Virtuoso concluded its annual Australia & New Zealand Forum, which took place on the 12th and 13th of March at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok.

The gathering brought together more than 200 attendees, including the owners and managers from Virtuoso’s travel agency members in Australia and New Zealand and preferred partners from around the world. During the two-day event, attendees participated in curated professional development, taking part in courses designed to enhance business practices.

Topics ranged from adopting strategies for achieving work-life balance and effective storytelling to harnessing the power of AI and developing a luxury strategy to take their business to the next level. Additionally, participants engaged in one-on-one networking appointments with partners.

The opening session began with Virtuoso chairman and CEO Matthew D. Upchurch addressing the audience by describing “the power of together,” an idea in which collaboration is the threshold for success.

Upchurch stated, “New management research on how to best succeed in an accelerating world emphasizes that the sharing of data and skills is a way to create shared value. But this isn’t new for Virtuoso. We’ve done this with our ever growing database, via our innovation teams, our boards and committees, professional development offerings, targeted brand marketing campaigns and more, all of which create new capabilities for our network and enhance ROI. The common connection in all of this is data, and every increment adds value.”

Moving on to the topic of AI, a tool Upchurch supports as an aid to the travel advisor profession rather than a substitute, he said, “Travel advisors are motivated and constant learners, and they know how to surprise and delight travellers through personalisation and the power of relationships. New technologies shouldn’t be adopted to replace the human touch, but rather to enhance it. AI may be leading the online ‘age of distrust,’ but I also believe it will make trust and human connection even more valuable.”

Following Upchurch, Virtuoso’s GM of Australia and New Zealand, Fiona Dalton shared a recap of last year’s network sales and achievements as well as an optimistic outlook for 2024. Among the highlighted statistics, the region’s preferred partner sales in 2023 increased by 95 percent compared to 2022, and the forecast for leisure tourism for the region in 2024 was an increase of 26 percent. In 2023, the network organised 15 events in Australia and New Zealand, attracting over 1,300 advisors and more than 300 preferred partners, which facilitated 35,452 connections and 3,319 hours of networking.

In professional development, Dalton highlighted the 10,044 training modules completed by Virtuoso advisors in the region, an increase of 318 percent from 2022 and a testament to the heightened focus on elevating Virtuoso advisors through education and engagement. Dalton also shared findings from Virtuoso’s network pulse survey, in which 84 percent of Australian and New Zealand members and 79 percent of partners said they currently feel optimistic about their future business.

During the General Session on the event’s final day, Virtuoso unveiled several key initiatives for Australian and New Zealand members, including a new ‘Marketing for Marketers’ full-day course slated to launch in 2024. This course aims to assist member agency marketing managers in better leveraging Virtuoso’s marketing assets to drive increased high-net-worth client inquiries.

Also announced at the General Session were three professional development milestones for the region:

• The addition of luxury travel doyenne Claudia Rossi Hudson as a mentor and facilitator for the Virtuoso Certified Travel Advisor (VCTA) accreditation course
• The first-ever Study Tour for Australian and New Zealand advisors to Canada in September 2024, supported by Destination Canada
• The premiere of two new Deep Dive courses in the region in 2024 in response to member demand: Sales Success, Elevate your Client Process and The Luxury Advisor: Adaptability to Manage Availability

The event ended with the announcement of the destination for the 2025 Virtuoso Australia & New Zealand Forum, to be held in Perth / Boorloo.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Tourism Western Australia to bring our Forum event to Perth in 2025, showcasing the city’s captivating beauty and its picturesque surroundings. The highly anticipated annual event promises to be a transformative gathering fostering learning, sharing and empowerment,” said Virtuoso’s incoming GM, Australia and New Zealand Greg Treasure.

Regional Virtuoso Awards Winners

Virtuoso announced the winners of its regional Virtuoso Awards last night. The awards honour Virtuoso  members and partners that elevate the travel industry and create memorable experiences for luxury travellers in Australia and New Zealand. They set the standard in their given category and were recognised based on their sales volume and engagement within the Virtuoso network.

The awards ceremony took place during Wednesday evening’s elegant gala dinner. The Australia and New Zealand Virtuoso Awards categories and winners were:

Southern Cross Award: The Southern Cross Award recognises one member that goes above and beyond in engagement, activism, advocacy, sponsorship and promotion of Virtuoso Australia and New Zealand. They embody the commitment, humility and spirit of human connection within the Virtuoso network and are an example of what matters most to members, partners and travellers.

            Winner: Anthony Goldman, Goldman Travel Corporation

Most Engaged: This award recognises a member and a partner with the highest engagement based on participation within the Virtuoso network.

            Member winner: Goldman Travel Corporation

            Partner winner: Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Top Producers: These awards honour members and partners with the highest overall network sales per category.

            Member winners:     

                        Cruise Top Producer: Travel Associates

                        Hotels & Resorts Top Producer: Goldman Travel Corporation

                        Tour Top Producer: MTA – Mobile Travel Agents

                        On-Site Top Producer: Frontier Travel

Partner winners:       

                        Cruise Top Producer: Viking

                        Hotels & Resorts Top Producer: Kamalaya Koh Samui

                        Tour Top Producer: Island Escapes

                        On-Site Top Producer: The Tailor – Australia

Highest Annual Growth: These awards acknowledge members and partners with the largest annual year-over-year growth per category.

Member winners:     

                        Highest Cruise Annual Growth: Spencer Travel Pty Ltd

                        Highest Hotels & Resorts Annual Growth: Jigsaw Travel

                        Highest Tour Annual Growth: MTA – Mobile Travel Agents

                        Highest On-Site Annual Growth: Frontier Travel

Partner winners:       

                        Highest Cruise Annual Growth: Silversea

                        Highest Hotels & Resorts Annual Growth: The St. Regis New York

                        Highest Tour Annual Growth: 50 Degrees North – Norway, Finland and Iceland

                        Highest On-Site Annual Growth: Canada by Design powered by Discover Holidays

“As Virtuoso continues to evolve and expand globally, we are using our Forums around the world to recognise stand-out members and partners within a given market for their contribution to the network,” said Virtuoso chairman & CEO Matthew D. Upchurch.

“We congratulate those who received regional Virtuoso Awards during the Australia & New Zealand Forum. Their dedication and engagement with Virtuoso are paramount to our continued success as a leader within the luxury travel industry.”

Virtuoso ANZ Outlook

The Virtuoso AUNZ network experienced a sales increase of 17 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, reaching record levels. Additionally, Virtuoso’s preferred partner sales from its Australia and New Zealand advisors soared by an impressive 95 percent in 2023.

Cruise Sales Lead the Way

Analysing the 2023 preferred partner sales by type, cruising emerged as travel frontrunner.

• Cruise: +60 per cent
• Tour: +21 per cent
• On-site (destination management companies): +17 per cent
• Hotel: +15 per cent

Ocean Cruising Comes Out on Top in 2023 vs. 2022

• Ocean Luxury: +67 per cent
• Ocean Premium: +66 per cent
• River: +52 per cent
• Contemporary: +43 per cent
• Expedition: +12 per cent

Average Booking Window Increases

The booking window in 2023 increased by more than 8 percent from the 117-day average seen in 2022, reaching an average of 126 days.

International Sales Revert to 2019 Levels

Leisure hotel production at international destinations soared to 90 percent in the first half of 2023 and held steady through the remainder of the year, highlighting the shift from domestic to international travel.

The Future Looks Promising, Particularly in Cruise

• In 2023, future sales in the AUNZ region increased by 95 per cent compared to 2022, with the cruise sector witnessing a notable 51 per cent rise over 2022 figures.
• A robust 84 per cent of Virtuoso members within Australia and New Zealand expressed optimism about the future, surpassing the global average of 81 per cent.
• Similarly, 79 per cent of Virtuoso partners in the region share this positive outlook, compared to the global average of 73 per cent.
• Within specific sectors, optimism is notably high among cruise partners at 86 per cent, exceeding the global average of 73 per cent, followed closely by on-site partners at 83 per cent, tour operators at 80 percent and tourism boards at 75 per cent.

This just in: Below are additional travel insights per the Virtuoso 2024 Brand and Travel Trend Tracker, a proprietary study conducted with YouGov.

Australians Seek Serenity

When it comes to motivations for leisure travel, Australians are most interested in relaxation and disconnecting from the wider world.

1. Relaxation/Disconnecting
2. Adventure
3. Romantic Getaways
4. Cultural Experiences
5. Celebrations
6. Nature/Eco-Tourism

Complimentary Perks and Exclusive Benefits Win Over Virtuoso Travellers

The most appealing aspects of Virtuoso according to select responders in Australia and New Zealand are:

• Complimentary perks and upgrades: 40 per cent (surpassing the global average of 34 per cent)
• Special benefits and values: 39 per cent (exceeding the global average of 31 per cent)
• Advisors’ first-hand experience: 29 per cent (at parity with the global average of 30 per cent)

This year marks 20 years of Virtuoso’s operations in Australia and New Zealand.