Virtuoso show to Melbourne

Virtuoso show to Melbourne

TOURISM Australia has enticed the 2019 Virtuoso Symposium to Melbourne, expected to bring approximately 500 influential decision makers in the luxury travel sector to the country, 10 years after the show was held in Sydney for the first time.

The Virtuoso luxury travel group has agencies in 45 countries in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.

Around 50% of the Virtuoso Symposium attendees are travel agency owners or managers from around the globe, which Tourism Australia says presents an “incredible opportunity” to showcase the premium offerings available in Victoria and Australia.

TA has worked with Virtuoso in North America since 2015 to develop greater connection between the int’l luxury market and Australia’s upmarket offering.

Tourism Australia, along with Visit Victoria, are sponsors of the week long symposium, which will be held from 07-11 May 2019.

“Australia is a country of great significance to me, both personally and professionally, and I couldn’t be happier that our Virtuoso Symposium is returning to this incredible country for a second time,” Virtuoso chairman and ceo Michael Upchurch said.

“This is a region where we see continued growth and the potential for more from an outbound perspective,” he said, adding the event “will drive greater inbound tourism”.

Tourism Australia managing director John O’Sullivan said targeting high value travellers was a key aspect of the organisation’s partnership with Virtuoso which “focuses solely on curating luxury travel experiences for their premium clientele.

“Our successful and ongoing pact…provides a great platform for us to target those high value travellers,” O’Sullivan said.

Source: traveldaily