Virtuoso recently held its annual Symposium in Berlin, hosting more than 500 of the most prominent travel professionals from more than 38 countries. At the symposium’s general session, Virtuoso chairman and CEO, Matthew D. Upchurch, shared an important message with travel agents: Combining industry data and human interaction is essential to maximize information and to run a successful travel business. In other words, the data is not enough — conversing with clients is also necessary in order to better understand what they want.
“Today’s consumer is looking for honesty and transparency when seeking knowledge and, ultimately, they crave human connection, which bodes well for our travel advisors,” said Upchurch.
The symposium also included time for networking and exploring Berlin. Events included a city tour commemorating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and dinners at Virtuoso-preferred hotels Rocco Forte Hotel de Rome and Hotel Adlon Kempinski.
