The sign reads, ‘Ring for Champagne’. And after sounding a small bell below the words, an outstretched arm appears from behind the Collette-sponsored, faux-grass wall, indeed with a glass of bubbly. Welcome to Virtuoso On Tour.
Luxury travel needs a top-class showcase. And Virtuoso’s On Tour event provided just that in Sydney this week.
More than 300 luxury travel advisors from across Australia and New Zealand met for two days at the gathering, where they enjoyed product experiences, networking opportunities and professional development.
It was also a first-of-its-kind event for Virtuoso in Australia, using an exhibition-style format. Across six destination-themed pavilions at Sydney’s International Convention Centre (ICC), Virtuoso advisors met with 36 preferred partners including tourism boards, tour operators and cruise lines.
With these face-to-face interactions, Virtuoso hopes to strengthen ties between advisors and partners, resulting in higher sales and elevated client experiences.
Virtuoso’s Professional Development and Training Specialist, Michele Duncan also led an educational session called ‘Life Lives in Language; Why Should I Book With You?’, covering topics such as online versus direct bookings, service fees, and competition from other providers.
‘Busier than ever’
Following the On Tour Destination Day, Virtuoso hosted an Advisor Appreciation Party, which as the name implies, was held to recognise the contribution of advisors in the network.
“Our advisors are busier than ever, but they take the time to continue furthering their partner relationships and industry education, and we celebrate that commitment to their craft, their clients and to this network,” Virtuoso General Manager, Australia and New Zealand Fiona Dalton said.
MC and Virtuoso Senior Vice President Global Operations Michael Londregan spoke about the renaissance of the travel advisor in the post-pandemic world, saying an advisor’s value was finally being understood and appreciated.
David Farrar, Head of Sales Australia for Collette, the major sponsor of the event, then highlighted the continuing appreciation suppliers have for the hard work of an experienced advisor.
Among the winners of the member recognition awards were Frontier Travel (YOY Growth) and MTA Mobile Travel Agents (Top Overall Production) in the Destinations and Experiences category, Goldman Travel (Top Overall Production) and Tribe Group (YOY Growth) in the Hotels category, and Travel Associates (Top Overall Production) and Main Beach Travel (YOY Growth) in the Cruise category.
A video showcasing all of the Virtuoso members and a live band followed the awards ceremony.
Karryon attended the event at the ICC.
With demand for advisors growing, Virtuoso recently launched its own proprietary Advisor Recruitment Program in Australia and New Zealand for those interested in joining a member agency.
Virtuoso also recently reported a 91 per cent lift in overall bookings versus 2019 leading into 2020.
