Avoya Travel Reduces Workforce, Including Some Sales Roles

Viola de Velasco, the now-former vice president of sales operations at Avoya Travel, is one of several Avoya employees touched by a company-wide reorganization.

“Tuesday marked the end of my almost 27-year journey with Avoya Travel,” she wrote on LinkedIn. “I’ve had the privilege of contributing to Avoya’s evolution from a regional agency into a global leader, supporting Independent Agencies with the tools and opportunities they needed to grow…”

De Velasco was not alone, with some reports saying more than 20 employees were let go.

“We recently made the difficult decision to reduce the size of certain teams as part of a broader effort to ensure Avoya is well-positioned for the future,” Phil Cappelli, CEO of Avoya Travel, told TMR. “These decisions are never easy, especially because they impact talented people who have contributed to our success.”

According to Cappelli, the changes were a “proactive step to better align our organization and resources with our long-term strategic priorities, while continuing to invest in the areas that matter most to the independent agencies, partners, and travelers.”

Cappelli emphasized the layoffs are “not a reflection of the health of the business.” “Avoya remains financially strong, sales are ahead of last year, and we continue to invest in our technology, partnerships, and growth initiatives. Our focus remains on building a stronger, more agile organization for the long term, including evolution in our team and leadership structure,” he added. “For our Independent Agencies, it’s business as usual. These organizational changes will not impact the level of support, service, or resources our Independent Agencies receive. Supporting our network, partners, and travelers remains our top priority.”