Cheryl Cheney Bunker

Virtuoso—and the travel industry at large—has boomed over the past 20 years, mostly due to the proliferation of the independent contractor (IC) model. According to The Travel Institute, in 2008, less than a third (29%) of travel advisors were ICs; now, it’s the exact opposite, with 71% of advisors working as ICs.

At Virtuoso Travel Week, taking place in Las Vegas this week, Matthew Upchurch, Chairman and CEO, and other executives from Virtuoso shared at its opening session Sunday night a slew of tech updates that are available to the network’s members.

Key changes to the Virtuoso senior leadership team have been confirmed as part of a strategic realignment to support its ongoing international expansion.

Virtuoso’s signature gathering Virtuoso Travel Week continues to grow, with more changes on the cards as the event heads into 2025 including an appointment increase of 44%.