THE VIRTUOSO® DIFFERENCE: NETWORK’S MEMBERS MAKE AN IMPACT IN 2011

FROM INDUSTRY-TOPPING PRODUCTION TO NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ACCOLADES,
VIRTUOSO MEMBER AGENCIES & ADVISORS PROVE THEY ARE AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME

NEW YORK (September 15, 2011) – Virtuoso®, the elite network of luxury-focused travel advisors, has plenty of reason to sing its members’ praises. From increased numbers of advisors and history-making production figures, to national recognition for its members in both consumer and trade press, Virtuoso Members show why they are industry leaders.

This year Virtuoso says it has placed 260 travel advisors into its network, and is on track to place a total of 350. With each boasting a conservative estimate of $200,000 in annual sales, that equates to more than $70 million in increased production. In total, the Virtuoso network now includes 7,218 frontline travel advisors – up from 6,000 – and accounts for $9.6 billion in annual travel sales, or roughly 10 per cent of total travel agency production.

Numbers like these certainly draw attention from the 1,250 “world’s best” travel companies that comprise Virtuoso’s preferred supplier portfolio. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, which has 49 of its renowned properties in the Virtuoso network, recently shared revenue growth from Virtuoso’s members and indicated the premium that Virtuoso has over the aggregate travel industry. According to Four Seasons, Virtuoso’s year-to-date revenue has grown 29 per cent vs. 21 per cent from all other travel agencies, and the Virtuoso average rate is 13 per cent higher than the average rate reserved by other travel agencies. Additionally, recently opened hotels that are part of the network’s Preview Program shared their own success stories: The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico reported that Virtuoso accounted for 91 per cent of revenues in its first three weeks of operation, while Montage Deer Valley in Utah stated that 34 per cent of revenue in the hotel’s initial five months of operation came from Virtuoso Members. These figures further cement Virtuoso’s reputation as being the industry’s top producers of suites and high-end products and services.

Virtuoso’s preferred suppliers are not the only ones to laud the network’s agencies and frontline travel advisors. Travel + Leisure magazine recently named 71 Virtuoso experts to its acclaimed “2011 A-List of Top Travel Agents,” with the network accounting for more than half the list. Travel Agent Magazine recently named 14 Virtuoso advisors to its collection of “Top 25 Agents of 2011.”

An additional 105 Virtuoso Members have been named to magazine advisory boards for seven different Bonnier publications: Caribbean Travel & Life; Destination Weddings & Honeymoons; Islands; Saveur; Ski; Snow; and Spa magazine. Through the exclusive relationship with Bonnier, Virtuoso Members receive unprecedented coverage in every issue of these magazines, on the magazines’ websites, at special events and through emails to readers. In the initial year of the relationship, Virtuoso estimates the coverage resulted in more than 20 million reader impressions for participating Members.

“Virtuoso’s Members and their advisors are the best in the industry,” says Virtuoso CEO Matthew D. Upchurch, CTC, “and we’re pleased to see them recognized by our suppliers as well as these prominent and impressive publications. It starts with the ability to collaborate with their clients and create memorable travel experiences. That translates into higher sales and increased personal relationships with our preferred suppliers, which sparks that personal touch that their clients value and enjoy. And, that leads to recognition and accolades that simultaneously elevate the travel agency profession, while further setting our members apart from their competitors.”

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About Virtuoso:
Virtuoso® is the industry’s leading luxury travel network. This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 330 agencies with more than 7,200 elite travel specialists in 20 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,250 of the world’s best travel providers and premier destinations. The network’s member agencies generate over $9.6 billion annually in travel sales, making the group the most powerful in the luxury travel segment. Their relationships with the finest travel companies provide the network’s affluent clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. Virtuoso is the exclusive network of travel services and benefits provided by MasterCard® for participating World Elite MasterCard® programs. To view Virtuoso’s latest video content, visit http://www.youtube.com/VirtuosoTraveler.

Media Contact:
Misty Ewing, CTA
Virtuoso
Director, Public Relations
Office: 212.588.8242 / Cell: 206.484.8022
Email: mewing@virtuoso.com