The travel initiative touching lives across 27 countries
As travellers increasingly seek purpose alongside experience, Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy says its projects have now positively impacted almost 550,000 people across 27 countries.
2 min
Luxury travel has long been associated with extraordinary experiences, remote destinations and exclusive access.
Increasingly, however, it is also being measured by something less visible: the impact it leaves behind.
New figures released by Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy (AKP), the charitable arm of luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent, reveal the organisation raised a record $3.3 million in 2025, supporting 80 projects across 27 countries and reaching almost 550,000 beneficiaries since its inception.
The result marks the philanthropy group’s largest year to date and reflects a broader shift within the luxury travel sector towards community development, conservation and long-term local partnerships.
Keith Sproule, Executive Director of A&K Philanthropy, said the organisation’s focus remained on creating lasting change within communities visited by travellers.
“From feeding thousands of students each day to expanding access to clean water, healthcare and economic opportunity, 2025 was a landmark year for A&K Philanthropy,” he said.
A changing definition of luxury
The growing focus on social impact comes as affluent travellers increasingly seek deeper connections with the destinations they visit.
Across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America, AKP’s projects span education, healthcare, conservation and enterprise development, often in remote regions where tourism can provide an important economic lifeline.
Among the year’s milestones was the delivery of approximately $800,000 worth of medical equipment to healthcare facilities in Uganda and Zambia, while more than 6,400 students gained access to clean drinking water through school-based initiatives.
The organisation also expanded school feeding programs in Kenya, Namibia, Uganda and Zambia, providing daily meals to more than 7,200 children.
Investing in communities
Several projects highlighted in the report focus on helping communities generate sustainable income rather than relying solely on aid.
In the Peruvian Amazon, AKP partnered with the Nueva Arica community to develop businesses centred on punga fibre, aguaje fruit and honey production, creating economic opportunities while supporting environmental conservation in one of the world’s most biodiverse regions.
Elsewhere, near Petra in Jordan, 40 young women completed a vocational mosaic-training program designed to help participants establish businesses and generate independent income.
Education also remained a priority, with a new library opening at Pusanki Primary School in Kenya’s Maasai Mara. The project included the delivery of more than 1,100 books for 440 students living near important wildlife conservation areas.
Tourism’s broader legacy
While luxury travel remains centred on exceptional experiences, reports such as AKP’s highlight the growing expectation that tourism should deliver benefits beyond the visitor experience alone.
The organisation now employs 17 Impact Managers who work directly within local communities, helping oversee projects and maintain long-term partnerships in some of the world’s most isolated regions.
As travellers become increasingly conscious of where their money flows, the concept of luxury is continuing to evolve, with many high-end operators placing greater emphasis on the legacy their journeys leave behind.
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5 min
Elysium Manly has officially opened its doors, welcoming its first guests and bringing a new calibre of contemporary luxury to one of Australia’s most recognisable beachfront destinations.
Formerly Manly Pacific, the 213-room hotel is now Elysium Manly, marking a definitive new identity for the landmark beachfront property and the Sydney arrival of Elysium Hotels. Occupying a prime position opposite Manly Beach, around 20 minutes by ferry from Sydney’s CBD, the hotel brings together contemporary coastal rooms and suites, destination dining, integrated wellness and a heightened level of service and generosity.
Following the launch of Elysium Noosa Resort in December, Elysium Manly establishes the Australian luxury hotel brand across two of the country’s most sought-after coastal destinations, arriving in Sydney just in time for summer. Here, the Elysium experience is distinctly of its place: the sand and surf of Manly Beach directly opposite, the harbour and ferry only a short walk away, and Sydney remarkably close. Yet from an ocean-facing terrace, the rooftop pool or over dinner at Cibaria, it can feel a world away.
The transition to Elysium follows a $40 million investment in the property, including a $30 million refurbishment of rooms and suites by Coco Republic and the $8.5 million creation of acclaimed restaurant Cibaria, designed by Luchetti Krelle. Now, a new layer of accommodation, wellness, service and guest experience completes its transition to Elysium Manly.
Elysium Manly’s most elevated expression is the 167sqm Elysium Suite: a one-bedroom penthouse overlooking Manly Beach and the Pacific Ocean. An expansive private terrace now features a full-spectrum infrared barrel sauna by Nimbus alongside outdoor dining and sun loungers, creating a private vantage point above one of Sydney’s most famous stretches of coastline.
Inside, generous living and entertaining spaces include a fireplace, eight-seat dining table with private dining available on request, a freestanding bath and curated wine fridge. Hermès bathroom amenities are exclusive to the suite. Breakfast is served in-suite daily, while a dedicated VIP Host, valet parking and priority dining at Cibaria and 55 North extend the experience beyond the room. A Peloton bike can also be arranged on request.
Among the most significant additions are six new Wellness Suites. Each suite opens onto an ocean-facing private terrace with its own full-spectrum Nimbus infrared barrel sauna, allowing guests to move between the warmth of the sauna and the fresh sea air beyond.
Rather than prescribing how a wellness stay should look, Elysium’s Wellness Suites give guests the freedom to incorporate it as much or as little as they choose. A wellness tonic on arrival, in-room fitness equipment, LED face mask, compression boots, Peloton access and a complimentary BodyLove Pilates class are among the inclusions, alongside a minibar stocked with juices and electrolytes. A dedicated wellness breakfast can be served in-suite, while IKKARI bathroom amenities and signature Elysium robes complete the experience.
A further nine Coastal Two-Bedroom Suites broaden the hotel’s appeal for families and longer stays, offering expansive, residential-style accommodation. At 73sqm, each features a private ocean-facing balcony, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, alongside a generous contemporary living area, comfortable lounge, kitchenette and sit-down dining space. A dedicated VIP Host, ESPA bathroom amenities, valet parking and a complimentary one-hour infrared sauna experience are also included.
On level six, the new Elysium Floor introduces an additional layer of personalised service. The experience begins before arrival, with guest preferences informing the stay and a dedicated VIP Host available to assist with dining reservations, in-room arrangements, local recommendations and individual requests. Personalised room preparation and evening turndown are among the service rituals designed to make the experience feel intuitive and personal.
The hallmarks of an Elysium stay are equally apparent in the smaller details, with a tiered collection of bathroom amenities across room and suite categories: Grown Alchemist throughout hotel rooms, ESPA across suites, and Hermès reserved exclusively for the Elysium Suite. New photographic works by Australian photographer Elise Hassey, shot for Elysium Manly, are being introduced to selected rooms, joining the contemporary coastal interiors by Coco Republic and further connecting the hotel to its beachfront setting.
Beyond the rooms, Elysium’s sensory signatures have been layered throughout the property.
Bespoke floral installations by celebrated florist Saskia Havekes of Grandiflora, a signature Elysium fragrance and an evolving soundscape by music curator Mitchell Wicks bring scent, sound and nature into the guest experience.
Crowning the hotel is the rooftop magnesium mineral pool with a sweeping panorama of Manly Beach and the Pacific Ocean. High above the beachfront and framed by the tops of Manly’s Norfolk pines, the brilliant blue of the pool meets the ocean beyond, creating a striking vantage point from which to swim, sun and take in the coastline. It’s a perspective few hotels can match.
An infrared sauna is available to in-house guests by arrangement, with complimentary access included for Elysium Suite and Coastal Two-Bedroom Suite guests.
Dining remains central to the Elysium experience. Cibaria, the acclaimed Italian restaurant by Alessandro and Anna Pavoni, has already earned a Chef Hat and anchors the hotel’s food and beverage offering, bringing the warmth and energy of Italian dining to the Manly beachfront through handmade pasta, seafood, wood-fired cooking and a generous approach to hospitality.
At 55 North, cocktails, an extensive wine list and a Cibaria bar menu carry the hotel from morning into evening, while Bistro Manly begins the day with an elevated breakfast facing the beachfront.
Elysium Manly General Manager, Dylan Cole, said the official transition marks the culmination of several years of investment in the property, while introducing a new level of service and experience not previously available at the hotel:
“Elysium is about looking at every part of the guest experience and asking what more we can give, from the way we welcome people and anticipate what they might need, to the quality of the amenities in their room and the details they encounter throughout their stay. We have an extraordinary location in Manly and the ambition is to create a hotel experience that genuinely lives up to it.”
“There is a generosity to Elysium that goes beyond the physical hotel. It’s the freedom to have breakfast brought to your suite after a sauna, knowing your favourite bottle is waiting in the wine fridge, having your dining reservations taken care of, or simply being recognised and looked after by someone who understands how you want to spend your time with us,” said Cole.
With its first guests now checked in, one of Australia’s most iconic beachside destinations has a hotel experience to match the beauty of its setting, bringing together contemporary coastal design, destination dining, integrated wellness and highly personalised service just 20 minutes by ferry from Sydney’s CBD.
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