These updates to Virtuoso’s membership categories represent the first major changes in nearly two decades, with the adjustments coming after extensive collaboration with regional and global member advisory boards over an 18-month period.
The goal of these changes is to better support Virtuoso’s increasingly diverse and global network, Vice President Member Relations Cheryl Cheney-Bunker explained at the Forum’s opening session.
“Some of the factors that we saw that were impacting the need to change the Virtuoso membership categories were the globalisation of the network with our preferred partners and members becoming more and more cross border,” she said, adding that agencies were evolving in a similar manner.
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“The rise of the independent advisor as well, not just as a booking advisor, but as an entrepreneur building larger books of business, was another factor that we considered as we made the changes.”
Finding a way for Virtuoso to help support all of these businesses as they grow amid a shifting business landscape had therefore become an important mission, according to Cheney-Bunker. “We worked diligently on the project for over 18 months… a huge thank you to all of those current members and past members who helped us with this.”
At the heart of the changes is a commitment to quality, she stressed. “It’s an opportunity and a differentiator for us as the Virtuoso network – ensuring quality standards, but also making sure that in a much more diverse business model, we have pathways and categories to support you.”
These updates include options for regional, multi-region, and global membership, reflecting the network’s global expansion. A standout addition is the introduction of the “Associate Agency” category, designed to support large independent contractors (ICs) and entrepreneurs.
The changes also impact its Travel Associates members, with some branches transitioning to full parent agency membership. “We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with these 14 branches that remain as part of Virtuoso,” Cheney-Bunker said.
