Skift Global Forum: What to Expect From the Travel Agent of the Future

Matthew Upchurch will speak about how the right kind of travel agent survived the digital change at the Skift Global Forum on October 14 and 15 in Brooklyn, New York. See the complete list of amazing speakers and topics at this year’s event. The most important phase of the sales process for travel agents comes after the travel experience is over says Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso, a network of over 9,000 luxury travel agents in 26 countries. Virtuoso reported $14 billion in network member sales in 2014, up from $12.5 billion in 2013. Upchurch explains that the most valuable thing agents are doing today to boost their business volume is indepth follow-up phone calls, because that’s when the travel agent (or travel advisor) can learn more about their client’s particular travel preferences. That’s a shift in the traditional value proposition for agents, who have typically positioned themselves foremost as expert sources of travel destination knowledge. However