Virtuoso is uniquely prepared for the return to travel after taking time during the pandemic sharing insights and information amongst its global membership, doubling down on its marketing and PR efforts, transforming its website to better engage consumers and hosting virtual events that bring together frontline travel advisors and the group’s preferred partners.
The luxury travel network sees 2021 as setting the stage for recovery by capturing pent-up demand, and it’s seeing its efforts over the last year begin to pay off.
According to Virtuoso, its website traffic has reached pre-pandemic, 2019 levels as well as a 50 percent increase in consumers seeking out travel advisors on its Find a Travel Advisor catalog.
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Virtuoso revamped its website to provide a content-forward, visually compelling experience for consumers, and it is now driving traffic. the total number of visitors to Virtuoso.com is up by 50 percent, with a 15 percent increase in visit duration. The average number of pages a visitor views each session is up 15 percent, and page views have also increased by 45 percent.
One of the most popular ways travelers are engaging with the site is on the new “Best of the Best” digital hotel experience, showcasing the network’s more than 1,400 preferred properties.
“This data is a compelling indicator that people are ready to travel again, and they’re pursuing travel advisors at an increased rate to help them navigate a new and complicated world,” said Virtuoso’s senior vice president of product, Travis McElfresh. “Virtuoso travel advisors will continue to be the most sought-after experts, as upscale travelers in search of peace of mind and unparalleled expertise visit Virtuoso.com to plan the getaway they’ve been dreaming about for more than a year.”
Virtuoso is also making sure that its advisors are prepared for the coming rush of bookings, hosting a virtual “Ready, Reset, Go” event, which brought together nearly 1,000 people from 47 countries for more than 13,000 one-to-one appointments.
“We called this event ‘Ready, Reset, Go,’ but that could easily be the theme of this entire year,” said Matthew D. Upchurch, chairman and CEO of Virtuoso. “If last year was all about loss and staying afloat, with a $4.5 trillion industry hit and 62 million jobs gone worldwide, this year is the turning point we’ve been waiting for. And now that it’s here–or at least on the horizon–we need to be ready to reset our businesses and our expectations. We have an immense opportunity to come back stronger than before and everything we’ve done, whether it’s redesigning our website, delivering our Virtuoso Life magazine, holding events, or making sure that this network is more and better connected than ever through our Collaboration Teams, we are ready to work together to ensure we are collectively successful. With a potentially historic wave of demand growing, we intend to leverage our agency members’ and advisors’ leadership position in luxury travel.”