Travel Weekly Power List Places Travel Leaders Group in Top 10
Minneapolis, MN (Vocus) June 25, 2009 -- In its latest issue, Travel Weekly (http://travelweekly.texterity.com/travelweekly/20090622/) places Travel Leaders Group (http://www.travelleaders.com/travelleaders/index.htm) in the top 10 of its Power List 2009 of America's travel sellers. Travel Weekly is billed as ''the national newspaper of the travel industry.'' The rankings are based on participating companies' wholly-owned annual sales volume reported for 2008 and specifically do not include franchised operations. Travel Leaders Group's wholly-owned operations reported annual sales volume of $1.9 billion for 2008; when franchised sales are included, that number increases dramatically to $7.1 billion for last year.
In the Travel Weekly Power List "Introduction," reporter Harvey Chipkin writes, "The number of 'billionaires' (companies with $1 billion-plus in sales) held steady at 13, but with some shuffling in the ranks. The Travel Leaders Group (formerly Travel Acquisitions Group), which now incorporates two former Power List agencies, Tzell Travel and TraveLeaders, joined that elite group, climbing from the No. 14 to the No. 10 spot in the process."
On May 5, 2009, Travel Acquisitions Group formally changed its name to Travel Leaders Group.
Tzell Travel Group, which merged with Travel Acquisitions Group in August 2008, ranked No. 15 on last year's Power List. TraveLeaders, which ranked No. 41 last year, was acquired by Travel Acquisitions Group in March 2008.
"What makes the Travel Leaders Group top ten ranking on the Travel Weekly Power List even more thrilling and tremendously satisfying is that it comes so closely on the heels of the Business Travel News Business Travel Survey rankings that placed us at number one among American travel management companies," stated Travel Leaders Group CEO Barry Liben. "The hardworking men and women from all five of our Travel Leaders Group divisions helped make this proud distinction possible. I am very proud of what we have accomplished together in forging such a dynamic and respected travel company so soon after our merger and acquisition activities from the past year."
Travel Leaders is transforming travel with a new name that boldly embodies our commitment to our vacation and business travel clients via a progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. Having already assisted millions of travelers, our strong roots - through our beginnings as Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates (which itself began as Ask Mr. Foster, North America's first travel agency network established in 1888), TraveLeaders and Tzell Travel Group - have now joined together to form one of the industry's fastest-growing and robust networks of travel agents.
With Travel Leaders serving as the company's flagship brand, Travel Leaders Group consists of five divisions:
- Travel Leaders Corporate (David Holyoke, President)
- Travel Leaders Franchise Group (Roger E. Block, CTC, President), includes Travel Leaders, Results! Travel and Custom Destination Marketing Solutions.
- Travel Leaders Leisure Group (Tom Baumann, President), includes All Aboard Travel, CruiseDeals.com, Cruise Holidays, Cruise Specialists, Luxury Travel Network, Partners In Travel, SinglesCruise.com and company-owned leisure locations for Travel Leaders
- Connexions (Eric Burdon, President), includes Connexions Loyalty Travel Solutions, Connexions Travel Solutions, Connexions Fulfillment Solutions, Fly4Less.com, Distinctive Departures and Insignia Personalized Products
- Tzell Travel Group (Barry Liben, CEO)
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