Virtuoso®, the world leader in luxury and experiential travel, honoured its top-performing travel agency members with a five-day Chairman’s Event in Slovenia from 6-10 November 2024.
This prestigious annual event, held in a different destination each year, recognises Virtuoso’s highest-achieving travel advisors and enhances the profile of its host locations. This year’s event showcased Slovenia’s unique blend of history, culture, and scenic beauty, with events held in the vibrant capital, Ljubljana, and the coastal town of Portoroz.
A Celebration of Slovenian Culture and Cuisine
Virtuoso welcomed 134 VIP attendees from 14 countries with a private reception at the historic Ljubljana Castle. Here, attendees experienced Slovenian hospitality with a curated selection of local cuisine, cocktails, and regional wines. Throughout the event, travel agency owners and managers connected with high-profile industry figures, including Ljubljana’s Mayor Zoran Janković, world-renowned chef Ana Roš, and senior executives from luxury brands like IHG, Six Senses, and Kempinski.
In keeping with Virtuoso’s focus on luxury and sustainable travel, the event’s host hotel, InterContinental Ljubljana, set the stage for discussions on Slovenia’s sustainability initiatives. Presentations from the Slovenian Tourist Board’s Maja Pac Olaj and Luxury Slovenia’s Matej Knific highlighted the country’s achievements in sustainable tourism. Virtuoso’s Vice President of Sustainability, Javier Arredondo, led discussions on strategies to incorporate eco-friendly practices within the luxury travel sector.
Industry Insights and Future Travel Trends
Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew D. Upchurch shared insights on the travel industry’s projected growth, citing forecasts that the global travel and tourism sector will expand to encompass 11.4 per cent of the global economy over the next decade. Upchurch emphasised that Virtuoso’s diverse network is well-equipped to cater to the growing complexity of the luxury travel market, where clients seek experiences that resonate with their values, passions, and lifestyles.
“Our network was created to compete with those who could use scale against us,” Upchurch remarked.
“This is why we’ve grown both larger and more specialised over time, with initiatives like Virtuoso Communities to match advisors with niche interests and enhance global expansion with regional support teams.”
Virtuoso Executive Vice President David Kolner presented exclusive network data, revealing a record-breaking year-to-date sales increase of 14 per cent and a 30 per cent rise in advance bookings for 2025 and 2026. Kolner noted that bookings for high-end travel, particularly in cruises and safaris, are up significantly, reflecting a rising demand for ultra-luxury experiences. Virtuoso’s 2025 Luxe Report highlighted destinations on the rise and projected that both travel demand and client spending will continue to grow in the coming year.
Exploring Slovenia with Bespoke “Design Your Day” Experiences
As part of the event’s destination immersion, Virtuoso hosted a “Design Your Day” program, offering personalised cultural experiences crafted by local Virtuoso partners. In Ljubljana, attendees explored Slovenia’s natural and cultural gems, from rowing on Lake Bled with Olympians and exploring Rožnik’s scenic trails to tasting Slovenian wines in Maribor during the St. Martin’s Day Feast. The group also enjoyed a traditional Slovenian cake-making workshop, a gastronomic tour, and an architectural tour of visionary Jože Plečnik’s works.
The Slovenian adventure continued in Portoroz, where guests stayed at the Kempinski Palace Portoroz and experienced a progressive evening of entertainment. Attendees participated in hands-on activities, including truffle hunting, olive harvesting, a seafood cooking class, and sailing the Slovenian coast aboard a classic Istrian sailboat. They also explored UNESCO-listed Škocjan Caves and visited Brda, a picturesque wine region known as “Slovenia’s Tuscany.”
Strengthening Connections and Supporting Local Tourism
Virtuoso’s 2024 Chairman’s Event was made possible by partnerships with the Slovenian Tourist Board, Ljubljana Tourism, Luxury Slovenia, the Portoroz Tourist Board, and local venues, including InterContinental Ljubljana and Kempinski Palace Portoroz. These collaborations highlighted Slovenia’s growing appeal as a luxury travel destination, supporting Virtuoso’s mission to offer its members immersive, relationship-building experiences in unique locations.
