TRENDS - WHEN TECHNOLOGY MEETS HUMAN TOUCH AT VIRTUOSO'S TECH SUMMIT (États-Unis)

The event, held on the first day of Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas, revealed how the travel industry is learning to enhance rather than replace the human connections that define luxury hospitality.

Catégorie : Amérique du Nord et Antilles - États-Unis - Tendances, avis d'expert Événements
Article rédigé par Sonia Taourghi le 12-08-2025

The 4th edition of the Virtuoso Tech Summit was held at the Bellagio - Virtuoso Travel Week, Las Vegas

The 4^th edition of the Virtuoso Travel Tech Summit brought together over 500 participants in one of the Bellagio's grand ballrooms, and offered a practical look at how the travel industry is navigating AI's rapid advancement. Rather than focusing on dramatic technological disruption, this year's summit examined how innovation can support the human connections that remain central to luxury travel.

Gilad Berenstein opened with a straightforward reminder that while AI features prominently in industry discussions, travel's competitive advantage still lies in genuine relationships with clients, guests, and partners. It's a message that Matthew Upchurch consistently shares, and one that informed the day's presentations.

The conference positioned itself as an exploration of practical technology applications rather than a showcase of futuristic concepts.

Friction as a Feature, not a bug

Rafat Ali, CEO of Skift, offered an interesting perspective on industry efficiency efforts. "The human part is the best friction," he noted, suggesting that some interaction points shouldn't be streamlined away.

Ali's view of friction points – in trip preparation, airport experiences, or payment processes – presented these as potential enhancement opportunities rather than problems to solve. He argued that meaningful interactions sometimes matter more than seamless automation.

His presentation of Skift's 2025 Mega Trends covered several areas worth monitoring. Live tourism is affecting cities and countries in new ways, while travellers increasingly seek options between business class and private jet experiences. Government regulations are creating additional complexity in travel planning, and Ali suggested the industry may be underestimating Google's position in AI development.

Innovation with purpose

The innovation presentations demonstrated various approaches to addressing industry challenges. CLAWS, a lion conservation nonprofit, uses data analytics to protect farmers while reducing protective killings of lions – an example of technology serving conservation goals alongside commercial interests.

The partnership between Pique Travel and The Trip Boutique focuses on practical efficiency. Their Knowledge Hub and Profiler aim to reduce time and cost waste that advisors experience while researching personalised services for clients. It's the type of operational improvement that allows advisors to spend more time on client relationships.

EXP360's approach centres on "visual honesty" through immersive 360-degree experiences. Their "PowerPoint of 360°" concept focuses on enhancing storytelling capabilities rather than replacing human narrative.

BILT presented an approach to loyalty programs that builds rewards around rent payments while creating data resources for advisors. Their "Home away from Home" platform shows how financial transactions can be connected to travel benefits.

Collaboration in a connected world

The panel on "Collaborating Through Technology Transitions" offered practical guidance that went beyond typical conference advice. The key points were direct: understand your own data before seeking external solutions, choose partners carefully even if it requires changing direction, and learn from others who have managed similar technological transitions.

This guidance acknowledged that technology adoption often involves more complexity than initial presentations suggest, and success frequently depends on thoughtful implementation rather than advanced features.

API development and generational insights

Paul Kearney from Virtuoso outlined the organisation's API development, planned for fall release. The focus on improved CRM capabilities for advisors and better data access for providers represents infrastructure development that supports existing workflows rather than disrupting them.

Lisa Cain from FIU Research presented findings on generational differences in technology adoption. Her study confirmed generational variations whilst showing how this understanding can inform product design and marketing approaches. The research provides useful data for industry decision-making.

Kate Sullivan from Anthology Travel and David Shull from Tern Travel focused on reducing administrative tasks that consume advisor time, allowing them to concentrate on client relationships.

Investment perspectives and experience layers

Michael Zeisser's investor panel contribution highlighted evolving traveller motivations. His observation that "why" has become more significant than "where" in destination selection reflects a shift in how people approach travel decisions.

Zeisser's description of experience as layered was helpful in understanding customer evaluation. Whilst the industry invests in service quality foundations, travellers increasingly consider emotional connection and authentic interaction when assessing experiences. This framework helps explain why operational improvements alone don't always create customer loyalty.

Startup innovation showcase

The startup presentations covered various hospitality areas. Abra Hospitality focuses on understanding what brings guests back, using data to identify retention factors.

BeCause addresses sustainability data management, offering tools to help properties handle environmental compliance and communication more effectively.

Bonafide positions itself as helping brands optimise for large language models. Given these systems' increasing role in customer decision-making, this approach addresses a practical need.

Levee's workforce platform uses AI for room reviews, reports, team evaluations, and learning recommendations, supporting rather than replacing human judgment.

Bellboy Robotics introduced robots to assist hotel teams in operational tasks. Their presentation emphasised supporting human teams rather than replacement.

The human-technology balance

A consistent theme emerged throughout the day: effective technology adoption in luxury travel maintains the human elements that create good experiences. Whether preserving useful interaction points or ensuring AI supports advisor productivity without reducing personal service, the most practical innovations enhance human capabilities.

This represents a measured approach to technological advancement—thoughtful implementation that recognises luxury travel's dependence on human connection and authentic experience.

Looking forward

The summit's opening day showed an industry that has moved past viewing human service and technological efficiency as competing options. Instead, companies are finding ways to use technology to enable better human connections, more personalised service, and more meaningful travel experiences.

The industry is still learning how technology will reshape luxury travel. Success will likely come from approaching innovation thoughtfully—recognising that not every technological capability needs deployment, and that practical solutions often emerge from understanding behavioural data, adoption rates, and revenue impact.

As the Travel Week continues, the direction is clear: the future of luxury travel will be determined not by choosing between human service and technological innovation, but by finding practical ways to combine both in creating good travel experiences.

Agenda of the Day

Welcome & Agenda Overview - Gilad Berenstein

The Importance of Innovation to Virtuoso & Network - Matthew Upchurch

The State of Travel & Technology - David Kolner, Clay Upchurch & Gilad Berenstein

Fireside Chat with Rafat of Skift - Rafat Ali & Gilad Berenstein

Innovator Talks

Wilderness Safaris | Vincent Shacks
Pique Travel | Betsy Grebinoski
The Trip Boutique | Fernanda Barrence
Exp360 and Cruise Partner |
Dianna Rom, Jared Shalhoub and Thomas Pfitzer
BILT | Richard Kerr

Member Panel on Collaborating through Technology Transitions: Barbara Joseph, Kathy Johns, Rene Alldredge, Hollie Jarrett, Matias Escalona

Innovator Talks

Virtuoso Public API | Paul Kearney
FIU Research | Lisa Cain
Anthology Travel | Kate Sullivan
Tam Travel | David Shull

Investor Panel: Cara Whitehall, Michael Zeisser & Gilad Berenstein

Startup Showcase

Abra Hospitality | Josh Ellis
BeCause | Frederik Rubens Steensgaard
Bonafide | Layton Han
Levee | Al Legunas
Bellboy Robotics | Sandy Hefitz

More than 100 guests attended the 2025 Virtuoso Tech Summit - Virtuoso Travel Week, Las Vegas