15 | World Travel Holdings

World Travel Holdings
2022 sales: $1.6 billion
Previous ranking: 15
Employees: 1,179 full-time, 4 part-time

100 Quannapowitt Parkway, Suite 100
Wakefield, MA 01880
Phone: (617) 424-7990
Website

Executives

CO-CHAIRMEN/CEOS: Brad and Jeff Tolkin
CFO: Don Graff
COO, OWNED BRANDS: Debbie Fiorino
SVP, PRODUCT & OPERATIONS: David Crooks
SVP, TECHNOLOGY: Jamie Cash
SVP, PARTNER BRANDS: Jennifer Gasser
SVP, CUSTOMER CARE & HUMAN RESOURCES: Loren Kennedy
SVP/GM, DREAM VACATIONS AND CRUISEONE: Drew Daly
SVP, MARKETING, HOUSE BRANDS: Rosemarie Reed

Company facts

* Privately held company

* Brad and Jeff Tolkin are majority shareholders.

* Portfolio includes almost 40 brands, distributing cruises, villas, resort vacations, car rentals, resort day passes and luxury travel services. Private-label partnerships with leisure travel providers included almost every U.S. airline, leading hotel brands and prominent corporations.

* Operates a travel agency franchise; its global presence includes operating multiple cruise brands in the U.K.

* Offices in Wakefield, Mass.; Fort Lauderdale; and Chorley, England.

* Sales: 100% leisure.

* Works with 4,098 independent contractors.

* Belongs to Travel Leaders Network, ASTA, CLIA, IATA, the International Franchise Association and the Professional Association of Travel Hosts.

2022 Developments

* Dream Vacations launched an independent travel advisor program to help franchise owners grow same-store sales by adding associates. Independent contractors are matched with established travel agency franchises to be become associates.

* Created a technology solution, Groups Application, to streamline group vacation bookings.

* Invested in marketing for Dream Vacations/CruiseOne advisors by providing resources such as an automated post-booking tool that sends surveys via SMS text messages or email to clients, prompting them to post reviews to the travel advisors' Google My Business, Facebook or Yelp pages.

* Invested in staff while experiencing record growth through curated portfolio additions in Caribbean and European markets as well as continued expansion into the domestic market.

Looking ahead

* With Groups Application, expects to see an increase in Dream Vacations/CruiseOne groups business.

* Dream Vacations and CruiseOne land sales were up more than 50% in 2022 compared with 2019. That number is expected to increase in 2023 with investments in land resources, marketing assets, training and technology.

* The Villas Division is focused on improving the website's user experience and the travel advisor's experience with updated tools and new virtual events.

* Very optimistic about 2023 after breaking sales and/or booking records in all divisions of business in January.

* The Villas Division is seeing a strong return in Europe, specifically Italy and France as well as growth in the Caribbean.

Comments

BACK TO POWER LIST


JDS Travel News JDS Viewpoints JDS Africa/MI