By February 2022, World Travel Holdings (WTH) plans to phase out its hosted Cruises Inc. operation. Instead, it will assist hundreds of "hosted" Cruises Inc. travel advisors to transition to either a hosted associate or franchise agency owner role within WTH's Dream Vacations or CruiseOne franchise unit.
“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,” says Debbie Fiorino, WTH's senior vice president and chief operating officer of the company's owned brands.
Fiorino continues: “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.”
Options for Cruises Inc.'s Advisors
WTH has provided two options for Cruises Inc.'s hosted advisors. First, those advisors will have the option of buying either a Dream Vacations or CruiseOne franchise using special incentive pricing.
Another option is that Cruises Inc. advisors alternatively can choose to work as a hosted associate for one of those franchise agencies. Rachel Shapiro, a WTH spokesperson, confirms that there are enough slots to accommodate any Cruises Inc. agents choosing that associate hosted option.
While WTH will retain the Cruises Inc. name, Shapiro says it won't be in use. "We will only operate with the CruiseOne and Dream Vacations brands starting in 2022 -- probably by mid-February -- when we are finished transitioning people over to either being a franchise owner or associate," she says.
In its press announcement, WTH says that by merging Cruises Inc. into its franchise brands, it can create more profitable opportunities for its network of agents. The Dream Vacations and CruiseOne franchises -- which operate as one franchise unit -- make up "a significant part of World Travel Holdings’ business-to-business division," the company's statement adds.
Assistance from HQ
The CruiseOne and Dream Vacations headquarters team will assist agents in transitioning to franchise ownership or finding a franchise to join as a hosted associate.
“I have been with Cruises Inc. almost 16 years," says Naomi Kuhns of Weddington, N.C, who plans to buy a Dream Vacations franchise. "The support I received from everyone in our organization made me realize I would not be alone when I became a franchise owner. 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."
As a result of this merger, Cruises Inc. agents who become associates will still receive all of the same benefits of being an independent contractor of a host agency, as well as access to even more marketing programs and technology than before. Existing associates of those franchise agencies will also benefit from any new enhancements and programs created.
WTH also emphasizes that the advisors who choose to become associates of an existing franchise agency 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,” adds Fiorino. She also stresses that since many Cruises Inc. agents are selling more land vacations than in the past, they can opt for affiliation with either CruiseOne or Dream Vacations.
For more information, visit, www.DreamVacationsFranchise.