Recruiting new travel advisors into the industry has always been a pain point, but at least one advisor network is attempting to tackle the issue.
In February, luxury marketing organization Virtuoso soft-launched its Virtuoso Advisor Recruitment Program, which connects member agencies with new talent — including those outside the Virtuoso network, individuals who are newer to the industry, and small agencies seeking a host.
The program inputs advisor applications into a database, “where proprietary technology matches participating member agencies with advisors based on respective needs, niches and available job openings,” according to Virtuoso.
So far, 37 member agencies have enrolled in the program, and 16 advisor placements have been made. Virtuoso is opening up the program to agencies in Australia and New Zealand this week, and are expecting 22 agencies to participate.
“We know that demand for a professional travel advisor is at an all-time high, and that recruitment is a central focus for many of our member agencies across the globe,” said Cory Hagopian, senior vice president of sales and partnerships at Virtuoso. “Virtuoso’s Advisor Recruitment Program was designed to help our agencies continue growing their businesses by bringing in quality talent, and early indications show that it’s been a success. We look forward to bringing this unique program to Australia, New Zealand and, eventually, the rest of our global markets in support of our member agencies.”
Once a travel advisor is hired through the program, he or she must complete the Virtuoso Certified Travel Advisor (VCTA) course, a qualification designed to fast-track the development of those who are new to the travel advising profession.
