Virtuoso advisors report the tools enhance their professionalism, help them locate itinerary gaps or errors, easily incorporate supplier bookings and information, and enhance collaboration with colleagues and partners.
NEW YORK – Experienced advisors who use a program from one of Virtuoso’s three itinerary management partners – Axus, Travefy, and Umapped – grew partner revenue by 29 percent, according to a new study by global luxury travel network Virtuoso. By comparison, their counterparts who choose not to utilise these tools only realised an eight percent increase, underscoring the value of technology in improving advisor efficiency and profitability. Itinerary management tools automate the process of creating a client’s trip, pulling information from preferred partners into an organised, polished schedule. Advisors can also showcase their expertise and knowledge by manually entering details to customise the client’s travel experience.
Virtuoso advisors report the tools enhance their professionalism, help them locate itinerary gaps or errors, easily incorporate supplier bookings and information, and enhance collaboration with colleagues and partners. The Virtuoso Itinerary Management Productivity Study also found that 58 percent of Virtuoso advisors using the tools increased the number of trips they planned for clients, with 27 percent even doubling the number of trips. Advisors using one of these three trip builders have finalised more than 1,000,000 trips collectively in the four years since Virtuoso began offering itinerary management tools. For an infographic of the study results, click here.
“Itinerary management tools are the secret sauce for in-the-know Virtuoso advisors, who are saving time, improving client service and most importantly growing their sales significantly,” said David Kolner, senior vice president, Global Member Partnerships at Virtuoso. “The results of this study prove that advisors who aren’t using these solutions are passing up a golden opportunity we’re providing to them. And for agencies who are thinking of joining Virtuoso, these statistics provide a very compelling reason to affiliate now.”
Virtuoso has seen notable growth in advisor adoption of itinerary management tools, with usage increasing 49 percent in the past year. Because Virtuoso offers three different tools, advisors are able to select the one that works best for their needs and preferences. Member agencies enjoy above-and-beyond advantages through the network’s preferred relationships with the tools, which include Virtuoso-only features like integrated content and promotions for exclusive hotel and cruise experiences, as well as special pricing.
“The itinerary builder is a lifesaver because it boosts my productivity from the outset of working on proposals in an easy drag-and-drop interface, to collaborating with suppliers and colleagues in creating the itinerary within the tool, and seamlessly customising print and digital itineraries that are visually appealing for my clients,” said Brianna Glenn, an advisor with Virtuoso agency Avant Garde Travel. “The tool even keeps my clients engaged with me during their trip, because they find the itinerary app a huge benefit to have necessary details, documents, and web links available on their smartphone or offline.”
Axus, Travefy and Umapped are all graduates of Virtuoso Incubator, a program helping startups improve tools that enhance advisor productivity and client service. A pioneer when founded in 2015 to meet an industry need, Virtuoso Incubator is still the only program of its kind. It provides the network’s travel agency members with a competitive advantage as they adopt cutting-edge tools and increase their technology savvy.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
