Virtuoso names The Berkeley in top honours

The annual event organised by the global luxury and experiential travel network took place live in Las Vegas with 1,500 in-person attendees at Bellagio Resort & Casino, ARIA Resort & Casino and Vdara Hotel & Spa and virtually for more than 1,800 remote participants.

Virtuoso’s Innovation category highlighted the work of Knut Wylde, general manager of The Berkeley, London. The category sought to highlight Virtuoso members and preferred partners “who inspired us with bold new ways of thinking that lead the way forward, whether through leadership, business practices or other innovative efforts”.

At the height of the pandemic and when the hotel was otherwise closed, Knut and his team opened the driveway and hotel entrance to provide coffee and treats for the capital’s key workers to come for a break, with hotel employees volunteering to pass refreshments out to fire service workers, medical staff and ambulance drivers.

Once outdoor dining was allowed, Wylde later transformed a spot previously earmarked just for parking into a new alfresco restaurant, which was so successful it later became a permanent feature at the property.

The roll call of honours went on to highlight individuals that “had gone above and beyond to assist others during the travel industry’s most harrowing time”.

Virtuoso’s advisors and preferred partners were asked to nominate individuals or organisations that were exceptionally supportive throughout the pandemic, resulting in nearly 500 submissions.

“I’m proud to honour the Virtuoso members, advisors, and partners who have set aside their own obstacles and needs to advocate for their clients, communities, and their colleagues,” said Virtuoso chairman and chief executive Matthew Upchurch.

“These luminaries, legends, and leaders continue to be a guiding light during a dark and difficult time. It is their resilient spirit and positive impact on the world that represents what the Virtuoso network can accomplish when we unleash human potential together.”

In the Community category, the preferred partner recipient was Taj, which worked through its public Service Welfare Trust to deliver meals to hospital staff and other frontline workers as well as thousands of others in need.

The group also opened the doors of 12 hotels across India to hospital workers, so they could stay close to where they were working and not risk exposing family members.

In the Economic Generosity category, the advisor recipient was GOYA, a programme by Copastur to help combat hunger in its home country of Brazil.

For each trip purchased with the company, they donated two kilograms of food to people facing food insecurity, partnering with a local NGO to distribute food in perfect condition that would otherwise be discarded. In just over eight months, they were able to donate 471 kilos (more than 1,000 pounds) of food.

Among those recognised in the Environment category was Wilderness Safaris, for its Conservation Heroes programme, which protects wildlife and wilderness areas from increased poaching threats, while also meeting the basic food needs for their own staff and others who lost their tourism-related livelihoods.

Addressing this need reduces the likelihood of people poaching for food and to date, the company has distributed 14,500 food parcels, helping more than 65,000 people.

Also presented at a gala event during Virtuoso Travel Week was recognition for the new category of Luminary, which was given to The Travel Corporation.

Virtuoso said that after “receiving numerous nominations in multiple categories for companies under its umbrella”, the special Luminary recognition was given for The Travel Corporation’s “commitment to sustainable practices that encompassed almost every category”.

At a conference during Virtuoso Travel Week, Upchurch also said that despite the pandemic, there were still many opportunities ahead.

“Despite this global pause in travel, two of the most powerful upside trends are completely in our favour,” he said. “First, is the value of travel itself, because nothing motivates humans like taking something away that they took for granted. And the second is the value of travel advisors. The heroic efforts of advisors during the pandemic only widened the gap with DIY.”

Virtuoso comprises more than 1,200 travel agency locations with 20,000 travel advisors across 50 countries worldwide. It has preferred relationships with more than 2,200 hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies and premier destinations, for which it usually generates around $25–$30 billion in sales annually.