Hollywood, CA

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Video Clip: Click to Watch

An ability to envision the future has set Mathew Upchurch, founder of Virtuoso, a powerful conglomeration of high-end travel agencies, apart from a majority of the retail travel business. Upchurch, in the travel industry for over 30 years, will appear on the Today Show on Thursday, January 19 at 8:43 am EST to discuss why informed travel advisers are so important to booking a vacation, how to get the best value and new developments in traveling. Not buying into the suggested wisdom predicting a diminished role for the travel agent, or travel consultant, Upchurch set about creating "a multi-billion-dollar, by-invitation-only enterprise of exceptional travel advisors and travel providers, all working together to mutually prosper while delivering the world's most satisfying travel experiences"

One of the top travel industry stories, one which might to be mentioned by Upchurch on the Today Show, is the rapid rise in the popularity of river cruising throughout Europe that is now spreading to locales around the world. The genesis of this fast growing and rapidly evolving segment of the industry was the completion of the 162-mile Rhine-Main Canal in Southern Germany that linked up the Rhine and Danube Rivers, thus allowing passenger and cargo ships to travel across the heart of Europe from the North Sea to the Black Sea.

AmaWaterways is one of the river cruise lines sold through the elite Virtuoso agency network. Founded in 2002 by three travel industry veterans, AmaWaterways is celebrating ten-years of success by adding two new luxury cruise ships, MS AmaCerto and MS Zambezi Queen, which will operate in Europe and Africa respectively. With 21 terrific river cruise itineraries, AmaWaterways is now operating 14 ships throughout Europe, in Russia, along the Mekong River between Vietnam and Cambodia and in Africa's amazing natural wildlife preserves.

In November 2011, AmaWaterways was the subject of a feature article, by Simon Marks, in the International Herald Tribune, the global edition of the New York Times, regarding the launching of their second ship on the Mekong River, MS AmaLotus. Based in Cambodia, Marks called the ship the "most luxurious one on the Mekong" and did a well rounded piece on AmaWaterways, the river cruise industry in Southeast Asia and around the world and the changes it has brought to tourism in Cambodia.

Defining Moments in Travel by Virtuoso:



Areas of Expertise:

Virtuoso is an exclusive network of more than 7,200 elite travel advisors associated with over 330 agencies in 20 countries within North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand who specialize in connecting travelers to the world's best vacation destinations. We connect the best travel advisors with the best travel experiences.



Did You Know?

Virgin Galactic selected Virtuoso as their exclusive Retail Travel Group in North America for qualities which mirror Virgin's values and complement Virgin's experience in aviation, quality travel and adventure. Virtuoso's member consultants will be the first – and only – travel agents in North America to gain full accreditation, enabling them to offer their clients a unique, three-day Virgin Galactic space adventure.



Knowledge

The individual experience of a Virtuoso travel advisor and their ability to network with other equally talented advisors ensures you of the most satisfying travel experiences, designed to meet your specific needs.

Value

When you book with a Virtuoso travel advisor, you are automatically entitled to additional benefits. From room upgrades and complimentary meals to private tours and limousine transfers, all at no additional cost.

Distinction

Being a Virtuoso client automatically earns you a higher echelon of respect from the world's finest travel providers.

Peace of Mind

Like a valued investment manager, Virtuoso travel advisors are entrusted with managing the most valuable of assets – your leisure time. They know your travel preferences, which eliminates risks and results in satisfying experiences.

"I told our travel specialist we didn't want the 'normal' vacation. She told us about Ek'tun. It was fantastic - perfect for us but definitely not for everyone"

Denise Marsey, Ohio



Destination Expertise



Our agents specialize in worldwide destinations... and beyond! Take a look at the current featured destinations, then talk to your Virtuoso travel advisor!

About Mathew Upchurch:



Visionary, futurist and entrepreneur, Matthew Upchurch has parlayed his vision of a global travel industry network into Virtuoso, a multi-billion-dollar, by-invitation-only enterprise of exceptional travel advisors and travel providers, all working together to mutually prosper while delivering the world's most satisfying travel experiences. Matthew serves as Virtuoso's chief executive officer, overseeing the marketing, sales, technology and operational systems that have made Virtuoso one of the most respected and successful companies in the luxury travel arena.

While the rest of the world was predicting the downfall of the travel consultant with the onslaught of online booking engines, Matthew envisioned a back-to-the-future alternative that repositioned true travel specialists into their original role – knowledgeable advisors versus transaction processors. He saw the Internet as a resource to assist the personal touch. And he perceived the rising Baby Boomer generation as one that prefers to work with experts in the important facets of their lives, including their prized leisure travel.

Matthew's entrepreneurial perspective grew out of an early love for travel, service and innovation. Following a childhood that included African safaris in the summers, private tours of Europe during the holidays, and a multi-cultural upbringing on several continents, Matthew turned his sights on the travel industry in the early '80s. Two family businesses, Percival Tours and Upchuch Travel, enabled Matthew to wear the hats of supplier and travel advisor simultaneously, ultimately leading to his vision of Virtuoso: a virtual corporation of the most powerful upscale travel agencies supported by centralized marketing vehicles and exclusive agreements with the finest travel suppliers in the world.

The vision for Virtuoso was clear. However, the task of altering the common perception of travel consultants and the commoditization of the industry was, and still is, difficult. Armed with what his friends describe as an "unfailing ability to talk to anyone, anywhere about anything," Matthew is revitalizing the retail travel industry. The momentum for the creation of Virtuoso was so strong that top agencies competing against each other in key markets found themselves joining forces as part of this new network.

Now, 22 years after launching Virtuoso, Matthew focuses on keeping the organization ahead of the pack and the trends. He has led Virtuoso members and suppliers around the world at annual key network gatherings including the consortium's annual Travel Mart Conference in Las Vegas; the Chairman's Recognition Event, hosted most recently by Micato Safaris in Kenya; and Virtuoso's annual Symposium conference, which in recent years has taken place in Spain, Scotland and Mexico, where the network was addressed by the Honorable Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, President of Mexico.

More than a decade ago, Matthew encouraged Virtuoso advisors to focus on areas of specialization, such as particular destinations or types of travel. Now Virtuoso's specialists are among the most successful travel advisors in the industry and are frequently featured in national media outlets for their areas of expertise. Virtuoso continually implements new programs to empower Virtuoso travel specialists with an impressive arsenal of marketing tools, in-depth client data, and industry resources that are unrivaled – all necessary for a successful career in travel planning.

Matthew's first step into the profession wasn't all that glamorous – mail clerk at his family's Percival Tours in 1979. While most mail clerks simply sort and send the mail, Matthew created innovative ways to manage the tasks more efficiently, leading him to establish a new fulfillment company, Perci-Pak. As the president of Perci-Pak, Matthew collaborated with his cousin, A. R. Tandy, and their ideas and experiments resulted in the development of revolutionary automated shipping software, now the second largest of its kind in the nation and used by conglomerates such as General Electric, Radio Shack, Mary Kay, Pfizer and L.L. Bean.

Today, the former mail clerk is among the most admired professionals in the travel industry. He has served on numerous advisory boards for luxury travel companies, presented the keynote address at many high-profile industry events, and has dedicated his time and resources to the travel agent community as the past Chairman of The Travel Institute and, most recently, on the corporate advisory council for the American Society of Travel Agents.

Inspired by other entrepreneurs who either create new industries or set new rules in stagnant ones, Matthew is not willing to sit back and rest on his past accomplishments. From space tourism to emerging destinations, Matthew continues to lead Virtuoso in delivering exceptional and rare travel experiences. So stay tuned for new innovations that are sure to make the world a more rewarding and exciting place for travelers, travel advisors and travel providers alike.

For media interviews with AmaWaterways or Virtutoso spokespersons contact Promotion in Motion at 323-461-3921 or brad@promotioninmotion.net.

Brad Butler

Promotion in Motion

Hollywood, CA

323-461-3921

First Url: AmaWaterways, Premier River Cruise Line

Second Url: Video: Defining Moments in Travel by Virtuoso