Virtuoso hosted its 2024 Chairman’s Event November 6-10 in Slovenia, recognizing its highest-performing travel agency members. The annual event has shown to accelerate interest and growth in the popularity of its host destination. This year, the Chairman’s Event was split between two Slovenian cities: Ljubljana and Portoroz. With the help of local tourism boards and Virtuoso partners, the network honored its VIPs—134 agency owners and managers from 14 countries—with four days of relationship-building and destination immersion.
The event kicked off at Ljubljana Castle with a private welcome reception, introducing attendees to a local cuisine, cocktails and wines from the region. Throughout the week, the group was received by prominent figures in luxury travel, including Zoran Janković, mayor of Ljubljana; Slovenian chef Ana Roš; Jane Mackie, SVP of Lifestyle and Premium Brands at International Hotels Group (IHG); Chris Robertson, head of global sales at IHG; Bryan Gabriel, chief commercial officer for Six Senses; Barbara Muckermann, newly appointed CEO of Kempinski; and others.
At the host hotel, InterContinental Ljubljana, attendees heard from Maja Pac Olaj of the Slovenian Tourist Board and Matej Knific of Luxury Slovenia, an exclusive Virtuoso partner, regarding the country’s sustainability initiatives in a discussion led by Javier Arredondo, Virtuoso VP, sustainability. Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew D. Upchurch also took the stage, presenting forecasts from the World Travel & Tourism Council that predict the travel and tourism industry will grow to 11.4 percent of the global economy and make up 12.2 percent of the global workforce in 10 years.
“We work in a great sector; one that is constantly growing and providing opportunities to further strengthen,” he said. “Of course, this kind of growth also means increased competition from traditional forces like startups and consolidation, but now also from ‘crossovers,’ like luxury goods and financial companies. That, accompanied by today’s rapid pace of change, driven by globalization and technological advancements, makes us continuously adapt in order to remain the leaders in luxury travel.”
Executive Vice President David Kolner then presented trends and insights tracked from the network’s sales data. He revealed that global network year-to-date sales soared to a record high, tracking a 14 percent increase compared to the same time period last year. Future travel booked for 2025 and 2026 is also up by 30 percent, compared to future bookings made in 2023 for one to two years out. Specifically, future sales over $50,000 for 2025 and 2026 have increased by 42 percent, with cruise-specific sales in the same price range up by 47 percent and safari sales up 44 percent. Kolner also discussed highlights of Virtuoso’s 2025 “Luxe Report,” which revealed that 50 percent of surveyed advisors anticipate that travel demand will slightly increase in 2025 and 54 percent anticipate that client spend will slightly increase.
Additionally Cory Hagopian, SVP, global member and partner sales, presented network updates. He shared statistics from Virtuoso Communities, which are groups of advisors and preferred partners that specialize in specific travel niches. Hagopian said that based on 2024 year-to-date sales, advisors who participate in communities significantly outpace general advisors in community partner sales. For instance, advisors in the cruise community sold an average of 178 percent more with cruise community partners compared to advisors who are not in a community.
The following morning, destination immersion experiences kicked off, with agency owners and managers in attendance. They were treated to a variety of “Design Your Day” experiences, curated by various on-site Virtuoso partners. Activities in Ljubljana included rowing with Slovenian Olympians on Lake Bled, a private Pletna boat ride, a traditional Slovenian cake-making workshop, a gastronomic tour, a day trip to Maribor during the St. Martin’s Day Feast season, exploring the works of visionary architect Plečnik, exploring the hiking trails of Rožnik, and more.
The group then headed to Portoroz for a stay at the Kempinski Palace Portoroz, where they experienced a party with musical performances and entertainment throughout the evening. The following day, guests set out for more Slovenian exploration with “Design Your Day” activities in the area ranging from exploring the Škocjan Caves, a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site, to visiting Brda, a wine region dubbed “Slovenia’s Tuscany.” Additional options included olive harvesting, a Mediterranean seafood cooking class, truffle hunting, sailing the Slovenian coast aboard a classic Istrian wooden sailboat, exploring picturesque Piran on foot, and more.
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