This year, more than 5,000 luxury travel professionals (from 100+ countries!) gathered in Las Vegas at the Bellagio, Aria and Vdara resorts for Virtuoso Travel Week. Virtuoso is a global network renowned for creating meaningful experiences in luxury travel, and its annual Virtuoso Travel Week is a pinnacle by bringing together the world’s best travel partners and the industry’s most influential travel agencies and advisors. With a laser focus on driving future sales while establishing the latest travel trends from around the world, the event sets the stage for the future of travel. Judging by the numbers, Virtuoso Week 2022 was a resounding success, providing measurable value to the group’s members, advisors and preferred partners. Some statistics from this year’s event:
New additions featured in this year’s event were also successful. For the first time, Virtuoso presented a Technology Summit featuring speakers from well-known technology entities such as Hopper and Expedia and Virtuoso’s own Senior Vice President, Digital & Consumer Products Travis McElfresh, while also featuring venture capitalists funding travel technology. Virtuoso also teamed up with Condé Nast Traveler for the first time, revealing research each brand had done during an hour-long panel featuring Condé Nast Traveler Senior Features Editor Rebecca Misner and Virtuoso Senior Vice President, Marketing Helen McCabe- Young.
Additional features included the first-ever Pinnacle Lounge, an invitation-only venue for Virtuoso’s top production advisors to meet select partners, the Cruise Café, and partner lounges that invited advisors in to preview various experiences they can offer. Virgin Galactic was very prominent as it brought a real seat from its spacecraft and gave the attendees a feel for what suborbital space looks like.
As an additional nod towards sustainability, this year’s event totes were made responsibly from recycled plastics pulled from oceans. Attendees also had the ability to opt out of receiving the bag and everything in it, and instead make a donation (paid for by Virtuoso) to one of three charitable organisations: World Central Kitchen, International Fair Trade and the Council Protection of Natural Resources.
Sustainability remains top of mind, not only for the organizers behind Virtuoso Week, but for travelers too. Below, five more trends from this year’s event, along with must-know destinations and insider news.
This Year’s Top Travel Trends
Sustainability Remains a Top Priority
In a recent survey, 74 percent of Virtuoso travelers said they are willing to pay more to travel sustainably if they know where their money is going. And 70 per cent agreed that sustainable travel actually improves their holiday experience. Travelers are increasingly committed to purposeful travel, and not just in a purely ecological sense. They are also looking for companies and experiences that focus on “benefiting local people and the economy” and “preserving natural and cultural heritage.”
Travellers of All Ages Are Willing to Splurge on Value-Added Services – Like a Good Travel Advisor
According to a recent Virtuoso survey, 76 percent of travelers have accepted that we live in a “new normal,” which explains the increasing demand for – and increasing value of – an expert advisor who can save time, energy and the pain head for passengers. sitting on the phone for hours with customer support. Even Millennials and Gen Zers are turning to travel advisors. “My daughter is 25 years old and she’s an advocate of using a travel professional,” says Virtuoso travel advisor Susan Bowman. “She tells everyone and her friends also agree. They seem to be a generation that gets it, and they’ve discovered that we add value.” Between navigating airport travel and handling travel logistics, many travelers choose to work with a dedicated travel advisor. “One of the simplest definitions of luxury goes like this: ‘Of course I can do it myself. I don’t want to’,” said Matthew D. Upchurch, Chairman and CEO of Virtuoso. “Travelers want to find someone who knows what they’re doing, has great connections, saves time and has their back.”
Travellers are Back to Planning Ahead
With people arriving in record numbers, there has never been so much fantasy around booking flights and hotels. In response to this strong demand, travelers are now booking their trips an average of 58 days in advance for domestic hotel stays, and 80 days for international trips (compared to 2019’s 44 and 60 days, respectively ). “We’ve seen so much last-minute demand and the space is literally not there,” said Virtuoso advisor Beth Washington. Read also : Amazon’s growth increases as core retail businesses face macro challenges. “We see people now ready to think about things for 2023 instead of planning so last minute.”
Off-Season Travel is Gaining Steam
If it seemed like everyone was in Europe this summer it’s because they were. According to a Virtuoso poll, seven of the top ten international destinations this summer were in Europe, with Italy and France leading the way. The surge in bookings is causing some destinations, such as Italy, to worry about the effects of over-tourism. As a result, travel professionals in Italy—the second most popular spot for fall travel—encourage travelers to visit during the off-season. To see also : The latest trends in combined travel. It’s a win-win for destinations and for travelers who get to see beloved places without the crowds. In a recent survey, the majority of Virtuoso travelers said they would be willing to visit a popular destination during the off-season. Virtuoso’s own editors suggest booking a room at Passalacqua, the new Lake Como villa from hotelier Valentina De Santis and the Grand Hotel Tremezzo team, which is open all year round – a rarity in the Lake Como region.
The Destinations to Watch
Palm fringed beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters, island hopping. No, we are not talking about the Maldives, but the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. This may interest you : Business Alumni Conference @ Marilyn Davies College of Business. Located on the southeastern edge of the Bay of Bengal, the archipelago is known for its spectacular diving and bioluminescent waters, which travelers can experience with night kayaking off Havelock Island.
About a 45 minute drive north of Cabo San Lucas is the East Cape, a relatively unknown stretch of the Sea of Cortés where the new Four Seasons resort has just landed. According to the tourism board, the destination is a nature lover’s dream, located near Cabo Puma National Marine Park, a UNESCO Marine World Heritage site.
All eyes are on Greenland! Silversea is set to launch new itineraries in the Arctic nation – the world’s largest island – next year, with other cruise lines, including Quark and Lindblad, set to expand their offerings.
Tour link on site Virtuoso Access to Italy let Virtuoso in on one of their hidden gems: the hilltop village in beautiful condition Civita di Bagnoregio. Located between Rome and Florence, the medieval town can only be reached by a pedestrian bridge. And for now, he remains happily under the radar.
More Insider News from the Week
One of the best ways to plan for future trips is by creating a Wanderlist and sharing it with a Virtuoso advisor, who can make dreams of pearl harvesting in Australia come true or take a private tour of Georgia O’Keeffe’s home and studio. Virtuoso took advantage of its global network to discover what else was on the experimental horizon for its global citizens.
A new astronaut-inspired camp opens in Antarctica in December. Echo, from super tour operator White Desert, will feature six futuristic sleeping pods and a common area inspired by a visit from Buzz Aldrin and co-founder Patrick Woodhead’s love of Star Wars. The experience runs $104,000 per person and includes an excursion to the South Pole and private flights to and from the ice landing strip on the property’s doorstep.
On November 3, Auberge Resorts will open a relaxing surf retreat in Punta de Mita, on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Susurros del Corazón will feature 59 rooms and 30 villas clustered around a three-tier infinity edge pool, which fronts a magnificent white sand beach. Activities include a “surf safari” that will take guests to lesser-known beaches with frequent breaks and sparse crowds.
Fiuggi, Italy is The Ranch’s newest outpost location. The wellness retreat will offer detox sessions and week-long hikes along ancient trade pilgrimage routes.
Armendaris is the latest addition to Ted Turner Conservancies, known for its sustainable wildlife reserves in the American Southwest. The four-bedroom hacienda is located on 360,000 acres in New Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert and comes with a private chef along with experiences such as nature photography workshops, wildlife tours and mountain biking.
Iceland is about to get its first rooftop bar! Next spring, the Reykjavik Edition will debut in a rooftop perch where guests can sip cocktails while taking in the Northern Lights.
In November, Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi will unveil six vegan suites, built without animal products and featuring vegan menus and amenities.
Starting this fall, Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole guests can hop on a private plane and discover a remote corner of Yellowstone National Park, where they’ll meet an expert naturalist to learn about the area’s elusive gray wolves—and maybe even see a few . close.
Safari operator Singita has created art galleries at its Sabi Sand and Kruger National Park Lodges. These spaces will showcase the work of leading African and emerging artists. The initiative is part of Singita’s overarching mission to celebrate and incorporate local culture into its offerings.
About Virtuoso
Virtuoso® is the leading global travel agency network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. This invitation-only organization includes over 1,200 travel agency locations with more than 20,000 travel advisors in over 50 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Drawing on its preferred relationships with more than 2,200 of the world’s best hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies and premier destinations, the network provides exclusive facilities, rare experiences and privileged access to its customers superior. Normalized annual sales (US) $25-$30 billion make Virtuoso a powerhouse in the luxury travel industry. For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com.
