In honor of Veteran’s Day, Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. have announced the launch of the Command Center, an internal portal with military resources, as well as Dream Vacations’ recent number-one ranking as the Top Franchise for Veterans by Entrepreneur magazine.
Nearly 35 percent of Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc.’s network are veterans, which is more than double the national average, noted Senior Vice President and General Manager Drew Daly.
The Command Center takes a two-prong approach with a focus on agents of all backgrounds looking to support the military and gain military clientele, as well as on veteran-owned businesses that have past service records and seek assets for their marketing efforts. The Command Center serves as the hub for everything military-related from discounts, reward programs and marketing assets to educational tools, special dates that should be observed to honor the military, and valuable information to assist those who have and are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
The Entrepreneur magazine ranking is based on incentives for veterans, how franchisors attract and support veterans, and the franchisor’s score in the Entrepreneur 2019 Franchise 500. Other recent number-one rankings include Military Times and Forbes. Additional recognitions include inclusion on G.I. Jobs annual “Hot Franchises for Veterans,” US Veterans magazine’s “Top Veteran-Friendly Companies”, USA Today’s “50 Top Franchises for Military Veterans” and recognition by MSC Cruises in its Seaside Salute Award. Dream Vacations is the only travel franchise to receive a 5 STAR ranking from VetFran, a strategic initiative of the International Franchise Association.
All military veterans and Gold Star families who purchase a Dream Vacations or CruiseOne travel agency business receive an enlistment package valued at no less than $5,000 and ongoing support. They can select one of four perks currently being offered — $2,000 travel training credit; receive up to $7,000 back based on initial fee through the Earn Back promotion; waived administrative fees valued at $1,350; or a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet valued at $1,000. All veterans and Gold Star families receive a waived training fee for a business partner and the ability to hire active-duty military spouses and veterans as associates at a discount. Additional veteran incentives include the ability to move residences and stay in business, travel discounts for military customers and access to veteran networking groups.
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