Travel Leaders Group is combining Travel Leaders Associates,
Results Travel and Vacation.com into one agent group called Travel Leaders
Network.
“We have long been recognized as a world-class organization,
offering the industry’s most innovative and honored travel agency solutions,” said
John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Network and Leisure Group. “But as our
industry’s landscape continues to evolve and consolidate, so must we. Simply
put, we must come together to create one powerful force that helps each of our
agencies compete even more effectively for the hearts and minds of the
traveling public.”
Travel Leaders Network will have nearly 7,000 locations in
the U.S. and Canada, and have $17 billion in annual sales volume. The network
will offer franchise and consortium solutions to agencies. All agencies were
notified of the change on Tuesday.
Travel Leaders Associates will retain the right to use the
Travel Leaders brand name, and members of Results and Vacation.com will become
members of Travel Leaders Network. Those that qualify will be offered the
chance to open Travel Leaders franchises as associates, which Travel Leaders
Group said offers “a heightened level of offerings."
Roger Block will lead the network. He was previously the
president of Travel Leaders Franchise Group. Block will report to Lovell.
Lovell said the consolidation will keep the three brands
from competing with each other. It will also remove “any prevailing brand
confusion about who we are within the marketplace.”
Block said agencies will enjoy increased benefits under the
new network, citing, for example, technology that Travel Leaders Group has
invested in.
According to Travel Leaders Group, all agents in the network
will gain access to multiple technology programs, including the CruisePro cruise-booking
tool; AgentMate, a customer relationship management system, booking tool and
back-office system developed for Vacation.com; and corporate business
solutions.
By next year, all agency extranets will migrate to the Agent
Universe platform, with content available there based on agencies’ individual
participation agreements.
Also by next year, all qualifying Results and Vacation.com
agents will be added to the Agent Profiler directory, which allows agents to
create individual profiles highlighting themselves and their specialties. Agent
Profiler utilizes search engine optimization to attract online traffic to
agents’ profiles.
Starting in 2017, Travel Leaders Network will have an
“overlapping” convention, according to Travel Leaders Group. The final day of Travel
Leaders Associates' conference will be shared with members from the rest of
Travel Leaders Network (former Results and Vacation.com agents), but both
members and associates will have their own sets of training, sessions and
networking events.
“Bringing these three powerhouse brands into the broader
Travel Leaders Network translates into unparalleled cohesive strength as we
work within the greater travel industry, accelerated growth for our agencies,
heightened technological and marketing capabilities, and elimination of
duplicate efforts from our combined leadership and support staff, who can now
focus entirely on delivering the leading-edge innovations for which we’re
celebrated,” Block said.