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Matthew D. Upchurch
PROFESSIONALISING LUXURY TRAVEL DISTRIBUTION Chairman and CEO, Virtuoso In 1986, Matthew Upchurch began guiding Allied Percival International toward a bold vision – one that would become Virtuoso in 2000. Under his leadership, Virtuoso has grown into an influential luxury travel network, connecting leading hotels, cruise lines, tour operators and specialty providers with top-tier travel advisors worldwide. Central to that growth is Matthew’s conviction that technology enhancing human connection has a bright future. Automating the predictable to humanise the exceptional has shaped his approach, transforming relationship-led service into a structured, scalable and measurable business model and setting a new benchmark for luxury travel distribution.
Amanda Hite BENCHMARKING HOSPITALITY ACHIEVEMENTS President & CEO, STR
Amanda Hite leads STR, the hotel benchmarking business whose data underpins investment decisions and reports market trends worldwide. She has served as president since 2011 and now oversees STR as part of CoStar Group. In an industry often shaped by sentiment, STR’s core metrics – occupancy, ADR and RevPAR – impose discipline. That consistency makes STR a reference point for owners, brands and lenders when assessing market performance.
Jason Liberty
TAKING ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTO THE FUTURE President & CEO, Royal Caribbean Group Jason Liberty was appointed CEO of Royal Caribbean Group in 2022 after more than a decade with the company. He took over at a time when the cruise sector was recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite facing the dual challenges of rising costs and capital pressure. Liberty’s focus has been on disciplined growth – deploying new ships, expanding private destinations and converting demand into sustainable margins.
58 | ITB GLOBAL TRAVEL COLLECTION
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