Virtuoso Travel Week has successfully wrapped up for another year in Las Vegas, with a closing gala honouring the luxury travel network’s standout individuals and entities over the past 12 months.
Held at Bellagio Resort & Casino, the Virtuoso gala highlighted the most highly regarded travel agencies, advisors and preferred partners following a week of virtual and in-person experiences.
Winners of the Virtuoso’s Best of the Best Awards, for which advisors from around the world voted, include:
Best Hotel: San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel / Italy
Best New or Reimagined Hotel: The Peninsula Istanbul / Turkey
Hotelier of the Year: Markos Chaidemenos, Canaves Oia, Luxury Resorts / Greece
Best On-site: (for the partner who creates outstanding customised experiences) Southern Crossings / Australia and NZ
Best Tour Operator: Tauck / Wilton, Connecticut, USA
Best Tourism Board: Switzerland Tourism
Best Specialty, Insurance or Airline: Emirates
Winners of the Virtuoso Selected awards
Most Engaged Global Agency: An award that recognises a member agency with the highest engagement based on agency participation within the Virtuoso network.
Winner: Q Cruise + Travel / Chicago, Illinois
Luminary: An award that acknowledges a partner that upholds the highest professional standards, serves as a leader in their industry and embodies the spirit of the Virtuoso network through their dedication and engagement.
Winner: Tourism Australia
Rising Star: An award recognising the achievements of a new-to-industry Virtuoso Travel Advisor, who demonstrates an exceptional level of production and engagement to the network.
Winner: Christy Menzies, Menzies Luxe Retreats, an independent affiliate of Brownell Travel / Darien, Connecticut
Ruby of Siam: The Ruby of Siam honuors agency owners or managers who give their time, effort and wisdom to elevate Virtuoso’s reputation and value.
Winner: Jaime Leon and Laura Asilis, Travelwise / Dominican Republic
2023 Virtuoso Community Awards
Virtuoso Communities are built around groups of the network’s advisors and preferred partners who specialise in adventure, cruise, culinary, family and celebration, ultraluxe and wellness travel. And at VTW’s Virtuoso Community Globetrotting lunch at ARIA Resort & Casino, Virtuoso recognised its top performers. Advisors voted on their preferred partners while winning advisors were determined by sales.
Adventure
Advisor winner: Michael Kempinski, Northstar Cruises
Partner winner: Lindblad Expeditions
Cruise
Advisor winner: David Porter, Roaming Boomers Travel Services, an independent affiliate of CADENCE
Partner winner: Silversea Cruises
Culinary
Advisor winner: John Skelton, John Skelton Travels, an independent affiliate of Departure Lounge
Partner winner: IC Bellagio
Family and celebration
Advisor winner: Cristina Buaas, CSB Travel
Partner winner: Micato Safaris
Ultraluxe
Advisor winner: Sue Kasmar, Sue Kasmar Travel
Partner winner: Cheval Blanc Paris
Wellness
Advisor winner: Josephine DeMuth, Bayview Travel
Partner winner: JOALI BEING
Cruise spotlight
Elsewhere, VTW honoured the top cruise partners of 2023 at its Cruise Night Out. Virtuoso advisors and preferred partners nominated in these awards, with advisors then voting to determine the winners.
According to Virtuoso, this year’s winners “share a commitment to excellence, innovation, support of the travel advisor community, client satisfaction and, of course, unforgettable travel experiences in some of the world’s most extraordinary destinations”.
And the winners this year were Silversea Cruises (Best Ocean Cruise Line), Uniworld Boutique River Cruises (Best River Cruise Line), and Quark Expeditions (Best Expedition Cruise Line).
Sustainable Award winners
During its Under One Sky lunch, Virtuoso honoured partners who “share a passion and commitment to creating a more sustainable future for travel and tourism”.
“When we began this journey of supporting our partners, educating our advisors and informing their clients on what travelling sustainably means, our goal was simple: to make sustainability a greater factor in consumer choice when planning travel, so that those who do [well] are successful,” Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew D. Upchurch said.
“Today, we have come so much further than that and as we recognise our members and partners for what they’re doing to make the world of travel even better for today and in the future, we are inspired by how much good can happen when we all come together in support of a shared value and goal.”
Protecting the Planet
Winner: Singita (Singita Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda)
Supporting Local Economies
Winner: Micato Safaris (Africa and India)
Celebrating Culture
Winner: Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (for its mālama Hawai‘i initiative)
Sustainability Ambassador Award
Winner: Primetour Viagens & Experiências
Sustainability Practice Award
Winner: Avenue Two Travel
At Virtuoso Travel Week, the network reported that in the first half of 2023, it saw a 69 per cent rise in overall sales compared to 2019, with hotel and cruise transactions growing 173 per cent and 122 per cent respectively.
For more on Virtuoso, click here.
