Virtuoso CEO Addresses 2010 Symposium

May 7, 2010 By: Matthew Upchurch

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Luxury Travel Advisor received a copy of Virtuoso CEO Matthew Upchurch's speech at the 2010Virtuoso Symposium . You've already read our coverage, now read his address word by word.

Citizen President of the United States of Mexico Felipe Calderón, Secretary Gloria Guevara, Secretary Alejandro Rojas, CEO Rodolfo López Negrete, esteemed dignitaries from the Mexico Tourism Board and the Mexican States, members of the press, and Virtuoso Members and Partners, it is an honor to be here today in Mexico City where I was born and in the country that helped shape who I am.

As the world’s leading luxury and experiential travel network, Virtuoso is dedicated to advancing the economic, social and environmental contributions of the world travel and tourism industry, which is the largest service industry employing more than 220 million people, one out of every 13 jobs, and is 9.4 percent of global GDP.

In Mexico, the impact of tourism is even more significant as it represents 5.6 million jobs, or one out of every 7.7 jobs, and 13.3 percent of GDP.  The Virtuoso Network considers Mexico a leading global destination, as indicated by our recent Luxe Report survey.

Last year, at nearly this same time, and at this very same Symposium, we watched from Sydney, Australia as our friends in Mexico battled the H1N1 crisis. Our hearts went out to our friends. As the magnitude of the crisis grew, we admired the integrity by which Mexico, led by President Calderón, took all measures to protect its citizens and the world by working in close collaboration with its government sectors, other governments, world health organizations and private industry.

These actions, not unlike Mexico’s campaign to eradicate the drug cartels, are evidence of a true leader in the free world, and a principled nation that, despite the potential of short term economic impact, did the right thing.  We salute you, Mr. President, for your courage and the courage of your nation.

 

President Calderon addressed the Symposium shortly after Upchurch's speech

 

Virtuoso’s annual Symposium represents one of our contributions to help improve global tourism through thoughtful and responsible actions.  We invite tourism thought-leaders from various Industry segments and countries to discuss and better understand the key issues facing us today and in the future.  This year, we are proud to bring this important event to Mexico and lead by example.

Too many times, the word luxury is associated with a very small part of our market segment, the obnoxious celebrity or wealthy person, but the truth is that 99 percent of our clientele are global citizens who value authentic life experiences and understand their responsibility to contribute to the economic, cultural and environmental welfare of the destinations they visit.

These authentic travelers not only spend much more than the average visitor, the percentage spent in-country is greater, and their interests are much broader, thus serving destinations by diversifying  their visits to a greater variety of venues rather than only  concentrating in popular places.

However, the most important, and most difficult to quantify, impact of this traveler is that they are leaders in their communities, trend setters, and so their willingness to explore and patronize a destination can have incalculable value.  These are also well-educated and well-traveled people who are skeptical of much of the sensationalism that often affects destinations.

So, as the leaders who serve this market segment, we too have a responsibility to lead by example, especially when we see a vital member of our world tourism community suffer like Mexico has, not because of mere sympathy for them, but because they are a nation that so many of us have partnered with for so many years, and because we know that any one of us could be in their shoes.

Last summer, when I reached out to the Mexican Ambassador to the United States, Arturo Sarukhan, to tell him we wanted to consider Mexico City as the venue for our Symposium, I asked if we could gain the support of government….he did not hesitate for a second.  In short order, we received the President’s invitation, and after that an unprecedented show of support including the invitation from the Mayor of Mexico City and all the key federal, state and local  officials.  That support was initiated by our Mexican Virtuoso Members and partners at Travesías, and extended to our host hotels, ground partners, and sponsors.  Secretary Rojas and his staff have also been invaluable, and I wish Mexico City great success with the launch of FITA – the International Tourism Fair of the Americas.  However, I want to extend a special thank you to the Mexico Tourism Board, without whom this would not have been possible,  and look forward to continue our work together to promote this beautiful country long after our departure.

I want to thank all the Virtuosos who are here, this Symposium sold out in 48 hours and we accommodated more than 100 people above our original target.  We’ve also had the fewest cancellations in the history of this meeting  – in fact, we had to turn people away due to logistical constraints.  Virtuosos, I know you…. and I know these impressive facts are due to your own desire to stand by Mexico.

Your support has not only been rewarded by the presence of President Calderón, but we are here during Mexico’s Bicentennial celebration, showcasing the rich heritage and culture of Mexico, while being granted access to special venues.  While we all know Mexico’s beautiful beaches, which are such an important part of our business, this is also an exciting opportunity to showcase the cultural Mexico and a city which I love and I know will delight you.

Así es, con mucho orgullo, que le agradezco a los miembros de Virtuoso, al Presidente Calderón y a todos los funcionarios que nos han recibido en este país tan cercano a mi corazón, para que juntos seamos exitosos en presentar a México como un destino de calidad mundial.

Gracias, Thank you.