Expedia CruiseShipCenters is a top-rated retail travel agency franchise that has been navigating spectacular vacation experiences for over 30 years. With a travel franchise network of more than 255 independently-owned retail locations and over 5,500 Vacation Consultants across the continent, they continue to sell more cruises per location than any other retailer in North America.
In 2017, the brick and mortar travel agency opened 25 new franchise locations and welcomed a record-breaking 1,773 new Vacation Consultants to its network. Riding this wave of success, Expedia CruiseShipCenters will open new Centers throughout Texas, California and Georgia in 2018 and has plans for continued focused growth in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Washington, and Arizona.
“We’ve experienced solid growth the past few years and we plan to continue the momentum throughout 2018 and years to come,” said Matthew Eichhorst, President of Expedia CruiseShipCenters. “As the industry continues to thrive, with fleets expanding and new lines being introduced to the waters, we’re eager to play an integral part of this booming business while continuing to welcome new Franchise Partners and Vacation Consultants to our expanding network.”
With the cruise travel industry expected to continue its rise throughout 2018 and beyond, Expedia CruiseShipCenters’ growth is in part driven by this continued demand. According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) report, more than 27.2M passengers are expected to cruise this year – a 20.5 percent increase over the last five years. To meet growing demand, 27 new ocean, river and specialty ships are scheduled to debut in 2018. The cruise industry is poised for significant growth, contributing more than $126B in total output worldwide.
Expert advice
When it comes to booking complex travel, today’s travelers are overwhelmed with information and options, resulting in a growing demand for travel agencies. According to CLIA’s 2018 Cruise Travel Report, the need for expert advice remains significant, with 70 percent of cruisers seeking the advice of a travel professional to assist with complex vacation planning. Expedia CruiseShipCenters is meeting this marketplace demand by providing expert, in-person advice from a trusted professional.
With Expedia CruiseShipCenters, customers can choose from numerous vacation possibilities over land, sea and air, including customized trips, coach and rail tours, and insurance – all at Expedia prices. Each franchise location offers personal vacation consultations in person, through email or over the phone, so customers have the freedom to book when, where, and how they choose. As part of the Expedia Group™ family of brands, customers get to enjoy the best of two worlds: competitive pricing on a wide range of travel products and expert, personalized advice from a real person connected to a locally-owned business.
Also critical to the success of the brand has been recruiting the right Franchise Partners to grow with. Identifying a particular skill set, such as individuals who are excellent leaders, trainers, and motivators, have been key indicators driving the company’s high achievements. As a franchisor, Expedia CruiseShipCenters provides a scalable business model and a proven, turn key system to execute industry leading marketing on a common technology platform backed by its parent company, Expedia Group. At Expedia CruiseShipCenters, a big emphasis is placed on helping Franchise Partners become exceptional sales leaders. In fact, to make this happen, an entire training program was created around this called The Navigators Approach. When Franchise Partners join the Expedia CruiseShipCenters family, there is no shortage of franchisor support.
Strong foundation
Over the past few years, Expedia CruiseShipCenters has experienced several major shifts that have provided a strong foundation for the brand to deepen and expand its roots. From the brand’s President, Matthew Eichhorst, expanding his role with Expedia Group as the head of global cruise, to members of the Expedia CruiseShipCenters team receiving recognition at international industry events, the brand is poised to reach its goal of 500 operating locations by 2023. At every level of leadership within the organization, members are keeping a finger on the pulse of the rapidly changing and thriving cruise industry, ensuring Expedia CruiseShipCenters remains a leader in the space.
Founded originally as CruiseShipCenters® in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1987, the franchise-based retail travel agency was acquired in 2007 by the Expedia Group, rebranding as Expedia CruiseShipCenters and initiating expansion from Canada into the United States. It continues to be recognized as a top seller with every major cruise line, and over the years the brand has been named a Top 50 franchise by Franchise Business Review, ranked in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500, and became an inductee in the Canadian Franchise Association’s Hall of Fame.
AT A GLANCE
Number of franchised outlets: 255+ retail travel agency location across North America
Location of units: Canada and USA (excluding Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Rhode Island)
Investment range: $165,000 – $282,000
Minimum required capital: $100,000
URL: www.expediafranchise.com
Contact: info@expediafranchise.com
