It is the City of Lights that was chosen by Virtuoso, the leading international travel agency network specializing in luxury and experiential travel, for its 12th Annual Chairman’s Recognition Event that took place in Paris between November 13 and 17.
A great opportunity for Paris and France to showcase the destination’s art and culture, fashion and culinary scene and exquisite sights to Virtuoso’s top producing and most engaged travel agency partners and affiliated travel advisors.
With more than (U.S.) $15.5 billion in annual travel sales, Virtuoso gathers over 390 agency members with more than 11,400 elite travel advisors in 41 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.
The positive impact of such an event for Paris at a time when the city is suffering from the terror attacks is priceless, as Matthew D. Upchurch, CTC, Chairman and CEO of Virtuoso, has mentioned: “200 influential delegates from the top 85 performing agencies have shared their experience live on social media during 5 days, showcasing the renewing of Paris’ offer in terms of luxury tourism“.
During this visit, Atout France, Four Seasons Hotel George V, Le Bristol Paris, Hotel Plaza Athénée, Dorchester Collection, Découvertes, as well as other Virtuoso travel partners, rolled out the red carpet to welcome the group, who came from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.
Guests of Virtuoso’s Chairman’s Recognition Event experienced Paris at its best, dining in some of the city’s 90 Michelin-starred restaurants, enjoying insider access to the city’s renowned fashion houses and noted jewelry vaults, and enjoying a private look at some of Paris’s famed cultural icons like the Garnier Opera House and Grand Palais.
One reason Virtuoso selected Paris as the host city was to give its top producers a chance to view the destination with fresh eyes and renewed perspective, all in hopes of boosting sales that have lagged in 2016. Virtuoso reports that its network production to Paris has seen a decrease this year, with bookings amongst its preferred hotels down 17 percent. However, Virtuoso also reports a bright spot, with its 2017 Luxe Report, an annual survey of its member agencies that is regarded as a strong predictor of travel trends in the year ahead, showing France ranked as third in terms of top global destinations, just behind Italy and South Africa.
This 12th Annual Chairman’s Recognition Event was also the occasion for Virtuoso to issue the results of a survey from its France-based travel agency members to determine top trends for French travelers. Key findings from the 2017 Virtuoso Luxe Report are the following:
Destinations
Seeing Increasing Demand