As the child of a father who was a founder of the US Tour Operators Association, it would come as no surprise for Matthew Upchurch to enter the travel industry and become one of it's iconic leaders.

The founder of Virtuoso in the 1980's, as CEO Matthew has overseen the company become the leading global network of agencies specialising in luxury and experiential travel. Today Virtuoso comprises of more than 20,000 advisors across 58 countries who between them transact in the region of $54 billion AUD.

Among his many accolades, Matthew was named to the American Society of Travel Agents Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Cruise Lines International Association Hall of Fame in 2010.

But aside from all that, perhaps his most meaningful contribution to our industry is that there has been no greater champion of the travel advisor.

In this episode we talk to Matthew about his backstory, along with Virtuoso's growth and how it operates in Australia. We discover the leading profession who are making the switch to become advisors, the increasing prioritisation of expenditure on experiences by travellers, and why the human interaction of a travel advisor can never be replaced by advances in technology.

And a lot more, including some elite-level Offloading.

However we have run out of space and what's left goes to Matthew's Book Club. He mentions the following books for you to consider:

Will Guidara: Unreasonable Hospitality - The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
Simon Sinek: Start With Why. - Learn how great leaders and organizations inspire action and create a lasting impact
Prof. Scott Galloway: No Mercy, No Malice - (podcast)

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