ASTA and Best Western have partnered to bolster social media efforts to recruit more young professionals into the travel industry.

ASTA will launch its Interactive Agency Web Apps Forum (Apps Forum) later this year with sponsorship support from Best Western. The Apps Forum will allow ASTA member agents to view and recommend potential applications and plug-ins. Agents will be able to comment and discuss page content that may be used to generate user interactivity on their own sites.

"Through its sponsorship of ASTA's Young Professionals Society and the soon-to-be launched Interactive Agency Web Apps Forum, Best Western is committed to supporting the professional development of its travel agent partners, providing them with a unique advantage in this rapidly changing global industry," said Wendy Ferrill, managing director of worldwide sales for Best Western International. "As the world's largest hotel chain, we are pleased to join ASTA in creating the Apps Forum, supplying agents with the resources and tools critical to maintaining a competitive edge in today's complex travel marketplace."

ASTA will develop and launch the Apps Forum on its website within ASTA's Technology Center. The web page will contain up to 10 travel-related applications and plug-ins.

As a sponsor of ASTA's Young Professionals Society (YPS), Best Western supports the association's efforts to enhance networking, education and career development for entry-level professionals under 40 within the travel industry.

"With a presence on LinkedIn and Facebook, ASTA's Young Professionals Society is actively using readily available social media networking tools to build awareness that a new breed of travel agents have emerged, who are ready to embrace new technology to create buzz for their agencies," said Chris Russo, president and chair of ASTA. "Best Western, Sabre Travel Network and TravelAge West have all stepped up to support ASTA's YPS in bringing new blood into this industry."

Best Western proudly provides additional education resources to ASTA travel agents through its continued sponsorship of ASTA's online Travel Agent's Management Toolkit and Best Western's new "Meeting the Needs of Today's Travelers" education course.

For more information on ASTA's YPS program, please visit www.asta.org/yps