Visionary, futurist and entrepreneur, Matthew Upchurch has parlayed his vision of a global travel industry network into Virtuoso, a multi-billion-dollar, by-invitation-only enterprise of exceptional travel advisors and travel providers, all working together to mutually prosper while delivering the world’s most satisfying travel experiences. Matthew serves as Virtuoso’s chief executive officer, overseeing the marketing, sales, technology and operational systems that have made Virtuoso one of the most respected and successful companies in the luxury travel arena.

While the rest of the world was predicting the downfall of the travel consultant with the onslaught of online booking engines, Matthew envisioned a back-to-the-future alternative that repositioned true travel specialists into their original role – knowledgeable advisors versus transaction processors. He saw the Internet as a resource to assist the personal touch. And he perceived the rising Baby Boomer generation as one that prefers to work with experts in the important facets of their lives, including their prized leisure travel.

Matthew’s entrepreneurial perspective grew out of an early love for travel, service and innovation. Following a childhood that included African safaris in the summers, private tours of Europe during the holidays, and a multi-cultural upbringing on several continents, Matthew turned his sights on the travel industry in the early ‘80s. Two family businesses, Percival Tours and Upchuch Travel, enabled Matthew to wear the hats of supplier and travel advisor simultaneously, ultimately leading to his vision of Virtuoso: a virtual corporation of the most powerful upscale travel agencies supported by centralized marketing vehicles and exclusive agreements with the finest travel suppliers in the world.

The vision for Virtuoso was clear. However, the task of altering the common perception of travel consultants and the commoditization of the industry was, and still is, difficult. Armed with what his friends describe as an “unfailing ability to talk to anyone, anywhere about anything,” Matthew is revitalizing the retail travel industry. The momentum for the creation of Virtuoso was so strong that top agencies competing against each other in key markets found themselves joining forces as part of this new network.

Now, 22 years after launching Virtuoso, Matthew focuses on keeping the organization ahead of the pack and the trends. He has led Virtuoso members and suppliers around the world at annual key network gatherings including the consortium’s annual Travel Mart Conference in Las Vegas; the Chairman’s Recognition Event, hosted most recently by Micato Safaris in Kenya; and Virtuoso’s annual Symposium conference, which in recent years has taken place in Spain, Scotland and Mexico, where the network was addressed by the Honorable Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, President of Mexico.

More than a decade ago, Matthew encouraged Virtuoso advisors to focus on areas of specialization, such as particular destinations or types of travel. Now Virtuoso’s specialists are among the most successful travel advisors in the industry and are frequently featured in national media outlets for their areas of expertise. Virtuoso continually implements new programs to empower Virtuoso travel specialists with an impressive arsenal of marketing tools, in-depth client data, and industry resources that are unrivaled – all necessary for a successful career in travel planning.

Matthew’s first step into the profession wasn’t all that glamorous – mail clerk at his family’s Percival Tours in 1979. While most mail clerks simply sort and send the mail, Matthew created innovative ways to manage the tasks more efficiently, leading him to establish a new fulfillment company, Perci-Pak. As the president of Perci-Pak, Matthew collaborated with his cousin, A. R. Tandy, and their ideas and experiments resulted in the development of revolutionary automated shipping software, now the second largest of its kind in the nation and used by conglomerates such as General Electric, Radio Shack, Mary Kay, Pfizer and L.L. Bean.

Today, the former mail clerk is among the most admired professionals in the travel industry. He has served on numerous advisory boards for luxury travel companies, presented the keynote address at many high-profile industry events, and has dedicated his time and resources to the travel agent community as the past Chairman of The Travel Institute and, most recently, on the corporate advisory council for the American Society of Travel Agents.

Inspired by other entrepreneurs who either create new industries or set new rules in stagnant ones, Matthew is not willing to sit back and rest on his past accomplishments. From space tourism to emerging destinations, Matthew continues to lead Virtuoso in delivering exceptional and rare travel experiences. So stay tuned for new innovations that are sure to make the world a more rewarding and exciting place for travelers, travel advisors and travel providers alike.

Memberships & Affiliations

Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA)

• Immediate Past Chairman
• Board of Trustees
• Executive Committee
• Chairman, Marketing Committee
• Lifetime Member

 American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA)

• Corporate Advisory Council

Cunard Line, Ltd.

• Advisory Board

 Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts

• Advisory Board

 Seabourn Cruise Line

• President’s Council

 American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA)
    Travel Hall of Fame 2004 Recipient

Luxury Travel Advisor
    Feature Interview June 2005

Business Unusual, CNNfn
    Feature Interview January 2002

Luxury Travel Expo 2001
    First Recipient Of “Leaders In Luxury” Award

Leisure Travel News, 2000
    25 Most Influential Executives In The Travel Industry

Leisure Travel News, 1999
    25 Most Influential Executives In The Travel Industry

Travel Agent Magazine, 1998
    Person of the Year (Retailer)

Leisure Travel News, 1998
    25 Most Influential Executives In The Travel Industry

Travel Agent Magazine, 1998
    100 Rising Stars

Tour & Travel News, 1996
    25 Most Influential Executives In The Travel Industry