World Travel Holdings is merging its Cruises Inc. independent contractor model into its CruiseOne/Dream Vacations franchise business.
Starting in 2022, the company will operate one franchise unit under the CruiseOne and Dream Vacations brands. Cruises Inc. agents can either open their own CruiseOne or Dream Vacations travel agency franchise, or they can join an existing franchise as an associate, creating a host opportunity within the model. The CruiseOne/Dream Vacations headquarters team will help agents in transitioning to franchise ownership or finding a franchise to join as an independent contractor.
"Our business-to-business division has experienced exponential growth and is the fastest-growing division in World Travel Holdings; we want to double-down on that success," said Debbie Fiorino, senior vice president and chief operating officer of World Travel Holdings' Owned Brands. "We are constantly evaluating how we can better support our network of agents to become even more successful; in fact, the entire premise of this merger and everything we do is to grow the prosperity of our customers, and our customer is our network of travel advisors."
After the merger, Cruises Inc. agents who become associates will still receive the same benefits of being an independent contractor of a host agency, as well as access to more marketing programs and technology. Plus, they will have a built-in mentor in their franchise owner.
"By being laser focused on one model that incorporates independent contractors, this merger still enables us to offer both franchise and host business opportunities," Fiorino said. "In addition, with many of our Cruises Inc. agents selling more land vacations than ever before, they now have the option to choose how they go to market by selecting their brand affiliation, CruiseOne or Dream Vacations."
One Cruises Inc. advisor welcomed the change.
"I have been with Cruises Inc. almost 16 years. The support I received from everyone in our organization made me realize I would not be alone when I became a franchise owner," said Naomi Kuhns of Weddington, N.C. "I would continue to have support, I could build a business that belonged to me, offer my clients the best promotions, and increase my income. For me it is a win-win situation. I look forward to the next chapter as a business owner with Dream Vacations."
The company said it still owns the Cruises Inc. name, but it won't be used. It is expected the brand will be completely phased out by mid-February 2022 when the existing Cruises Inc. independent contractors transition to owning a franchise or becoming an associate of one.
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