For others, it might mean staying at a 5* hotel every night, but regular touring throughout the tour is ok. (One time, when making a presentation to a client, he asked me "these are 5* hotels aren't they? My wife will divorce me if I don't put her in 5* hotels")
In recent times, people have started looking for tours that are more experiential and/or transformative - something that is not a cookie cutter tour. That could mean more involvement with regular local people in order to really see how they live, or it could mean meeting with leading people for behind the scenes informative discussions, or going to areas that other tourists don't go to, or taking helicopter rides to get views that are unique.