Avoya Travel plans to launch a luxury division, with the new unit likely to begin operating next year as the Fort Lauderdale-based host agency reviews preferred partnerships and internal resources. Kameish Stanley, Avoya’s vice president of strategic growth, said the project is a major undertaking and part of a wider push to add revenue streams after several years of ownership and leadership changes.
The planned division follows a period of restructuring at Avoya, which received investment from Certares in 2021 before the private equity firm acquired the agency from the Anderson family four years later. The transition ended 62 years of Anderson family leadership, while Marc Kazlauskas briefly led the company before leaving for Norwegian Cruise Line and Phil Cappelli was promoted to CEO. Stanley and Julie Howard, vice president of partnerships, joined earlier this year and are now focused on preferred supplier relationships, advisor support and product diversification.
Avoya has historically been weighted toward cruise sales, but the agency has been increasing its focus on land vacations, resorts and broader travel products. Howard is working to expand land and resort supplier relationships while increasing advisor training around sourcing guests and cross-selling. The luxury division is expected to support Avoya’s effort to move more business through preferred partners and advance its stated goal of reaching $1 billion in annual sales.
