by Natasha Lair
Last updated: 9:25 AM ET, Tue February 17, 2026
Virtuoso presented its third annual regional Virtuoso Awards during its Canada Forum, held February 10–12 in Calgary.
More than 100 attendees gathered for the event, including owners and managers from Virtuoso’s Canadian agency members and preferred partners from around the world.
The regional awards recognize members and partners who demonstrate strong sales performance, sustained growth and active engagement within the network. Winners were announced during a gala dinner sponsored by Oceania Cruises, The Palms Turks and Caicos and The Shore Club Turks and Caicos.
Northern Lights Award
The Northern Lights Award honours a member who shows exceptional engagement, advocacy and promotion of Virtuoso in Canada.
Winner: Kemi Wells-Conrad, Wells Luxury Travel
Most Engaged
This award recognizes a member and a preferred partner with the highest participation within the Virtuoso network.
Member winner: Momenti Travel
Partner winner: Viking
Top Producers
Top Producer awards recognize members and partners with the highest overall network sales in each category.
Member Awards: Direct Travel earned Top Producing member awards across Cruise, Hotels & Resorts, OnSite, Tour Operator and Specialty categories in Canada.
Partner Awards:
- Top Producing Cruise: Celebrity Cruises
- Top Producing Hotels & Resorts: Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla
- Top Producing On-Site: Giltedge – South Africa
- Top Producing Tour Operator: Collette
- Top Producing Wholesaler: Bedsonline
- Top Producing Specialty: Allianz Partners
Highest Annual Growth
These awards acknowledge the largest year-over-year growth by category.
Member winners:
- Highest Cruise Annual Growth: Renshaw Travel
- Highest Hotels & Resorts Annual Growth: Wells Luxury Travel
- Highest On-Site Annual Growth: Wells Luxury Travel
- Highest Tour Operator Annual Growth: K. Benn Travel, Inc.
- Highest Specialty Annual Growth: Trevello Travel Group
Partner winners:
- Highest Cruise Annual Growth: AmaWaterways
- Highest Hotels & Resorts Annual Growth: Sonora Resort
- Highest On-Site Annual Growth: Arno – Travel & Event Design – Italy
- Highest Tour Operator Annual Growth: Rocky Mountaineer
- Highest Wholesaler Annual Growth: Bedsonline
- Highest Specialty Annual Growth: Allianz Partners
“Virtuoso’s strength is rooted in the people who drive the network forward every day, demonstrating that human connection translates into business success,” said Virtuoso Chairman & CEO Matthew D. Upchurch.
Matthew D. Upchurch, Virtuoso Chairman & CEO (Photo Credit: LinkedIn)“Our Forum events across the globe spotlight leaders who are shaping the future of luxury travel and delivering exceptional experiences with consistency and care. We’re honoured to recognize this year’s regional award recipients and deeply value the role they play in strengthening Virtuoso’s influence.”
Optimism, Hiring and Rising Spend Define Year Ahead
Beyond the awards, the Canada Forum underscored strong momentum in the luxury segment and growing confidence among Canadian advisors.
During the two-day event, leaders shared projections that global luxury travel is expected to grow 8% over the next four years, with demand for luxury experiences in Canada expanding at twice the rate of luxury goods.
Sales among Canadian agencies rose 9% year over year in 2025, led by tours (up 74%), cruise (33%) and hotels (16%).
Advisor sentiment remains positive, with 71% of members reporting optimism about their businesses and 92% of agency owners planning to hire in 2026.
Multi-generational travel, cultural immersion, nature-based experiences and slower-paced itineraries emerged as key trends. Thirty-three percent of affluent Canadian travellers said they are interested in working with a travel advisor next year — eight percentage points above the global average.
Additional regional awards will be presented at upcoming Forum events in Lima, Lisbon, Auckland and Bali. Virtuoso’s Global Awards will be announced during Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas, August 8–14, with the Pinnacle Event recognizing top preferred partner production through an exclusive hosted experience for qualifying advisors.
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