Category: North America & West Indies / Carribean islands - Exclusive experiences
- Rewards
Article written by Christopher Buet on 2023-08-28
Virtuoso Travel Week is one of the world's leading tourism and travel events. As it has done every year for the past 35 years, Virtuoso invited its member travel agents and the cream of the industry's professionals to attend its major annual event, which is also available online for those who were unable to attend.
For this anniversary edition, the organisers invited almost 5,000 people to the Nevada desert in Las Vegas from 12 to 18 August, for a week of exchanges and sharing of experiences in the lounges of the Bellagio Resort & Casino, the Aria Resort & Casino and the Vdara Hotel & Spa. The audience was considerably larger than in 1989, when only 174 people attended the first edition at the Brazilian Court in Palm Beach, Florida.
The event opened with Steven Bartlett, host of the podcast "The diary of a CEO", and a conversation between him and Matthew D. Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso, on "secrets and ideas for cracking the code of professional and personal success".
Throughout the week, the focus will have been on promoting human relationships in an AI world, how to be more competitive while feeling more accomplished, the latest trends and how to boost sales.
There was also a lot of talk about sustainability and eco-responsibility in travel, with the presentation of the Virtuoso Impact Report on Sustainable Travel 2023 and the 3,000 responsible initiatives at work in nearly 60 countries that took part in the survey.
Not forgetting an entire day devoted to Globetrotting, with a focus on Virtuoso's partners in cruises, adventure, culinary, family and ultra-luxury travel.
A Mediterranean touch
In addition to the professional and informal discussions, Virtuoso Travel Week was also an opportunity to select the crème de la crème of the past year, with the awards ceremony held on 17 August.
It was an evening marked by the triumph of the Mediterranean hotel industry. The title of best hotel went to the San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel, located on the east coast of Sicily, between Messina and Catania. It was preferred to the Kokomo Private Island (Fiji), the Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid (Spain), the Newbury Boston (United States) and the One&Only Mandarina (Mexico).
The Peninsula Istanbul was named the best new hotel. The Istanbul establishment, on the shores of the Sea of Marmara, was up against the Passalacqua, with its enchanting view over Lake Como, the Atlantis The Royal Dubai overlooking the Persian Gulf, the Turtle Bay Resort in the crystal-clear waters of Hawaii, and the Rosewood Vienna in the heart of the Austrian capital.
Finally, the coveted title of Hotelier of the Year went to Markos Chaidemenos. "In 2011, when I first attended Virtuoso Travel Week, I was 23 years old and on my own, knowing nothing and no one. And here I am, 12 years later, with this trophy," he said on stage, modestly thanking his family and Virtuoso, but assuring us that he did not take the award as an end in itself.
At the helm of the Canaves Oia, Luxury Resort on the island of Oia in the Cyclades, he beat the Italian Claudio Meli (The Place Firenze), the Englishmen Andrew Pike (The Milestone Hotel and Residences) and Stuart Proctor (The Stafford London) and the American Deborah Yager Fleming (Acqualina Resorts & Residences on the Beach).
The 35th edition of the show was rich in optimism, based on more than favourable growth forecasts. According to data from the World Travel & Tourism Concil, quoted by Virtuoso Executive Vice President David Kolner, the travel and tourism sector is expected to employ 430 million people within 10 years, 110 million more than today. While we wait to see if this trajectory will be followed, Virtuoso Travel Week has said goodbye to Las Vegas, and will take place next year in Dubai from 10 to 16 August 2024. Yet another sign that the leading ultra-luxury travel agency intends to continue its international expansion.
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