Blockbuster travel: Why celeb-led tours are on the rise

If you're into food, art, golfing or cricket, chances are there's a celebrity-led tour to interest you. But it's not just the guests who get a kick out of the tours - the celebrities do, too.

Celebrity chefs Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston will lead a Luxury Escapes foodie tour in 2025, visiting two of Asia's great food destinations: Taiwan and Hong Kong.

"We'll be devouring dumplings, noshing on noodles, digging into incredible food markets and tripping the light fantastic in some of the fanciest restaurants. This is the ultimate foodies 'penthouse to pavement' food tour," Mehigan says.

When the tour visits some of Asia's coolest bars and delicious street food destinations, the celebs will be in their elements.

"The joy of travel for me is as much to do with the people as it is the place, it's what makes experiences special," Mehigan says.

"It could be a feast or at a family table or a smile exchanged with a street vendor, it's the connections that I love. It's an opportunity to be curious, explore and learn and see things from a different perspective."

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Luxury Escapes head of social engagement Eugene Loane says the celebrity tours, coined the Signature Series, are curated and designed by the celebrity in collaboration with the tour company - so you're not just getting a token famous person coming along for the ride.

Everyone from grandparents and empty nesters to younger solo travellers are interested in the tours, which provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for guests to have a cooking demonstration with one of Australia's top chefs, a private golf lesson with a pro player, or health and wellness coaching with leading fitness professionals, Loane says.

Foodie tours are especially popular, and MasterChef winner and TV personality Diana Chan will be leading one through Singapore and Malaysia this year.

In the sports realm, cricket legend Merv Hughes has been hosting Ashes tours with Australian Sports Tours since the 1990s. The company also runs football, tennis, rugby union and league itineraries. Operations manager Ben Parker says guests are a mix of sporting fans wanting to see Australian teams compete overseas as well as those more interested in touring the countries they visit in a group setting.

Renaissance Tours managing director Evan Petrelis says their clients have "highly developed interests" in the arts and culture, with art historians, curators, archaeologists, historians, musicologists, radio and TV broadcasters, and horticulturalists leading tours. "They love travelling in the company of like-minded others (i.e. who are also interested in the arts and culture) and being led by experts in their fields," Petrelis says.