Travel advisor network Envoyage U.S.A will be the first corporate sponsor of ASTA's Young Professionals Society (YPS) after signing a two-year deal.
YPS offers travel advisors who are 45 and younger education, community and connection.
"The growth-stage advisor is exactly who Envoyage is built for," said Christina Pedroni, executive vice president and general manager of Envoyage U.S.A. "Sponsoring YPS is about putting real investment behind that belief."
The support and community of a group like YPS can help advisors build better businesses, Pedroni added.
Envoyage's director of network operations, Alicia Onello, has been deeply involved in the initiative. Envoyage called her "instrumental in building the programming, the community and the case for why the industry needs to show up for its younger advisors."
Onello said YPS had limited resources and educational opportunities to help members.
"Rather than wait for someone else to build it, we came together to create the resources, collaboration and programming," Onello said.
Envoyage already has a focus on advisors with 2 to 10 years of experience who want to scale their businesses.
Envoyage is no stranger to working with ASTA. Last year, Envoyage committed to putting all of its advisors through ASTA's Verified Travel Advisor certification program.
The YPS sponsorship builds on that, Envoyage said.
"Travel advisors entering and growing in this profession deserve strong networks, meaningful education and a community that helps them build lasting businesses," ASTA president and CEO Zane Kerby said. "We are grateful to Envoyage for becoming the inaugural sponsor of YPS and for recognizing that supporting the next generation of advisors strengthens the future of the entire travel agency community."
Envoyage is part of Flight Centre Travel Group, No. 5 on Travel Weekly's Power List.