On Thursday, January 19 Mathew Upchurch, CEO and founder of the Virtuoso network of high-end Travel Advisors, was interviewed on the Today Show by Ann Curry discussing how vital a competent and experienced travel advisor can be in planning a vacation. During the course of the interview, after Curry inquired about options, Upchurch said that "you want it to be collaborative and you want to have fun doing it, after all, everyone loves to talk about travel. But, for example, you're going back to Europe, well you haven't considered river cruising, which is this hot new category of travel with beautiful ships, you pay in U.S. dollars, you unpack once, you get to get off and ride your bike and do all this stuff. It is fantastic. You might not have considered that, that is what a great travel advisor does" Upchurch says.

The footage used to highlight the river cruise segment showed the MS AmaCello, one of the AmaWaterways 14 luxury river cruise ships currently operating all Europe, in Russia, on the Mekong River between Vietnam and Cambodia and, starting in 2012, in the amazing national parks of Africa. Mathew Upchurch concluded the interview with tips about making sure you get a reputable agent and that you tell him what you want, be proactive. Founded in 2002, AmaWaterways is celebrating ten years of success by launching two new ships, the MS AmaCerto and MS Zambezi Queen, operating in European and Africa respectively.

One of the top travel industry stories of the last ten years, especially with the recent economic turmoil, is the rapid rise in the popularity of river cruising throughout Europe that is now spreading to locales around the world. The genesis of this fast growing and rapidly evolving segment of the industry was the completion of the 162-mile Rhine-Main Canal in Southern Germany that linked up the Rhine and Danube Rivers, thus allowing passenger and cargo ships to travel across the heart of Europe from the North Sea to the Black Sea.

An ability to envision the future has set Mathew Upchurch, founder of Virtuoso, a powerful conglomeration of high-end travel agencies, apart from a majority of the retail travel industry. Not buying into the suggested wisdom predicting a diminished role for the travel agent, or travel consultant, Upchurch set about creating "a multi-billion-dollar, by-invitation-only enterprise of exceptional travel advisors and travel providers, all working together to mutually prosper while delivering the world's most satisfying travel experiences."

One of the top travel industry stories, one sure to be mentioned by Upchurch on the Today Show, is the rapid rise in the popularity of river cruising throughout Europe that is now spreading to locales around the world. The genesis of this fast growing and rapidly evolving segment of the industry was the completion of the 162-mile Rhine-Main Canal in Southern Germany that linked up the Rhine and Danube Rivers, thus allowing passenger and cargo ships to travel across the heart of Europe from the North Sea to the Black Sea.

In November 2011, AmaWaterways was the subject of a feature article, by Simon Marks, in the International Herald Tribune, the global edition of the New York Times, regarding the launching of their second ship on the Mekong River, MS AmaLotus. Based in Cambodia, Marks called the ship the "most luxurious one on the Mekong" and did a well rounded piece on AmaWaterways, the river cruise industry in Southeast Asia and around the world and the changes it has brought to tourism in Cambodia.



About Virtuoso:



Areas of Expertise

Virtuoso is an exclusive network of more than 7,200 elite travel advisors associated with over 330 agencies in 20 countries within North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand who specialize in connecting travelers to the world's best vacation destinations. We connect the best travel advisors with the best travel experiences.



Did You Know?

Virgin Galactic selected Virtuoso as their exclusive Retail Travel Group in North America for qualities which mirror Virgin's values and complement Virgin's experience in aviation, quality travel and adventure. Virtuoso's member consultants will be the first – and only – travel agents in North America to gain full accreditation, enabling them to offer their clients a unique, three-day Virgin Galactic space adventure



Knowledge

The individual experience of a Virtuoso travel advisor and their ability to network with other equally talented advisors ensures you of the most satisfying travel experiences, designed to meet your specific needs.

Value

When you book with a Virtuoso travel advisor, you are automatically entitled to additional benefits. From room upgrades and complimentary meals to private tours and limousine transfers, all at no additional cost.



Distinction

Being a Virtuoso client automatically earns you a higher echelon of respect from the world's finest travel providers.

Peace of Mind

Like a valued investment manager, Virtuoso travel advisors are entrusted with managing the most valuable of assets – your leisure time. They know your travel preferences, which eliminates risks and results in satisfying experiences.

"I told our travel specialist we didn't want the 'normal' vacation. She told us about Ek'tun. It was fantastic - perfect for us but definitely not for everyone." Denise Marsey, Ohio



Destination Expertise

Our agents specialize in worldwide destinations... and beyond! Take a look at the current featured destinations, then talk to your Virtuoso travel advisor!



About Mathew Upchurch:

Visionary, futurist and entrepreneur, Matthew Upchurch has parlayed his vision of a global travel industry network into Virtuoso, a multi-billion-dollar, by-invitation-only enterprise of exceptional travel advisors and travel providers, all working together to mutually prosper while delivering the world's most satisfying travel experiences. Matthew serves as Virtuoso's chief executive officer, overseeing the marketing, sales, technology and operational systems that have made Virtuoso one of the most respected and successful companies in the luxury travel arena.

While the rest of the world was predicting the downfall of the travel consultant with the onslaught of online booking engines, Matthew envisioned a back-to-the-future alternative that repositioned true travel specialists into their original role – knowledgeable advisors versus transaction processors. He saw the Internet as a resource to assist the personal touch. And he perceived the rising Baby Boomer generation as one that prefers to work with experts in the important facets of their lives, including their prized leisure travel.

Matthew's entrepreneurial perspective grew out of an early love for travel, service and innovation. Following a childhood that included African safaris in the summers, private tours of Europe during the holidays, and a multi-cultural upbringing on several continents, Matthew turned his sights on the travel industry in the early '80s. Two family businesses, Percival Tours and Upchuch Travel, enabled Matthew to wear the hats of supplier and travel advisor simultaneously, ultimately leading to his vision of Virtuoso: a virtual corporation of the most powerful upscale travel agencies supported by centralized marketing vehicles and exclusive agreements with the finest travel suppliers in the world.

The vision for Virtuoso was clear. However, the task of altering the common perception of travel consultants and the commoditization of the industry was, and still is, difficult. Armed with what his friends describe as an "unfailing ability to talk to anyone, anywhere about anything," Matthew is revitalizing the retail travel industry. The momentum for the creation of Virtuoso was so strong that top agencies competing against each other in key markets found themselves joining forces as part of this new network.

Now, 22 years after launching Virtuoso, Matthew focuses on keeping the organization ahead of the pack and the trends. He has led Virtuoso members and suppliers around the world at annual key network gatherings including the consortium's annual Travel Mart Conference in Las Vegas; the Chairman's Recognition Event, hosted most recently by Micato Safaris in Kenya; and Virtuoso's annual Symposium conference, which in recent years has taken place in Spain, Scotland and Mexico, where the network was addressed by the Honorable Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, President of Mexico.

More than a decade ago, Matthew encouraged Virtuoso advisors to focus on areas of specialization, such as particular destinations or types of travel. Now Virtuoso's specialists are among the most successful travel advisors in the industry and are frequently featured in national media outlets for their areas of expertise. Virtuoso continually implements new programs to empower Virtuoso travel specialists with an impressive arsenal of marketing tools, in-depth client data, and industry resources that are unrivaled – all necessary for a successful career in travel planning.

Matthew's first step into the profession wasn't all that glamorous – mail clerk at his family's Percival Tours in 1979. While most mail clerks simply sort and send the mail, Matthew created innovative ways to manage the tasks more efficiently, leading him to establish a new fulfillment company, Perci-Pak. As the president of Perci-Pak, Matthew collaborated with his cousin, A. R. Tandy, and their ideas and experiments resulted in the development of revolutionary automated shipping software, now the second largest of its kind in the nation and used by conglomerates such as General Electric, Radio Shack, Mary Kay, Pfizer and L.L. Bean.

Today, the former mail clerk is among the most admired professionals in the travel industry. He has served on numerous advisory boards for luxury travel companies, presented the keynote address at many high-profile industry events, and has dedicated his time and resources to the travel agent community as the past Chairman of The Travel Institute and, most recently, on the corporate advisory council for the American Society of Travel Agents.

Inspired by other entrepreneurs who either create new industries or set new rules in stagnant ones, Matthew is not willing to sit back and rest on his past accomplishments. From space tourism to emerging destinations, Matthew continues to lead Virtuoso in delivering exceptional and rare travel experiences. So stay tuned for new innovations that are sure to make the world a more rewarding and exciting place for travelers, travel advisors and travel providers alike.

About AmaWaterways

AmaWaterways Included Features:

7 Nights Deluxe Cruise Accommodations in an Outside Stateroom; Most staterooms with large French Balconies;Jewish Heritage Tours with specialized guides; Daily Sightseeing Program as outlined in the Itinerary; Infotainment System in all Staterooms with Free Internet, Hollywood Hit Movies, Music Library and English Language TV Stations; Terry Bathrobes and White-on-white plush Bedding in all Staterooms; Superb Dining with all Meals included on board; Free-flowing Red & White Wines from Europe's great Wine Regions, beer and soft drinks with every Dinner on board the Ship; Bottled Water in every stateroom replenished daily; Cocktail Reception, Welcome Dinner & Captain's Gala Dinner; Special Highlights including Folklore, Dances, Lectures, Theme Dinners, onboard Music Performances and afternoon & evening Piano Music; Use of Bicycles to explore on your own; Services of a Professional Cruise Manager; All English Language on board in a non-smoking Environment (smoking permitted only on the Sun Deck); All Transfers included with the Purchase of Cruise, Land & Air package; All local Taxes

AmaWaterways experienced a growth filled and award winning 2010. First their fleet is rapidly expanding while existing ships are retrofitted with the latest amenities and inventions; secondly AmaWaterways' unparalleled on-board services were fine tuned for the highest customer satisfaction, and lastly a slate of new itineraries and specialty programs and such as the Wine River Cruise, were explored and tested for possible addition to an already stellar product line. Such factors are why AmaWaterways won two Magellan Awards from Travel Weekly, an Award of Excellence form Luxury Travel Advisor, a Cruise Passenger Readers Choice Award in Australia for Best River Ship and was recognized for its Twitter account that put AmaWaterways on the list of "The Top 25 Online Cruise Vacation Influencers" by Influencers in Travel.

Award-winning AmaWaterways provides luxurious, all-inclusive river cruise vacations on the world's great waterways. Founded in 2002 by cruise industry pioneer Rudi Schreiner, cruise line executive Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy, founder of Brendan Vacations, AmaWaterways operates its innovative, custom-designed vessels on the Danube, Rhine, Main and Mosel rivers in Europe; the Volga-Baltic Waterway in Russia and the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia.

The AmaWaterways fleet in Europe features amenities such as spacious staterooms with French balconies or revolutionary "Twin Balconies"; plush down bedding, marble-appointed baths; complimentary high-speed Internet and Wi-Fi; first-run hit Hollywood movies; complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with dinner, complimentary bottled water; gourmet dining in multiple venues (MS AmaBella); nightly entertainment; complimentary small group shore excursions tailored to passengers' desired walking pace; guided bicycle tours and much more.

In 2011, AmaWaterways will introduce the new 161-passenger MS AmaVerde in Europe, the newly-redesigned 212-passenger MS AmaKatarina on the Volga-Baltic Waterway in Russia and the new 124-passenger MS AmaLotus on the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia, increasing its luxurious fleet of river cruise vessels to 12.

For more information about AmaWaterways, go to www.amawaterways.com or call 800-626-0126

For media interviews with AmaWaterways or Virtutoso spokespersons contact Promotion in Motion at 323-461-3921 or brad@promotioninmotion.net.