Virtuoso® And Umapped Unveil Innovations To Leading-Edge Itinerary Management Tool

NEW YORK, July 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading global luxury travel network Virtuoso^® and Umapped, the collaborative itinerary management and experience platform, are revealing new innovations and partnerships that will help advisors further increase client engagement, productivity and revenue.

Umapped has been customized specifically for Virtuoso agencies and advisors based on their feedback, incorporating Virtuoso-exclusive content and integrations with network preferred partners. More than 100 Virtuoso agencies from countries around the world utilize the platform to deliver interactive, media-rich, collaborative proposals and itineraries, using a web link or mobile app to share real-time offers, content and advice at each stage of the journey.

The platform consolidates all trip details into a collaborative itinerary for individual travelers and groups, streamlining advisors' workflow so they can concentrate on client service. The platform can be accessed via the Trip Publisher, an online itinerary and proposal-building tool, or by using the Umapped API. Feedback from advisors reveals a productivity increase of five to 15 times per itinerary as a result of the tool, along with a 30 to 40 percent increase in conversions on proposals.

The company is scheduled to launch a new mobile app that further enhances the user experience for travelers. Protravel, a leading Virtuoso agency, recently launched ProTrip to deliver a customized mobile app to its clients. Another Virtuoso member, SmartFlyer, is also scheduled to launch its own white-label app following growing adoption by its advisors.

Most recently, Umapped has implemented several innovations that deliver even greater efficiency and revenue while helping advisors stay engaged with their clients:

• Collaborative group messaging: Real-time chat enables advisors, suppliers and travelers to communicate via the web itinerary, email, SMS and the mobile app. This allows advisors and suppliers to be even more responsive to any questions or requests from their clients. According to Phocuswright, nearly 50 percent of U.S. travelers used text messaging, and more than three in 10 used chat apps to share their travel experiences in 2015.
• More tour operator and On-Site integrations:  Umapped integrates with numerous Virtuoso preferred partners, in addition to GDSs and an exclusive two-way ClientBase integration. The company also imports bookings from DMCeXplorer, a Virtuoso preferred online booking tool that comprises over 40 Virtuoso On-Sites. This new partnership further enables collaboration and efficiency for advisors, who no longer need to enter supplier itinerary details into Umapped manually.
• Personalized bookable offers: Advisors will soon be able to incorporate live bookable offers within their clients' proposals and itineraries, further increasing bookings and revenue. TravelBound is one of the first Virtuoso preferred partners to distribute its products with this new functionality.

When Virtuoso Incubator, the industry's first formal program to foster new technology specifically for travel advisors, launched in 2014, Umapped was one of the original participants and the first to graduate to Virtuoso preferred partner status the following year. Virtuoso continues to see strong and growing advisor adoption rates of Umapped's tool, praising it for increasing efficiency and revenue, while building loyalty with their clients. Umapped also has plans to integrate a curated selection of experiential destination content from Approach Guides, a company that is part of the 2017 Incubator cohort.

"Umapped and Virtuoso both believe strongly in the power of technology to enhance human connections, not replace them," said David Kolner, Virtuoso senior vice president, Global Member Partnerships. "Automation will never supplant the need for human interactions and expertise in travel planning. With the recent time-saving enhancements to its Virtuoso solution, Umapped is delivering the itinerary of the future today, as well as showcasing the skill of our professional advisors. The greatest compliment our advisors can give is being comfortable using a tool with their best clients, and that's an honor they bestow upon Umapped."

"Umapped's partnership with Virtuoso is helping us to achieve worldwide leadership in bringing collaborative itinerary management to advisors and suppliers all over the globe," explained Lisa Israelovitch, Umapped CEO. "The travel and hospitality industry is centered around relationships and we designed our technology to help suppliers and advisors stay connected to grow their business together, while delivering a social and mobile experience to their traveling clientele. Virtuoso's commitment to continuous innovation makes it an ideal partner for Umapped and we look forward to its ongoing feedback to help shape the future of our technology and transform the traveler experience."

For more information on Virtuoso Incubator, please visit www.virtuoso.com/Incubator. For more information on Umapped, please visit umapped.com.

About Virtuoso
Virtuoso® is the leading international travel agency network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 800 travel agency partners with more than 15,200 elite travel advisors in over 45 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Drawing upon its preferred relationships with 1,700 of the world's best hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies and premier destinations, the network provides its upscale clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. More than (U.S.) $21.2 billion in annual travel sales makes Virtuoso a powerhouse in the luxury travel industry. For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com.

About Umapped
Umapped is the award-winning collaborative B2B2C itinerary and experience platform for the travel industry. Available as a white label and API solution, Umapped helps leading global brands, and travel advisors engage with their customers throughout their travel journey by delivering interactive, media-rich consolidated mobile itineraries with relevant offers, content, messaging and advice. The pioneering platform also maximizes productivity and streamlines business workflow. With the Umapped API, developers can easily incorporate the unique functionality as part of their own applications and solutions. To learn more visit umapped.com.

SOURCE Virtuoso