VOICE OF LUXURY
VOICE LUXURY Ů Karen Joyce general manager UK & Ireland, Virtuoso
The luxury travel network is heightening its focus on the UK market. Charlotte Brook finds out more about growth plans and trends for the year ahead
Q. How is Virtuoso developing its presence in the UK? We’ve divided our management of the EMEA region, which I previously oversaw, into three separate regions. Since February 2023, I have solely looked after the UK and Ireland. We also have a general manager in Europe as well as the Middle East and Africa. Each of us is building a team to focus on member agencies, supplier partners and marketing. That way we can equip each network with products and services that are relevant to each region. While it is a newer market for us, the UK made up almost half the members of the EMEA region previously, so it made sense for us to separate it so we can do even more for our members. For example, we’ll be launching a UK version of the Virtuoso magazine that will have product and editorial tailored specifically towards this market.
Q. What is your vision for growth? We currently have 31 UK member agencies and one in Ireland, so the latter is definitely a focus point for growth. However, it’s not so much about growing the numbers but selecting like- minded agencies. We have an invitation-only member base in which we look for a strong industry reputation, far-reaching
knowledge and a commitment to serving clients at the highest level. We also want our members to collaborate with one another on the finest luxury and experiential travel. We have a variety of members from boutique agencies to tour operators, so we’d also like to grow this further perhaps with specialists in cruise or expedition travel as these sectors gain increasing attention from travellers.
+° 7h>Ì >Ài Ìhi LiniwÌÃ voÀ >}inÌÃ Üho join 6iÀÌÕoÃo¶ Virtuoso’s purchasing power is about $28 billion to $32 billion annually, so we can help advisors secure VIP benefits to pass onto their clients. We also have personal relationships with almost 2,000 world-class hotel and cruise partners, which gives our agents an elevated status. One of our hallmarks is the unique partnerships and human connections that we have between agencies. It creates an extremely collaborative community, which is very important to us.
Q. What insight can you give us into Virtuoso’s UK agency members’ outlook for the year ahead? We frequently send out surveys to our members and partners to find out how they feel their business is performing. The most recent one
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ASPIRE MAY 2024
aspiretravelclub.co.uk
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