Even in the midst of pandemic, we still believe that travel makes life richer, no matter where you are.
It’s true, we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. We’re taking this pandemic seriously: Virtuoso travel advisors, Virtuoso’s partners at hotels, cruise lines, and tour operators around the world, and many of our own staff members are revising travel plans and weathering social distancing, school cancellations, and other upheavals directly related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Like you, we’re worried about our families, friends, and colleagues. And we’re washing our hands like crazy.
But amid the uncertainty, this is our constant: We’re going to keep talking about travel, because this too shall pass. The fact is that the travel and tourism industry supports one in ten jobs worldwide, generating 10.4 percent of the global GDP. And the power of travel to support local communities and to unite and forge connections across borders and cultures continues to inspire us even in unsettling times.
We’re going to keep talking about travel because it gives us hope – and we want it to give you hope too. And, honestly, it’s surprising how refreshing just a ten-minute diversion for wanderlust feels. As Virtuoso’s CEO Matthew D. Upchurch says, “The allure of travel to the human spirit cannot be contained.” The joy of travel begins with the excitement of planning. It extends to the experience itself. And it lives on in the memories we make, memories that only grow more valuable over time.
We will travel again. For now, we’re doing what’s right for our global community by heeding travel advisories and acting responsibly. When the time is right (and we can’t wait for that day), we’ll be sipping cappuccinos in Rome and venturing to the so many other corners of the world that continue to inspire us.
We’re going to keep talking about travel because travel – and all the human connections it brings – makes life richer.
