Virtuoso is already kicking goals locally ahead of the debut of its ‘So Virtuoso’ consumer marketing entry in Australia. Launched in the US and UK in the latter half of 2022, the luxury travel network’s first-ever B2C push aims to lure more high-worth clients into its net globally.
Unveiled at Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas last August, ‘So Virtuoso’ is about optimising the travel advisor’s business based on their location and potential new clients who are willing to spend, and appreciate quality service.
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Fiona Dalton, General Manager Australia/NZ at Virtuoso told LATTE the network’s website now provides existing and new consumers with the opportunity to sign up to stay informed.
“This is the first step in really starting to expand the brand and invite potential new-to-brand clients into the Virtuoso ecosystem,” Dalton said.
I’m delighted that with zero activity we are starting to see sign-ups from the website from Australia.
Previously, Virtuoso’s portal was used to locate an advisor and primarily to inspire prospective travellers with rich content – the goal of which was to guide them through the path to purchase by finding them an advisor.
Dalton said the platform has a sophisticated algorithm that matches clients with an advisor based on their interests, not necessarily their location (which it can also do). Before the ‘So Virtuoso’ campaign, the site did however lack the ability to capture a visitor’s interest should they not be ready to be married to an advisor.
“Now all of a sudden we’re starting to find that we have Australian high-value travellers who’ve heard about us, coming to us and signing up for our content,” Dalton explained. “We have this whole new audience perspective in high-value travellers that we can nurture until they’re ready for us to hand them off to our members.”
Partnerships with consumer-facing publications aligned in the same space as Virtuoso are also being considered to extend the catchment. She said the Oceania-based team will take the learnings from the UK and US markets on how they have approached the space across digital, print, billboards and lift-outs. The latter included a So Virtuoso branded pullout in the New York Times.
“This is going to be an evolution, not a revolution. It’s an opportunity for our members equally for our partners to take this brand consumer-facing.”
Dalton continued, “Members are excited by the So Virtuoso campaign because it’s about them and the way they can elevate the client experience through their knowledge, wisdom and tenure. But equally, our partners are so excited about it
because it allows them to be able to access a new audience in Virtuoso.”
As part of Virtuoso’s local focus to further enhance the knowledge of its travel advisor members in this region, last week LATTE exclusively revealed the network had appointed Michele Duncan to the newly created role of Regional Professional Development and Training Specialist – Australia and New Zealand.
Virtuoso ANZ Forum
Meanwhile, Dalton said she is delighted with the response for next month’s Virtuoso ANZ Forum, to be held over two days in Fiji. The event has enticed some 90 owner-managers and around 45 partners.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” Dalton said. “We’ve had an incredible response to our request to attend the Forum.
We can see that 2023 is a year for our members to return to thriving as businesses and we’re excited about supporting that journey and the infrastructure that they need to elevate their business in the luxury travel space.
In response to demand from members, Dalton said this year’s forum marks a transformation for the format, with more Virtuoso partners attending, enabling “true networking opportunities”. The speed-dating program will provide 2:1 (members-to-partner ratio), five-minute sessions.
“This provides members the chance to have high-level, strategic discussions to get a plan on a page to which they can evolve those conversations post Forum.”
Four Virtuoso senior executives will also be attending the event; Brad Bourland, Chief Operating Officer; Jennifer Campbell, SVP of Network Products and Events; Michael Londregan, SVP Global Operations and recently appointed SVP, Sales & Partnerships, Cory Hagopian. Hagopian joined the luxury network last November from Accor where he was Vice President of Entertainment and Executive Travel.
Dalton said she was particularly thrilled to take the ANZ Forum offshore, and to Fiji in 2023. Virtuoso has eight member properties in Fiji, with representatives of each to have the chance to meet with global partners at the Gala dinner, which is hosted by Tourism Fiji.
“We know just how tough our global partners did in Fiji through COVID, and I know that things there are now booming, but this is an expression of our desire to really support our Fijian partners and our luxury partners through recovery as well.”
Further, the forum will provide a number of Fijian operators the chance to highlight their sustainability and conservation projects
“The best way we can help the Fijian people to recover is to continue to send the luxury guests to the destination”.
And while it’s still too early to be talking about it, Dalton told LATTE she’s keen to have the 2024 Forum offshore as well.
Virtuoso Forum AU/NZ will run from 19-21 March 2023.