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Luxury travel is evolving quickly, and Virtuoso is leading that transformation with Canada playing a pivotal role in its global expansion.

At Virtuoso’s Canada Forum in Calgary, Dan sat down with GM, Canada Karen Hardie, Senior VP Global Markets Michael Londregan, Senior VP Global Events Jennifer Campbell, Executive VP Strategic Communications David Kolner, and Chairman & CEO Matthew Upchurch to explore what is driving growth in luxury travel and why Canada has become central to Virtuoso’s international strategy.

Karen paints a compelling picture of the Canadian luxury traveler: understated, experience focused, and motivated by meaningful time with family and friends. The data supports the shift. Luxury experiences are now outpacing luxury goods, and Canada’s market is projected for significant growth through 2030. Under her leadership, Canada is not simply participating in Virtuoso’s success, it is helping shape it.

Michael expands on how Virtuoso scales globally while maintaining strong regional relevance. He explains that Canada serves as both a high performing market and a strategic proving ground. Best practices developed and refined here often influence expansion strategies in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and other emerging luxury markets. Canada’s maturity, advisor strength, and client profile make it a model within Virtuoso’s global network.

Jennifer highlights the power of Virtuoso’s event ecosystem, from regional forums like Canada’s to the flagship Virtuoso Travel Week at Bellagio. Carefully curated appointments, community building, and the Travel Tech Summit create year round momentum for advisors and partners. She also outlines how sustainability is becoming more deeply integrated into the organization’s largest gatherings, reinforcing Virtuoso’s leadership position in responsible luxury travel.

David brings forward the broader economic and behavioral trends. Travel and tourism are expected to outpace global economic growth over the next decade. Booking windows are extending as travelers compete for limited high end capacity. Advisors are increasingly adopting AI tools for research, proposals, and marketing, though there remains opportunity to further modernize CRM and operational systems. The data reinforces that professional guidance is more valuable than ever.

Matthew ties the strategy together with a clear philosophy: automate the predictable so advisors can humanize the exceptional. As Virtuoso continues to expand its global footprint, disciplined data, strong frameworks, and a focus on quality over quantity are defining its next chapter. Canada is central to that vision, not only as a growth market but as a leadership market within the network.

The throughline is clear. In a world saturated with information and choice, true luxury is trust, discernment, and meaningful connection. Virtuoso has positioned itself as the leader of luxury travel in Canada, and Canada is proving essential to Virtuoso’s continued global growth.

Learn more about Virtuoso, the leading global luxury travel network, at virtuoso.com.

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds.

https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

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Money movement is the hidden engine powering travel and too often the root cause of stalled bookings, compressed margins, and delayed supplier payouts. In this episode, we sit down with Erich Ko, Senior GTM Partnerships Manager at Airwallex, to break down the full financial journey from traveler checkout to final supplier settlement and outline practical ways travel brands can replace slow wire transfers, hidden FX costs, and manual reconciliation with a unified, programmable global platform.

We unpack the real challenges tour operators face when pricing trips months in advance while paying suppliers in appreciating currencies. Erich explains how local payment rails, multi currency wallets, and like for like settlement reduce spreads and eliminate unnecessary fees at every stage. We also explore transparent FX with real time fee visibility, automated rules that lock in conversions at target rates, and programmatic execution that removes human delay from critical transactions.

The conversation explores how virtual card issuing increases control and speed for supplier payments, why embedded payment acceptance boosts conversion through wallets like Apple Pay and Alipay, and how flexible options like deposits and BNPL better align with traveler cash flow in today’s higher rate environment.

Canada stands out as a proving ground for globally ambitious travel brands that have outgrown domestic first banking tools. With local licensing, on the ground teams, and purpose built products, Airwallex enables seamless movement of funds across US, Europe, and Asia corridors with same day reliability and end to end visibility.

Looking ahead, speed and reliability are no longer differentiators. They are expectations. The competitive advantage lies in programmability through APIs, wallets, and flexible payout infrastructure that can adapt to AI agents, emerging distribution channels, and increasingly dynamic travel products.

The practical playbook is clear. Map your entire funds flow. Quantify the true cost including headcount and delays. Consolidate onto a single multi currency platform. Design your payments stack to be AI ready from day one.

Learn more at airwallex.com.

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds.

https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

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Ready to meet the leaders driving the next phase of multi-day tour growth?

In this Event Preview Episode we’re taking you inside the plans for Arival 360 Valencia, a focused three-day gathering where operators, distributors, and travel tech leaders come together to talk tours, activities, attractions and this year, a significantly expanded Multi-Day Tour Program.

Building on the multi program success from Washington, DC, this isn’t just a side conversation. It’s a dedicated, strategic stream built specifically for multi-day operators looking to scale distribution, modernize tech, and build stronger partnerships across Europe and beyond.

Our first conversation features Bruce Rosard, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Arival, who shares why the expansion of the Multi-Day Stream reflects one of the biggest shifts happening in in-destination travel right now: operators moving from fragmented systems and manual processes toward scalable, connected distribution ecosystems.

Meet the Multi-Day Leaders Before You Arrive

As part of our Travel Trends Podcast coverage, we’ll be hosting exclusive 15-minute pre-event interviews on our YouTube Channel with several of the key Multi-Day speakers including TourRadar CEO Travis Pittman, WeRoad CEO Andrea D’Amico, G Adventures GM EMEA, Brian Young, Contiki Director of Product Strategy Natasha Lawrence and more.

These short conversations are designed to help you:

• Learn more about the speakers and their companies
• Understand what’s bringing them to Arival Valencia
• Discover the partnership opportunities they’re actively exploring
• Identify who you should connect with before you even land

Think of it as strategic networking before the event begins.

A Dedicated Multi-Day Stream

The expanded Multi-Day Tour Program brings together senior leaders from companies like Intrepid, Exxotica, Evan Evans, TTC and Much Better Adventures and more for candid, practical discussions around:

• Distribution strategy across direct, OTAs, and marketplace partners
• Connectivity challenges and API-driven integration
• Content and inventory systems for complex, multi-departure catalogs
• Channel mix optimization and margin protection
• Marketing that balances storytelling with operational discipline

Backed by Arival’s proprietary research, including new multi-day specific insights on tech adoption, channel performance, and shifting consumer demand, this stream is designed for operators looking for growth.

Beyond Multi-Day: AI, Culinary & Executive Strategy

While Multi-Day expansion is a major focus, the broader program also delivers:

• Executive Summit: A facilitator-led day for 100 industry leaders tackling pricing, channel strategy, product design, and scalable systems.
• AI Track & Hands-On Lab: Practical sessions on LLM distribution, evolving search behavior, and workflow automation you can deploy immediately.
• Culinary Experiences Track: Deep dives into premium product design, gastronomy partnerships, compliance, and pricing for high-value food and spirits experiences.

Special Offer - Save €100 and Be Part of the Spotlight Episode

If you are a tour operator navigating the complexities of multi-day product distribution in Europe, this year’s Valencia event is especially built for you.

When you register with this code, let us know and we’ll make sure you’re featured in our Travel Trends Event Spotlight i

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds.

https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/