The ultimate gift: The chance to star in your very own 007 film

Pepler draws on 20 years of experience in the events business. “With vast corporate spending budgets, we have put together extraordinary events in extraordinary venues that offer experiences the normal person doesn’t have access to,” he says.

“As an individual, you can hire a private island, but for Richard Branson to turn up, this is usually only for corporate clients. But the wealthiest individuals want to be able to access these experiences themselves. So we started Footprints & Dreams so that they can.”

Footprints & Dreams is London-based but Pepler and his Hong Kong-Laotian business partner, Waiwan Lee, are heavily targeting the Asian market, as well as the Middle East and America. The company’s website will be launched in Chinese and Arabic.

“We see a massive demand for Rolls-Royce, grand Bordeaux, and high-end European fashion in Asia, and we can create experiences around all of these,” he says.

While not offering as bespoke a service as Footprints & Dreams, UK-based travel company Niquesa also allows guests to star in their own film on one of their unique itineraries. Its X-Box Detox trip, designed for families with teenagers, allows children to create their own wildlife documentary, with guidance from filmmaker and wildlife guru Jonathan Scott.

The action takes place in the Maasai Mara in Kenya, with a chance to film lions, elephants and rhinoceroses, both on foot and from above in a hot air balloon ride. Scott teaches teens how to create a storyboard, then shoot and produce a short documentary of all they experience.

“With teenagers, there’s often a frustration between the virtual and the real worlds, so we designed this trip as a family experience so families can reconnect,” says Mark Allvey, managing director of Niquesa. “Any operator can create a holiday in Kenya, but what we endeavour to do is find something with an element of uniqueness.”

One family has been on the trip so far and Allvey says more bookings are confirmed for next year.

“The guests were amazed at the accessibility of the wildlife. The trackers know where to go and the patterns of the wildlife and the hidden tracks, so you can get up close,” he says. “On the last trip, the guests were caught in heavy monsoon rains and the 4×4 had to be pulled out of a track, which was exciting for the children. Then there are the wonderful, luxury camps to go back to in the evening, which keep mum and dad happy.”

Next, they are looking into designing an underwater filming experience with a marine biologist. “Travellers are looking for a deeper connection with the world around them,” says Allvey.