When April Merenda, creator of Gutsy Women Travel, found herself with a group of women in Cairo as the U.S. State Department ordered travelers to evacuate the country earlier this year, she realized her business had gotten bigger than she could handle. The experience led her to partner with Trafalgar Tours, which will operate the all-women travel brand starting with the 2012 season.
"With everything going on in the world, I was getting too big," Merenda said. "I was [in Egypt] seeing Trafalgar getting a private plane, chartering passengers to a safe haven," an exercise in crisis management that would severely tax the resources of a small operator.
Merenda said the co-branding agreement with Trafalgar could triple her passenger numbers over the next three years.
It's also a move from Gutsy's predominantly direct-to-consumer model to Trafalgar's trade-based distribution model.
"I would call it a small brand but a powerful brand," said Paul Wiseman, president of Trafalgar Tours. "What we were really interested in was allowing the trade to meet this brand and see what the trade could do with it."
This will be the first time Trafalgar has had such a co-branding arrangement. Wiseman wouldn't get into the financials of the deal but said Trafalgar will operate the product, meaning it will build it as a Trafalgar tour, but it will be co-branded as a Gutsy Women Travel tour with its own brochure.
Merenda will remain president, overseeing the brand and its marketing. The inventory will be Trafalgar's, and Trafalgar will handle reservations.
Right now, Trafalgar is working with Merenda to build the product and do the contracting. In early Q3, a calendar of departures will be published, and there will be early-booking capabilities. By the end of the year, all the product will be finalized, and it will have electronic distribution capabilities.
Ultimately, both consumers and agents will be able to book online.
Starting with the 2012 season, Gutsy Women Travel will have 10 North America itineraries; 10 Europe itineraries; 10 river cruises, which will be operated by Trafalgar's sister company Uniworld; and 10 itineraries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, with various departure dates.
Group sizes are limited to 28 guests, and female tour directors guide the groups.
"I'm thrilled that someone at their level took notice [of the women's market]," Merenda said. "We're going to be keeping the traditional programs, and we'll be expanding, specifically with the river cruise program. They're going to be dedicating some space for the women. Clearly that's a product where women would feel like a fifth wheel if they weren't going with a group."
Merenda founded Gutsy Women Travel in November 2001 for women who prefer to travel with other women with similar interests. Hotels, restaurants, cultural and sightseeing activities are all chosen with that objective in mind.
"There are more women single travelers than men," Wiseman said. "Our guided vacations actually suit single women travelers, but this takes it to another level."
Gutsy Women Travel offers a 10% commission to travel agents, but agents who have an existing relationship with Trafalgar will earn commission based on their current structure with Trafalgar.