During the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, we had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Felicitas Morhart, Full Professor of Marketing at HEC Lausanne, to explore how the emerging field of longevity is starting to reshape luxury hospitality. Our conversation touched on the intersection of biotech wellness, status-driven self-optimization, and the evolving role of luxury as a space for beauty, presence, and what it means to remain human in an increasingly optimized world. Which technology or innovation do you think will most reshape the travel and hospitality industry over the next 5 to 10 years? What will be the main impact of longevity in hospitality? Is there a difference between self-betterment and self-optimization, and how does this affect hospitality's approach to wellness? Can luxury still support a genuine path to becoming a better person, or does it always lead to ego and excess?
Most people would probably talk about artificial intelligence, but I think if you really look at the potential in hospitality, we need to talk about longevity. That includes epigenetics, biotech hacking, nutrition that augments functionality, and even technology that augments the human body. It is fascinating, and yes, also a little bit scary. But as people begin to live longer and healthier, there is a growing narrative that taking care of your body is becoming a status symbol. That presents a big business opportunity for the industry.
There is a huge business opportunity, especially in the luxury and high-end travel space. People are living longer, many are financially well off in retirement, and being healthy is increasingly a symbol of status. We now see celebrities going to longevity clinics instead of hiding away in rehab. As soon as something becomes a status symbol, it becomes a market. It is a very human need to rank yourself in the social hierarchy, and now health and longevity are the new benchmarks.
Yes, and it is an important distinction. Self-optimization is a more egoistic way of looking at betterment. It is about tracking yourself, beating your own numbers, comparing oxygen levels in your blood. The original idea of becoming a better person was about being a better human for the planet and society. But once longevity becomes a luxury status symbol, it becomes all about the ego, not the ecosystem. When someone is injecting the blood of their son to stay young, you know we have crossed a line. That is not about becoming a better person. That is a status game.
That is one of the dilemmas I live with personally. I believe it is possible. If we bring the definition of luxury down to its essence—beauty, harmony, aesthetic pleasure—there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, that kind of luxury is very compatible with spiritual growth and alignment with nature. Luxury, when defined this way, can be a custodian of humanity.
Because true luxury is inefficient. It is about time, attention, presence, and personal care. When we now talk about AI, it is about efficiency. But luxury is not efficient. Luxury is human. It is magical and personal. That is what makes it so special. A few years ago, people may have said striving for luxury was superficial. But in the future, I believe luxury will stay human, and ultimately be what keeps us human.
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20-21 May 2025
 EHL Hospitality Business School Route de Berne Lausanne, 1000 Switzerland |
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Hospitality Net
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