agency in my own image: authentic, exclusive, and bold.
As for our membership in the prestigious Virtuoso network, it is the fruit of an uncompromising commitment to excellence, trust patiently built with our partners, and a vision of luxury based on emotion, innovation and extreme personalisation.
Our excellence has been rewarded by Virtuoso, which named us the best European agency.
How has your vision of luxury travel evolved since creating your agency?
Luxury, in my eyes, has shifted from external display to a quest for inner authenticity.
Over the years, I've noticed that our clients seek less ostentation and are now looking for rare emotion, suspended moments, and true human connections.
Our mission is to orchestrate experiences where elegance resides in the invisible, in the intimate, far from conventional standards.
Travelling today is above all about feeling, understanding, and marvelling.
What emerging destinations do you currently recommend to your most discerning clients?
Saudi Arabia, for its raw beauty and the poetry of its infinite deserts.
Slovenia, a secret jewel mixing Alpine nature, refined culture and Italian-inspired gastronomy.
Colombia, which combines vibrant traditions and effervescent modernity in a responsible and artistic approach to travel.
How do you balance your clients' luxury expectations with a more responsible and sustainable approach to travel?
True luxury today is also about consciousness. At Voyages Confidentiels, we favour partners engaged in societal and sustainable approaches, and we promote experiences that respect local places and cultures.
We guide our clients towards a more thoughtful travel consumption: prioritising quality over quantity, immersing themselves in the reality of a place rather than merely skimming its surface.
Our bespoke service naturally integrates these values without ever renouncing the exceptional.
How do you anticipate and integrate new luxury travel trends into your offerings?
We are constantly listening to the world and our clients. Keen observation of evolving aspirations, intellectual curiosity and constant international monitoring allow us to anticipate emerging desires.
We integrate trends that resonate with our values: ultra-personalised experiences, authentic disconnection, responsible exploration, return to ancestral know-how.
But beyond trends, we remain faithful to our signature: offering the inaccessible in a deeply human and emotional way.
What is the most extraordinary journey you have ever organised for a client, and why was it so memorable?
Among the journeys I've orchestrated, one of the most memorable was undoubtedly the creation of a mobile camp following the great migration in East Africa.
Imagine a private camp set up and taken down to the rhythm of the majestic movement of wildebeests and zebras, offering each evening a new natural scene overwhelming in its beauty. Under a sky studded with stars, lulled by the Savannah sounds, our clients experienced pure communion with wild nature, worthy of Out of Africa.
Every detail, from the refined comfort of the tents to the delicate cuisine served in the middle of the bush, had been designed to elevate the moment.
It was a journey out of time, a vibrant homage to life, respect for living beings, and the world's raw magic.
What does a typical week look like for your agency?
Each week is a discreet and meticulous ballet. No two days are alike, between personalised exchanges with our clients, bespoke design of exceptional projects, meetings with our partners around the world, and confidential scouting.
Everything is rhythmed by the constant search for perfection, inspiring vigilance and attention to the smallest details.
True luxury tolerates no approximation; it demands rigour, creativity and benevolence daily.
What advice would you give someone wishing to enter the luxury travel consulting business today?
Luxury travel requires more than simple technical expertise: it demands a particular sensitivity, an ability to understand the invisible and anticipate the ineffable.
I would advise being infinitely curious, deeply respectful of cultures, and uncompromising on quality and ethics.
And above all, never lose sight of the fact that behind every journey, there is a quest for sincere emotion.
 Private camp set up by Voyages Confidentiels in Tanzania
Photo credit © Voyages Confidentiels
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