While I have been back from Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas for a few weeks now, it has taken me this long just to process all the information I gathered and follow-up with the new connections I made so that I can actually share some of my whirlwind week with all of you.

Virtuoso Travel Week is one of the world’s most influential luxury travel conferences; think of it as “The Fashion Week of Travel.” The event brings together thousands of Virtuoso travel advisors like myself and pairs us with representatives from Virtuoso’s network of more than 2,000 hotels, resorts, tour operators, and more – all in the name of scoping out which new, popular, and one-of-a-kind travel experiences are best for each of our clients.

So here were some of my most exciting takeaways from the Travel Week 2023 that I wanted to share with you:

Our Hearts are with Maui

Sadly, while the conference was in full swing, we were learning daily how badly Maui was impacted by the wildfires. Many attendees were either based in, had clients traveling to, worked closely with, or simply had love for and cherished memories in Maui. The Hawaiian Islands Visitor’s and Convention Center Bureau’s Robyn Basso had the crowd in tears as she accepted the Sustainability award for Culture on behalf of the Hawaiian Tourism Authority. Advisors were given helpful resources on how best to support Maui as it recovers and rebuilds:

• Stay updated on the recovery and relief efforts and avoid visiting West Maui for now
• Support the relief and recovery efforts by contributing to the Maui Strong Fund
• Travel mindfully through voluntourism in Hawaii
• View and share the Malama Hawaii Videos
• Access the Hawaii Digital Visitor’s Guide

We Travel to Eat

Many travelers are still motivated by a particular restaurant or cuisine when deciding where to go on their vacations. I attended an entire afternoon of sessions dedicated to foodie travel and I learned some very cool and inspirational new tidbits:

San Antonio, Texas is only the second city in the United States to be designated as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and there are entire food tours dedicated to exploring the flavors of San Antonio!

We Also Travel to Drink

Keeping in line with the foodie theme of travel, some places draw us in for their regional libations; like wine tasting and tours in France and Italy, beer pilgrimages to Belgium, and Tequila in Mexico. I was treated to a special tasting of the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal’s very own Clase Azul Reposado tequila that has been crafted on site and introduced at the hotel in addition to their very special “Agave Experience.”

Train Travel is IN

When traveling through some of the most scenic landscapes in the world, it is best to view them slowly…and train travel provides some of the best and most luxurious ways to experience slow travel. I was able to enjoy one iconic train ride this past July on South Africa’s Rovos Rail.

However, I learned of the Rocky Mountaineer at Travel Week, which offers curated vacation packages and four distinctive rail routes through the Canadian Rockies and American Southwest. The world-renowned train travels by daylight through the stunning scenery and stops at luxury hotels overnight to get the most out of the breathtaking scenery. One of these hotels, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise offers year-round ways to enjoy the Canadian Rockies at their best….but insider tip, the spa is undergoing a major renovation and will be even more spectacular when completed in 2025!

Bring your four-legged friends!

I was absolutely delighted to learn that The Perry Lane Hotel in Savannah is not only dog-friendly, but actually creates a unique welcome for your fur-baby. They are welcome to roam with you throughout the hotel and receive their own amenities on arrival including:

• Dog treats made by Oliver Bentley, a waste bag holder and a specialty bandana
• Bowls and dog bed provided in room
• Pup events and walking trails in Savannah’s famed parks and squares

Religious Tourism – beyond churches and temples

Cappadocia, Turkey is growing in popularity due to its “fairy chimneys.” However, at the Argos Hotel, one can take a tour of the underground treasures of the property, which was a restoration of the ruins of a thousand of years old monastery campus, caves, underground tunnels, and historical houses of Uçhisar village. These underground tunnels are centuries old and run right under the hotel in the region known as “the Cradle of Christianity.” The hotel will also organize the must-do hot air balloon ride during your visit.

Ever heard of a “ski safari”

I only learned this term in Vegas, after meeting with a supplier who helps organize luxury ski safaris through the Dolomite Mountains of Italy. On their ski safari, skiers have the opportunity to ski from resort to resort across the Dolomites within the Dolomiti Superski – 12 ski areas featuring 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) of prepared pistes (all on one ski pass!); and from rifugio-to-rifugio, staying at a different mountain inn high above the slopes each night! 

Entertainment Travel has even more show-stoppers

Many people travel to see some kind of a show: Broadway in New York, Concerts in Vegas, Sporting events, etc. How about Tango in Buenos Aires? The Faena Hotel is a gorgeous property in the heart of Buenos Aires worth visiting on its own, but Virtuoso members are treated to a night of Tango with the hotel’s famed Rojo Tango Show included in their visit. Even the hotel’s video is entertaining!

Finally…the perks of Virtuoso are second to none!

One of the biggest takeaways I got from the Virtuoso Travel week is that by being a part of this network, I really have the ability to help make my clients’ vacations extraordinary. What sets Virtuoso travel advisors apart is our connections – we know hotel owners, tour providers, and on-the-ground contacts around the world who can take your vacation up a notch (or two).

If you’ve always dreamed of being greeted and taken by horse-drawn carriage to your luxury hotel at the foot of the Matterhorn in Switzerland, or having a custom gown made for your attendance to ball season in Vienna, I can make that a reality now, thanks to the connections I made at Virtuoso Travel week.

If any of these sound appealing to you, or if you have travel dreams and ideas of your own, Create a Wanderlist to share these with me so we can get to making these dreams a reality in the not-so-far-off future.