Podcast
Podcast
Episode 12: Automate the Predictable So That You Can Humanize the Exceptional with Virtuoso
With travel advisors spanning the globe, Virtuoso leads the charge in maintaining human connection while still utilizing cutting-edge technology.
One of the most influential conferences of the year in the travel industry, Virtuoso Travel Week is considered a cornerstone for those working in luxury hospitality. I traveled to Las Vegas for my 16th consecutive Travel Week and had the opportunity to connect with inspiring leaders to chat about the future of the industry. One such conversation was with Misty Belles, Vice President of Global Public Relations for Virtuoso. We discussed how Virtuoso is a company based on the importance of human connection, and how the role of the travel advisor has actually gotten stronger amidst advances in technological innovation.
As a network that specializes in luxury and experiential travel, there are four main components to the Virtuoso brand. The travel agency has about 20,000 advisors across 58 countries. There are preferred partners—over 2,500 worldwide—comprising hotels, resorts, bars, cruise lines, tour operators. There are preferred partnerships. And then the fourth component is, of course, the traveler. (Virtuoso clients are the clients of Virtuoso agencies and advisors). In total, the company has 4,800 people spanning 107 countries, with a breakdown between partners and advisors coming in about 50/50.
Virtuoso engages members and partners to facilitate relationships, sitting as an overarching umbrella to bring those two entities together. Their ethos as a company is that high-end travelers fundamentally have a different experience when there is a personal human connection behind it. They are huge advocates and proponents of making sure their advisors and agencies have personal relationships with their preferred partners, which is really what Travel Week is all about.
Over the years, Virtuoso has seen dramatic shifts in the industry and in the way people book and explore, including technological changes, consumer mindset and accessibility to the world. Ultimately, this has led to an increased importance of the travel advisor, a role that has become more and more critical to figuring out how people travel and what curated experiences make the most sense for their families. Years ago, the chatter was that OTAs (Online Travel Agencies such as Expedia and TripAdvisor) would be the death of travel advisors—that didn’t happen. Misty’s explanation? People are going to trust other people more than they will technology. A personalized connection with an advisor saves time, money, frustration but more importantly, delivers a personalized experience. Now comes AI. The same logic applies. AI is fantastic for automating the predictable, and Misty counsels travel advisors to utilize the technology to free up time to focus on serving their clients.
“Automate the predictable so that you can humanize the exceptional.”
Misty has been in the hospitality industry for over 25 years and believes that her love for travel is innate. One standout experience was her two week long honeymoon on safari, and then taking her kids to the same place 10 years later. Her first trip off of North American soil was to Japan, and she reflects that it was the place that surprised her the most, changing her perception of her place in the world, and challenging who she was as a person. In her view, everybody fundamentally wants the same things in life—to be happy and for their loved ones to be happy.
Ecotourism and sustainability are two huge focus areas for Virtuoso, thanks to initiatives by CEO Matthew Upchurch and Vice-Chair & Sustainability Strategist Jessica Hall Upchurch. Just this past week, data was released showing that of the company’s advisors polled, 77% are more willing and interested in taking a sustainable vacation than they were five years ago, showing the rapid progression of this branch of the industry. In fact, the data is showing that people are willing to pay more to support sustainable efforts if they know where the money is going. Transparency is key. Complimentary to sustainability efforts is the emergence of the popularity of traveling during shoulder season, especially at the luxury set.
Virtuoso overall is seeing a growing trend of people pivoting to off-the-beaten-path destinations, as well shortened booking windows (122 days is the average). However, more urban locations are seeing even shorter windows (a UK advisor remarked that their booking window is just 18 days). Looking forward, Misty predicts that continuing to broaden Virtuoso’s global network will be of the utmost importance. Additionally, the era of personalization will continue to be enhanced, not just from the consumer side, but also from how the company interacts with their members, partners and advisors. The Virtuoso Tech Summit (which has grown in recent years to host about 500 people) is another area of focus, with the goal of introducing pertinent technologies to the company’s network and further cultivating relationships to ensure the tech lens comes from an individual standpoint.
For LTI’s signature rapid fire questions, Misty shared that the personal travel she’s looking forward to most is continuing on a family tradition of beginning the new year in a new country. 2025 began in Paris for her family—right now, it’s looking like 2026 will start on Easter Island. Looking towards the glamour of past travel, Misty would love to bring back steamer trunks and the overall presentation of being dressed up for a trip. When asked about innovation in the future, Misty hopes that we will be able to utilize technology to improve the airport experience, allowing the travelers’ vacation to start from the time they walk out their front door, versus from the time of arrival to their destination.
Thank you, Misty, for joining me on this episode of Luxury Travel Innovators, available to listen to and watch on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Youtube.
