Requests from consumers to be connected to a travel advisor continue to grow, according to Virtuoso.
"Inquiries doubled from June to September 2020, and January 2021 brought renewed optimism with as much as a 50% increase over December in requests to be connected to an advisor,” Virtuoso said in a press release.
Virtuoso credits this uptick to greater financial means and increased savings among its high net-worth clients (44% of Virtuoso clients are within the top 5% income bracket). The network also credits the uptick to pent-up travel demand and an increased appreciation for the benefits a professional travel advisor provides.
Data from a recent Virtuoso survey demonstrates that this optimism is shared among advisors, as well.
And whenever there is a major disruption, it actually helps our profession. People refocus on the value of working with a travel professional, and we’re seeing more consumers than ever seeking out Virtuoso advisors as a result.
Eighty percent of advisors said that they anticipate feeling comfortable or confident about business returning this year, while 7% say they already feel confident in their business’ return. Respondents also shared that almost half of their daily business is new bookings, with 38% comprising business with full revenue and only 10% using travel credits.
Virtuoso also shared that during the fourth quarter of 2020, bookings began to pick up across all partner categories.
"Cruises, hotels, on-sites and tour operators all booked more business in December than they did in October, some by as much as 40%,” according to the statement.
The network rallied for its preferred hotels, revealing that clients spent 2.8 times more on preferred bookings than on non-preferred hotels, and that length of stays were 13% longer, on average.
“As always, the customer sits at the center and determines our fate, but all indicators are that people want to travel again, with 93% of our clients saying they will never take traveling for granted again,” said Matthew D. Upchurch, chairman and CEO of Virtuoso. “And whenever there is a major disruption, it actually helps our profession. People refocus on the value of working with a travel professional, and we’re seeing more consumers than ever seeking out Virtuoso advisors as a result.”
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Virtuoso
www.virtuoso.com
