Affiliations with Avoya Travel are up, which the Fort Lauderdale-based host agency attributes to growth in first-time travel advisors.
New affiliates are up 28% from a year ago and 10% from 2021. The majority of new affiliates, 85%, are new to travel.
The growth comes on the heels of a campaign the host agency launched in late 2021 encouraging new affiliates to join. Lead generation for new affiliates is "more than triple" what it was in 2021 and registers at a five-year peak, Avoya said.
The new affiliates are doing well, too. As of July 1, new affiliate sales in 2022 were up 139% compared to the same period in 2021.
"After many people lost or rethought their jobs during the pandemic, they're seeing the pent-up demand for travel and deciding now is the perfect opportunity to become a business owner, and they see affiliation with Avoya as the best choice to take their business seriously," Avoya vice president of network expansion Skip Fortier said.