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Connection is the Most Valuable Currency: Highlights from Virtuoso Travel Week 2025
- Emily Goldfischer
- Aug 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 18
Before we get into the trends, the tech, and the tidal wave of incredible women dominating luxury travel, let me start with a moment that stopped the room:
Will Guidara, the hospitality visionary behind Unreasonable Hospitality and the man who helped turn Eleven Madison Park into the world’s top restaurant, took the stage to open Virtuoso Travel Week—and brought 4,800 luxury travel pros to their feet.
“We realized we weren’t in the restaurant business, we were in the human connection business.”
His message was simple but powerful: be present, don’t take yourself too seriously, and tailor every experience to the individual...because true hospitality is never one-size-fits-all.
It landed. Because in luxury travel, excellence isn’t just about flawless execution or five-star service, it’s about the moments you show up fully, care deeply, and create real, human connection. Sometimes, the most extraordinary service is simply taking the time to care more than anyone thinks is reasonable.
It was the perfect kickoff to a week that pulsed with energy, optimism, and connection.
Leadership That Walks the Talk
That same spirit of connection was woven through every part of Virtuoso Travel Week, thanks in large part to Matthew Upchurch, Virtuoso’s Chairman and CEO, and our Male Ally of the Month in January.
Matthew isn’t just a brilliant strategist, he’s a true champion for women in the industry. Virtuoso leadership and the network is filled with powerhouse female entrepreneurs, and he’s been instrumental in supporting and spotlighting them from the start. As his wife Jessica Upchurch shared with me during the week, “Matthew has single-handedly done more to elevate and support female entrepreneurs than anyone.”
Her words rang true session after session. From the female-led panels to the sea of women-owned agencies, women weren’t just present...they were leading. Compared to the usual hotel and travel conferences I attend? This felt refreshingly different.
It was amazing to see Gilda Perez Alvarado, CEO of Orient-Express, take the main stage in the opening session to give an update on her company’s innovations across cruise, trains, and hotels. Sitting down one-on-one with Kempinski CEO Barbara Muckermann and Carolyn Turnbull, the newly appointed CEO of Nammos Hotels & Resorts, was a welcome reminder that we just need more women at the top—and they are more than ready.
And of course, it was such a joy to catch up with industry friends: Jane Mackie, SVP Luxury at IHG Hotels & Resorts, Karen Magee, President of VWT, and Katie Johnson, VP at Hyatt Resorts, to name just a few.
The Data Doesn’t Lie… But It Comes Down to Interpretation
Misty Belles, Senior Vice President of Global Public Relations, and David Kolner, Executive Vice President - Strategy at Virtuoso, delivered some of the most insightful and talked-about sessions of the week—challenging assumptions and spotlighting the evolving priorities of luxury travelers in 2025.
Virtuoso’s latest data, drawn from its $90 billion in transactions and extensive consumer and advisor surveys, paints a far more optimistic picture than the mainstream narrative suggests. Here are just a few standout trends:
Overall luxury travel sales are up 12% from January to June 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Hotels are leading the way, with sales up nearly 26%—climbing to over 33% in the second half of the year.
Cruise demand is surging: 30% of U.S. luxury travelers and 20% from Canada plan to cruise within the next year.
Big spenders are spending more: future bookings exceeding $50,000 are up 35%, and future luxury cruise sales over $50,000 are up an impressive 43% year-over-year.
Travelers aren’t just spending...they’re becoming more intentional. There’s been a 76% increase in consumers seeking out travel advisors on Virtuoso.com, and safety and security now outrank perks and upgrades as the top reasons to work with an advisor. According to the 2025 Global Luxury Traveler Report, 75% of Virtuoso clients say safety is a leading concern, and 65% say they value the extra layer of protection advisors provide.
Once considered off-peak, fall is now a hot season for luxury travel:
Fall bookings are up 30%, with sales 39% above last year.
Festive season bookings are up 35%, with sales up 38%.
And despite assumptions that international travelers are avoiding the U.S., inbound travel sales are up 4% (January to July), and fall sales are up 27%.
And who’s traveling is just as interesting as where they’re going. Solo female travelers now account for 68% of all solo bookings, and the over-65 demographic—dubbed “Wander Women”—has become one of the most lucrative and fastest-growing segments in the luxury space.
Multigenerational travel, celebration trips, and “coolcations” (opting for cooler climates in extreme heat) are all trending. Boomers are leading the charge against overtourism, while 77% of advisors say their clients are more interested in sustainability than five years ago.
The bottom line? Despite macroeconomic uncertainty, luxury travelers are still going big.
Tech-Savvy, Not Tech-Scared
The future of luxury travel isn’t just about where people are going—but how they’re booking. At this year’s Virtuoso Tech Summit, the largest to date with more than 600 attendees, one message was clear: advisors who embrace AI and automation will thrive.
Virtuoso CEO Matthew Upchurch encouraged travel professionals to see AI as an opportunity, not a threat. “We’ve nurtured a growing and vibrant technology ecosystem that seeks to enhance, rather than replace, human connection,” he said.
That sentiment echoed across multiple sessions. While some advisors, like Eli Wagner of Wagner Travel, were bemoaning the growing number of clients sending over ChatGPT-generated itineraries and suggestions, others focused on how tech can streamline backend workflows. From API integrations to smart data interpretation, Upchurch pointed to AI’s potential to help advisors sell more strategically, not less.
And with the rise of fake reviews, AI-generated imagery, and deepfake videos, trusted advisors aren’t going away anytime soon. In fact, they’re becoming even more trusted.
Travel Advisor POV: Advice to the New Guard
Virtuoso’s data confirmed it: there’s a wave of new travel advisors entering the industry. But as the space grows, so do client expectations, and mistakes have bigger consequences.
Stephanie Fisher, Director of Strategic Alliances at Brickell Travel, offered this advice for those just starting out:
“Don’t fake it. If you don’t know a destination, say so. Otherwise, it will burn you, and your partners.”
She’s seeing clear shifts in booking behavior: last-minute trips to Europe are still common, but big-ticket journeys like safaris are being planned out to 2027. Clients are pivoting from Italy to France, partly inspired by Olympic coverage that’s spotlighted lesser-known regions. And there’s a growing appetite for elite cruise brands, including Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Explora Journeys, and the forthcoming Orient Express sailing yacht from Accor.
Stephanie also emphasized the importance of solo traveler sensitivity—especially for women. Hotels that get it right? Le Bristol in Paris, Blanket Bay in New Zealand, and Ritz-Carlton, all of which stand out for thoughtful, low-key touches: checking in with solo diners at the bar, offering a book, or simply acknowledging a guest’s presence without overstepping during their stay.
This just skims the surface of a busy, exhilarating week, where media like me were a small part of the record 100,000+ meetings between advisors and suppliers, plus events and awards celebrations held across the Bellagio and Aria in Las Vegas.
I’m still processing it all…the conversations, the insights, the sparkle. But if connection is the most valuable currency, Virtuoso Travel Week showed that luxury travel is flush.
