Blaire's 5 Best - Virtuoso Travel Week Trends

As many people know, I spent a solid SEVEN nights in Vegas meeting with the top luxury travel industry professionals during Virtuoso Travel Week. Virtuoso is an elite, by-invitation-only network of the top travel agencies, hotels, destination management companies, tour operators and resorts all over the world. While it was definitely a marathon and not a sprint, I learned about so many amazing properties and met my extremely valuable contacts face-to-face.

Each day, I would have 72 meetings (yes... this is not a typo!) via a speed dating platform with a networking lunch in between and followed by countless happy hours. Though I was on a liquid diet (coffee... wine... 5 Hour Energy... repeat!), the excitement of meeting my peers and learning about the most amazing properties all over the world had my enthusiasm on high!

Here are some pictures of my friends + me (some old, some new!) experiencing the festivities:

I'm pictured with my Brownell BFF, Cara & Davidna, a Sales Manager from Ritz Paris

Enjoying the Virtuoso Travel Week Hotels Dinner with the Sales Managers and Owner from Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como and with some amazing travel agents from many companies

Cara Sharratt and I before we had dinner with the Sales Managers from Ritz Paris

Some lovely ladies from Brownell Travel enjoying the Virtuoso Hotels Dinner festivities

I'm pictured with the wonderful Sabrina and Carolina, the Sales Managers from Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como

Enjoying the daily matched appointments with the super fun crew from the Andaz Mayakoba in the Riviera Maya

Cara and I are pictured with some of our favorite Dorchester partners - Patrick from The Dorchester, 45 Park Lane and Coworth Park and Arianna from Hotel Eden

Taking a break from the matched appointments to take a picture with Ty from Celebrated Experiences

Enjoying the Peninsula Hotels happy hour event

Enjoying the Rocco Forte happy hour with the beautiful Samara from the New York office

Having fun at the Virtuoso Hotels Dinner with Cara from Brownell, Davidna from Ritz Paris and Kristen from Brownell

Enjoying the Virtuoso festivities with my German BFF, Rene, the Senior Sales Manager of the Rocco Forte properties in Germany

We are all crazy and committed to 6am bootcamp hosted by Brownell Travel before the matched appointments!

Brownell Bestie, Cara!

Enjoying the Rocco Forte party with Daniel from the Germany RF properties!

With my favorite Rocco Forte guys enjoying our last night in Vegas - Daniel, Rene and Christopher!

While in Vegas, I learned about tonssssss of destinations and experiences that are perfect for every type of traveler: families, honeymooners, multi-gen, etc! Here are the 5 destinations and experiences that stuck out to me most:

Mauritius. I grew to become obsessed with this island off the coast of Africa. It is absolutely perfect to pair with a safari for the client wanting to experience pristine beaches. The properties on this island are equally impressive with some of the top hotels, like Shangri-La, owning or building accommodations.
Switzerland. Of course I know Switzerland is absolutely beautiful, and I've spent a little time there (though not enough!), but the properties scattered throughout the country are breathtaking. The views... I'm sure pictures don't do them justice, but the pictures were amazing! This destination is perfect year round due to the abundance of outdoor activities. I was personally obsessing over Park Hotel Vitznau. Gorg!
Arctic Safari. I learned about this type of experience the weekend before the convention began while meeting with Arctic Kingdom, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. For those who have done an African safari, this is your next trip! Immerse yourself in remote Canada, go "glamping" and experience excursions such as polar bear siting, scuba diving under a glacier or dog sledding, to name a few.
Wellness Experiences. The wellness category is up and coming, and I can't get enough of it. The absolutely amazing wellness retreats scattered all over the world are extremely impressive and perfect for anyone wanting to "reset". From The Ranch Malibu focused on fitness to Miraval in Arizona which is one of the leading destination spas, I felt so inspired to eat healthily, work out more & get more massages (sorry hubby ;) ha!)
Bermuda. Ok.... I'll say what we are all thinking... Bermuda has been thought of as your grandma's place to travel to. Well, not anymore! Bermuda is getting a facelift! Amazing resorts are getting revamped, and some other big names are moving in. I personally love The Hamilton Princess as it's turned into a foodie hotspot and has an amazing nightclub frequented by celebrities and socialites alike. Plus, no Zika! Don't be scared of the triangle, Bermuda is back!

And of course the list continues... from African safaris to super chic hotels in Amsterdam to outdoorsy experiences in South America and more, Virtuoso Travel Week has ignited my love for this industry even more!