The event is part of the TTG Luxury portfolio and has been running for more than five years, usually at a series of top hotels across the UK.

But given the current coronavirus lockdown, the event was pivoted to online, offering a virtual meeting place over the course of two sessions, and allowing 12 suppliers to meet with 29 agents.

“The new-style virtual Luxpo is designed as a way of keeping luxury agents and suppliers in touch and offering a training platform during these unprecedented times,” said April Hutchinson, editor of TTG Luxury.

“We have often heard during this crisis that it’s still important for agents to stay informed on products and destinations so they will have useful ideas ready to keep in touch with clients and prepare for the bounceback – Luxpo has allowed for that,” she added.

Hotel brands, destinations and tour operators who took part in the first virtual Luxpo meetings event with agents from across the country included Auberge Resorts Collection, Carrier, Discover Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria Tourism, Indulgent Escapes by Jet2holidays, Palladium Hotel Group, Seychelles Tourism Board, Susan Reid Collection, Tahiti Tourism, Taru Villas, Tourism and Events Queensland and Visit Jersey. 

“Even though we can’t physically meet in person, for now, it was our pleasure to at least be able to facilitate this and allow companies to stay connected,” said Hutchinson.

During Luxpo, Hutchinson also gave a brief overview of the travel market, adding that affluent travellers had always proved to be resilient after previous crises and were likely to be among the keenest to return to travelling.

“Agents want to keep informed; suppliers need to stay in touch and keep their destinations and product front of mind – most of all, we all need the tonic of seeing other faces out there and learning and laughing along the way in these most dire of times,” she added.

Virtual Luxpo was one of many TTG Media’s rapidly evolving portfolio of online events, which also include One Week At A Time on Mondays, with Hutchinson interviewing Claire Moore, managing director of Peakes Travel Elite.

This is followed by weekly Agent Matters Facebook Live discussions on Tuesdays speaking to a range of agencies; destination content sessions on Wednesdays; the fortnightly TTG virtual seminar Keep Your Business Alive (Thursdays); Business Support Live each Friday examining issues facing the industry; and Face to Face, a series of interviews with key bosses from across the travel industry.

TTG Media has also launched the TTG Digital Destinations Festival in association with WTM London.

Taking place between 11-15 May, the festival will provide travel professionals with the tools and insight to sell a wider range of destinations to their customers through live masterclasses, group networking sessions, quizzes and workshops.

• Catch-up on previous episodes of TTG’s virtual events and presentations from the TTG virtual seminar.