Luxury agent network Virtuoso is gearing up for its third annual Travel Tech Summit during the 36th annual Virtuoso Travel Week on August 10. It will be held at ARIA Resort & Casino. The Travel Tech Summit focusses on smart technology to aid human connection, rather than replace it. The aim is to give Virtuoso members and partners access to updates and discussions on latest innovations relevant to agents. The summit is led by tech entrepreneur and Virtuoso board member Gilad Berenstein, who will open the discussion by sharing updates about the state of the travel tech ecosystem. "In the three years since we've introduced the Travel Tech Summit, we have seen Virtuoso members and partners widely adopt innovations that have been showcased at the event," said Berenstein. He will be joined by Shane O'Flaherty of Microsoft and Richard Kerr of Bilt, who will also share their own work within key travel tech niches. Additional tech leaders, venture capital investors, and industry analysts within the Virtuoso network will also take the stage. A fireside chat with academics Dean Michael Chen of Florida International University's School of Hospitality and Professor Christopher Anderson of Cornell's School of Hospitality will cover the connection between business, tech and academics. Carolyn Corda of Deloitte returns, and she will share data collected by Deloitte surrounding the impact of AI on consumers. A panel of Virtuoso travel agency owners will focus on data, AI and how best to incorporate both into the luxury travel business. The Startup Showcase will also return. Fifteen startup businesses will provide a deep dive into innovation in real-time. Startups will be divided into three deep dive sessions, and attendees will be able to engage in two showcases of their choice. Businesses taking part in Startup Showcase include Mindtrip, Trip Boutique, TravelWitz, Joyned and GuestOS. 

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Luxury agent network Virtuoso shared industry insights at the recent  symposium in Montréal, Québec. In front of the industry's top professionals from 35 countries, Virtuoso EVP David Kolner said bookings for 2023 are 91% higher than in 2019 leading into 2020. Virtuoso agent sales indicate the demand for luxury experiences is leading the way forward. Booking windows have also tightened up to 64 days in advance, as opposed to 85 days in 2019. According to Virtuoso agent sales data, the network's preferred hotels are experiencing high demand, with bookings 193% higher than in 2019. Hotel average daily rates (ADRs) continue to soar. Cruising is also strong, with total Virtuoso bookings up 55%. By sector, mass market cruising is 30% higher, while luxury is up 79%. River cruising is up a massive 129%.

Luxury agency network Virtuoso and Virgin Galactic announced a strategic partnership to allocate a limited number of seats for Virgin Galactic’s spaceflights to Virtuoso’s global client base. The agreement adds Virgin Galactic’s spaceflights to Virtuoso’s portfolio of top-tier luxury experiences. Space tourists enjoy access to the flagship membership community, including exclusive events, trips and activities. The package includes a multi-day, all inclusive astronaut training and hospitality program for the customer and three guests at Virgin Galactic’s planned innovative campus . “Virtuoso is excited to welcome Virgin Galactic back into our partner portfolio and to offer our clients a travel experience like no other,” said Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew D. Upchurch. Virgin Galactic joins Virtuoso’s portfolio of more than 2,200 luxury travel partners in 100 countries worldwide. The agreement will present new referral and marketing opportunities to Virtuoso’s network of more than 20,000 luxury travel advisors. At the same time, Virgin Galactic will gain direct relationships with leisure travel agencies in North and Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Virtuoso travel advisors will have exclusive access to a limited number of reservations within Virgin Galactic’s first 1,000 seats. Seats will sell at the standard price of $450,000.

Expedition cruise operator Aurora Expeditions has joined luxury agency network Virtuoso. The 'by-invitation-only' full partnership enables Virtuoso travel advisors to access Aurora Expeditions' itineraries, pricing content, and promotional collateral. "Becoming part of Virtuoso's global network is a milestone accomplishment for Aurora Expeditions," said Aurora Expeditions CEO Monique Ponfoort. "We've been afforded the opportunity to work with their agencies in other areas of the world such as Asia-Pacific, and our home country of Australia, so adding the Global Team a is a true honour for us." It expands on its exclusive Regional Preferred Partners Program across Asia-Pacific with Virtuoso. New South Wales based line Aurora Expeditions was formed 30 years ago and offers polar expedition trips, as well as itineraries across the Americas and Northern Europe.