Luxury travel isn’t back to normal; it’s moved beyond that. It shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. But the extent to which it has occurred, maybe should.
At the recent Virtuoso Australia and New Zealand Forum, Virtuoso General Manager, Australia and New Zealand, Fiona Dalton revealed that total hotel bookings for the group in 2023 were up a whopping 135 per cent on the high water-mark of 2019.
In other encouraging news, cruise business for the group was also a healthy 27 per cent higher than during the same period in 2019.
“The strong rebound of luxury travel is a testament to the resilience of the industry as well as the importance of travel to individuals and the global economy,” Dalton said.
In a real-time survey conducted during the opening session of the 2023 Forum, 100 per cent of members agreed that new enquiries from affluent travellers fuelled the ongoing demand for luxury experiences.
A truly global network
During a panel discussion at the event, Virtuoso Chief Operating Officer Brad Borland said customers were prioritising luxury travel despite global disruptions and current economic concerns. This was also a worldwide trend, with 40 per cent of Virtuoso advisors now located outside of the US.
Since the last Forum in May 2022, eight new agencies in Australia and New Zealand were welcomed to the Virtuoso network. Consequently, Aussie and Kiwi businesses account for 10 per cent of the group.
InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa
Virtuoso Senior Vice President Sales and Partnerships Cory Hagopian said the network was “now seeing wealth creation in new parts of the world” and that members were having to seek new ways to recruit advisors.
To this end, Virtuoso launched an Advisor Recruitment Program at the Forum, which aims to bring advisor enquiries to member agencies looking for recruitment leads.
“We’ll be seeking expressions of interest from Virtuoso members in our region keen to join the first six-month pilot program,” Dalton said.
“We’ll also be promoting our new advisor recruitment tool to encourage experienced advisors and independent contractors keen to elevate their career by joining a Virtuoso agency, and to submit their interest for consideration.”
A critical course
During the Forum, the network also unveiled its inaugural Virtuoso Certified Travel Advisory Course (VCTA), which will be held at the Langham Gold Coast in October 2023.
“This course is critical for our region, as it will empower a transition from transactional travel agent to trusted professional advisor,” Virtuoso Regional Professional Development and Training Specialist Michele Duncan said, describing the initiative as a first for Australia and New Zealand.
“The VCTA is a small group learning experience with a dynamic curriculum, ensuring participants receive personalised attention and support. Graduates from previous VCTA courses in the US are now among the highest calibre of advisors, with over 72 per cent increased earning power.”
The Virtuoso AUNZ Forum brought together 90 agency owners and managers from across Australia and NZ with 45 preferred partners for a series of networking and professional development events.
During the Forum, Dalton flagged the benefits of Virtuoso membership, such as higher-yielding sales underpinned by a “higher calibre of clientele who buy on value rather than price, and who appreciate and are willing to pay for professional services”.
The event also recognised Bayview Travel’s Michael Nolan for his contribution to the network with this year’s Southern Cross Award.
Read our wrap of the Virtuoso AUNZ Forum, which was held at the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa.
For more information, www.virtuoso.com/travel.