Last year, the Cayuga Collection was honored to have Kurà accepted into Virtuoso as one of their preferred hotel partners in Costa Rica. What is Virtuoso? It’s the leading global network of travel agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel, with a membership of more than 20,000 advisors. By being part of Virtuoso, Kurà is recognized as being one of the “best of the best” tourism and hotel experiences around the world. 
Virtuoso advisors also have access to VIP treatment, complimentary perks and special values that are not available for direct bookings, such as an additional spa or meal credit and guaranteed room upgrades. If you want to take advantage of these perks, consider booking your stay at Kurà through a Virtuoso Agency. You can find an agent online with the Virtuoso Advisor Catalog 

So how did Kurà, with only 8 suites and perched on a hill overlooking Uvita (which few people can find on a map!), come to be a part of such a large and prestigious consortium? Like many things in life, it was a combination of hard work, commitment to our values, and good timing. At the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Awards in Buenos Aires last year, Cayuga’s CEO Hans Pfister accepted the prestigious “Tourism for Tomorrow” Award, recognizing the Cayuga Collection’s commitment to investing in people – both in our employees and through partnerships between our hotels and the surrounding communities. 

Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso was also in attendance, and after the awards ceremony, congratulated Hans and suggested that Cayuga’s vision of hospitality would be a good fit for Virtuoso’s commitment to promoting sustainable tourism. Three months later, Kurà was accepted and nearly one year in, we’ve been delighted with the partnership.  Yes, it leads to more bookings, but more importantly, it helps us spread the message of what sustainability is (more than just recycling & reusing towels) to a wider audience of affluent advisors and travelers.

This year we’ve applied for the Virtuoso Sustainable Tourism Leadership Award which recognizes Virtuoso partners that demonstrate outstanding leadership and commitment to sustainable tourism principles and practices which are 1.) Celebrate Culture 2.) Support Local Economies and 3.) Protect the Environment.  Awards are presented at Virtuoso Travel Week, held in Las Vegas in August so we won’t find out if we’ve won for a few months. Of course, winning this award would be nice, but the bigger victory for us is in seeing sustainable travel gain more visibility within the luxury tourism sector and become a core value of large players and travel industry change makers such as Virtuoso.

Thank you Virtuoso for shining a spotlight on this essential component of modern travel. Matthew and Jessica, you are welcome to stay with us in Costa Rica at any time.