Luxury and experiential travel network Virtuoso launched its Virtuoso Advisor Recruitment Program last year to assist member agencies in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, in fulfilling their staffing needs. The program is now coming to Canada.
In the first year, Virtuoso says the program has matched over 80 qualified luxury travel advisors with positions at Virtuoso member agencies, and the call for new talent continues to be in high demand.
According to surveys of agency owners and managers conducted at Virtuoso Forums across the network’s global regions, labour and staffing shortages ranked among the top three factors influencing luxury travel this year. The travel advisor profession is increasingly sought after, too, according to new research from BeamJobs, which showed that travel advisor is the second most desired job in the U.S. over the past 12 months.
Virtuoso Logo (Photo Credit: Virtuoso)
To answer the need for personnel, Virtuoso’s Advisor Recruitment Program has recently expanded to Canada. The program welcomes advisors in all stages of their careers to apply, including those who are outside of the Virtuoso network, newer to the industry and small agencies looking for a host.
Advisors can begin the matching process by submitting an application, which is added to a database that connects participating member agencies with a pool of advisor candidates based on respective needs, niches, location and available job openings.
“After survey results indicated over half of our Canadian member agencies are prioritizing building their teams this year, we’re delighted to offer them the Advisor Recruitment Program,” said Virtuoso Senior Vice President of Global Member and Partner Sales Cory Hagopian.
“The response and outcome in the United States, Australia and New Zealand has been overwhelmingly positive, and with over 20 advisor applications in Canada thus far, we’re confident the program will help our members in the region find and connect with high-quality talent.”
Participating Virtuoso members shared their experience and thoughts on the recruitment effort.
ounder and President of Vancouver-based Wells Luxury Travel, Kemi Wells-Conrad. (Photo Credit: TravelPulse Canada)
“I am excited by the prospect of the Advisor Recruitment Program’s exposure and growth to support the needs of Canadian agencies,” said Founder and President of Vancouver-based Wells Luxury Travel, Kemi Wells-Conrad.
“With our growing demand in luxury travel and many new-to-advisor clients, combined with the number of retiring advisors, so many are desperately looking for staff. There is a need for new advisors, along with some experienced advisors who may be looking for a better suited affiliation or host agency, but don’t know where to begin. Either way, this tool has tremendous potential in connecting agency owners and managers with prospects based on their certain needs and criteria.”
All advisors hired via the recruitment program must complete the Virtuoso Certified Travel Advisor (VCTA) course, an elite qualification designed to fast-track the development of those new to the travel advising profession.
VCTA also serves as a resource for experienced advisors who recently joined the Virtuoso network, as it lays the groundwork for establishing a solid career path in the luxury travel market segment. VCTA graduates sell twice as much travel on average compared to peers who didn’t participate in the course.
Advisors interested in applying for the Recruitment Program can click here to find out more.
Topics From This Article to Explore
