Jesse Upchurch, co-founder and former chairman of Virtuoso,
died Feb. 26. He was 93.
Upchurch has been lauded as a travel industry luminary and
pioneer in luxury travel.
In 1986, he and his son, Matthew, founded Virtuoso, a
network of luxury travel sellers. Upchurch also was a co-founder of the U.S. Tour
Operators Association, and he served as chairman, CEO and president of the
organization. Plus, he held the chairmanship of the African Travel Association.
In 2008, Upchurch was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement
Award from Travel Weekly.
In a letter to Virtuoso staff, members and partners, Matthew
Upchurch said his father was "enormously proud" of the network and
those affiliated with it.
"My deep respect for the power of human connection came
from him, and he taught me the beauty of the diversity of humanity," he
said. "The final thought in his autobiography said it best: 'I've had a
good life. I've had opportunities. One thing just led to another. And look at
what this life turned out to be.'"
The elder Upchurch got his start in the industry by
investing in yacht-chartering company Vagabond Cruises, based in the West
Indies.
He went on to build Acapulco's first timeshare resort, and
purchased Turismo Antonio Perez and Hoteles S.A. de S.V., an international
hotel representation group and travel company.
In 1962, he purchased Percival Tours, expanding operations
from the typical European destinations to the likes of the South Pacific and
Asia.
"As chairman and CEO of Percival Tours, he opened up
tourism in markets previously considered only for the most intrepid traveler,
such as Africa and India," Virtuoso said in a statement. "Understanding
the luxury consumer's mindset, he introduced the first air-conditioned motorcoaches
so that his upscale guests could tour the areas in comfort."
Upchurch was a supporter of conservation as a founding
member of the World Wildlife Fund's 1001 Club, and even purchased land in Kenya
to help protect an endangered species of giraffes by donating the land to the
African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. For decades, he was chairman of the executive committee of
Tandy Corporation.
A polo enthusiast, Upchurch
received the U.S. Polo Association
Hall of Fame's Philip Iglehart Award for his support of the sport, hosting
national tournaments at his Brushy Creek Ranch in Burleson, Texas. He donated the ranch year-round
to the Polo Training Foundation in support of its teaching programs. Upchurch
was also a board member and chairman of the foundation.
"My father was a pioneer in this business, and I am
forever grateful that he introduced me to the world and this industry at such
an early age," Matthew Upchurch said in a statement. "He had a nose
for knowing what the luxury traveler wanted, and it wasn't necessarily the
traditional refinement found in five-star hotels or transatlantic cruise
liners. He knew the world offered more than that.
"His insatiable curiosity about the unknown, his
passion for other people and their cultures, and his tendency to question
conventional wisdom with a simple 'why not?' opened the door for others to
experience countries that were not considered tourism-friendly yet. He left his
mark on this industry that he loved so much."
Virtuoso said the Upchurch family will honor his memory
privately. Celebrations of life will take place in the months ahead, and
details for in-memoriam gifts will follow.