The 31st of January 2022 not only turned out to be a significant day in the career of Rafael Nadal’s tennis career, winning his second Australian Open in the early hours that Monday morning. It was the same date on the calendar that Fiona Dalton, the then freshly appointed General Manager of Virtuoso for Australia and New Zealand, says was a turning point in the confidence of Australian travellers’ to venture abroad again.

Australian wholesaler Entire Travel Group has been invited to join Virtuoso’s Regional Preferred Partner Program.

Virtuoso hosted its annual Australia & New Zealand Forum in Adelaide over two days earlier this week, in the process of re-connecting 150 owners and managers and preferred partners from the luxury travel conglomerate. Participating at Virtuoso Forum ANZ was ‘Mr Luxury’ himself, Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew Upchurch.

Azamara President Carol Cabezas believes the separation of the boutique cruise brand from the Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) is enabling a partnership with Virtuoso to flourish.

Virtuoso has promoted three executives to roles within its senior leadership structure, central to the organisation’s current and future success.

Virtuoso has brought together key stakeholders from its travel agency members and preferred partners for this week’s 2022 Symposium. Attendees boarded Silversea’s newest vessel, Silver Dawn, for an exclusive pre-inaugural cruise: a five-day roundtrip sailing from Lisbon with two days of exploration in Porto.

Virtuoso Symposium is bound for Canada in 2023 with the annual event confirmed for Montreal. Tourisme Montréal revealed the news it will host next year’s event from 15-21 May 2023.

Viking has welcomed not one, not two, but eight new river ships to its fleet during a celebration in Paris last week. In unison, eight Godmothers christened the vessels, including senior executives from luxury travel networks, Virtuoso and Signature Travel Newtork.

Virtuoso has promoted seasoned executive Melissa Araya as Vice President, Cruise. Araya rejoined the luxury travel network last November and has been instrumental in leading Virtuoso’s cruise division.

Recently appointed Virtuoso General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Fiona Dalton, will lead her first delegation of local travel advisors to this month’s Virtuoso Symposium.

Virtuoso has cranked up its Regional Preferred Partner Program in recent months, inviting 12 new Australian and New Zealand partners to join its exclusive portfolio.

Luxury touring specialist Australian Luxury Escapes has joined the Virtuoso network of partners in 2022, intent on tapping into a wider regional audience seeking niche experiences.