FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Fort Lauderdale-based sister brands, independent travel agency opportunity Cruises Inc. and travel franchise CruiseOne have experienced a decade of growth and innovation since being acquired in 2006 by Wilmington, Mass.-based World Travel Holdings, the world’s largest cruise agency and award-winning leisure travel company. Under the leadership of executives Co-CEO/Chairmen Brad and Jeff Tolkin, the home-based agencies experienced a resurgence in the travel industry punctuated by becoming debt-free and making significant investments in recruitment, staffing and technology.
“I have been affiliated with CruiseOne/Dream Vacations for the past 22 years, as a franchise owner and now as a member of the corporate headquarters team, and have witnessed the company’s ebbs and flows over the years,” said Mary Antoine, franchise development specialist for CruiseOne/Dream Vacations. “Brad and Jeff are operators, not investors, who recognize that employees are the company’s greatest asset, and as a result of their leadership we are in the best position we have ever been in.”
With a focus on quality agents not quantity, the Tolkins revolutionized recruitment practices which impacted overall morale and performance internally and externally. While the network has nearly doubled in size, support remains at the forefront and the headquarters team has thus grown proportionately. Staff engagement and agent satisfaction surveys improve each year, while the agent retention rate has increased each year and is now at an industry leading 94 percent. These growth trends can be attributed to the high support staff ratio and commitment to understanding the agent community and their needs, which ultimately results in improved sales. In addition, since 2009 the company has been committed to recruiting military veterans and has been recognized nationally by military organizations for its recruitment efforts.
“The Tolkin brothers launched us into an era of growth that was unprecedented for CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. — the changes in our technology, marketing, franchise recruitment and the level of support we get from headquarters has never been better,” said Becky Piper, franchise owner in Strongsville, Ohio since 1996. “The most endearing thing about this 10-year anniversary is that our franchise community not only has become more successful, but we are truly a family unit. Integrity, enthusiasm, genuine interest in the individual franchise owners, and sometimes just taking the time to have fun is the hallmark of the last 10 years with the Tolkins at the helm.”
In the past 10 years, many investments have given Cruises Inc. and CruiseOne/Dream Vacations a competitive advantage and contributed to the growth of the home-based travel agencies. Recognizing that education is the foundation to success, the network of agents have access to award-winning continuing education resources including a weeklong National Conference aboard a cruise ship and an on-demand, online training library of more than 500 courses. The acclaimed marketing program provides more than $600,000 in corporate-funded promotions for agents, saving them thousands of marketing dollars, and the one-of-a-kind Risk Space program gives agents access to more than 70,000 company-owned cabins and villas with exclusive pricing for their clients. An incremental half million dollar investment in technology resulted in 20 new IT positions and the release of new technology enhancements every three weeks. Most recently, a significant six-figure investment was made to launch the new experiential travel franchise Dream Vacations, which gave agents the option to select how they want to brand themselves. These investments continue to enable members of the network to operate their businesses more efficiently and provide their clients with a higher level of service.
“I am so proud to be part of the World Travel Holdings’ family. Under Brad and Jeff Tolkin’s leadership, Cruises Inc. has seen so many improvements in supplier relationships and advances in technology,” said Donna Abbene, Cruises Inc. independent vacation specialist in Kings Park, N.Y. since 2003. “Each year we continue to grow and yet we still maintain that feeling that we are one big family.”
In addition to Cruises Inc. and CruiseOne, as part of the 2006 acquisition of National Leisure Group (NLG), World Travel Holdings also acquired direct-to-consumer online travel agencies CruisesOnly and Cruises.com, which are the cornerstone of the Owned Brands division. Each division of World Travel Holdings specializes in a different area of product and service, but is united in the common goal of delivering every customer a remarkable experience. To commemorate the milestone, a10-day celebration focused on engaging the network of home-based business owners is underway.
The companies are eager to go into business for themselves, but not by themselves. For more information on joining these award-winning agencies, please visit http://www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com to learn more about owning a CruiseOne / Dream Vacations travel franchise, and visit http://www.sellcruises.com to learn more about the Cruises Inc. business opportunity.
About Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc.
Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. are part of World Travel Holdings, the world’s largest cruise agency and award-winning leisure travel company. Dream Vacations and CruiseOne are franchise opportunities, and Cruises Inc. is an independent business opportunity; both business models provide a work from home opportunity to those interested in becoming a part of the exciting travel industry. With a mission of delivering a remarkable experience, both companies offer their customers the lowest possible pricing on vacations. For more information on CruiseOne/Dream Vacations, visit http://www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com, like the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/DreamVacationsFranchise and follow on Twitter at @Dream_Franchise. For more information on Cruises Inc., visit http://www.SellCruises.com and become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SellCruises.
(NOTE: The above press release is from World Travel Holdings.)
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