Travel agency getting a new name

After serving travelers from coast to coast, the more than 500 U.S.-based franchised travel agency locations operating as Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates are getting a new name: Travel Leaders.

The brand name change process was initiated earlier this year when Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates, now a division of Minnesota-based The Travel Franchise Group (TTFG), became independent from Carlson, the international hotel, marketing, restaurant and travel company and Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), specializing in business travel management.

Although the Travel Leaders name may be new, TTFG can trace its beginnings to 1984 as the Carlson franchise system “Ask Mr. Foster Travel,” which itself was North America’s first travel agency chain established in 1888.

“Our journey has taken us from Ask Mr. Foster to Carlson Wagonlit Travel – the largest franchised travel agency network in the United States – with a brand known around the world, and now to Travel Leaders,” said Roger E. Block, CTC, president of Travel Leaders.

In 1991, Ask Mr. Foster changed its name to Carlson Travel Network. To reflect the merger of Carlson Travel Network with Wagonlit Travel, the franchised agencies were rechristened in 1997 as Carlson Wagonlit Travel. That same year, Travel Agents International locations throughout the United States were merged into Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates. The new Travel Leaders branding will be phased in gradually over the upcoming year.

“Our clients may have known us by many names, but they recognize our singular goal has always been to provide the best travel experience,” Block added. “That commitment to excellence will be renewed with our new brand.”

TTFG is the largest franchisor of travel agencies in North America and is a unit of Travel Acquisitions Group, which was formed in January 2008 when Carlson sold its Carlson Leisure Group (CLG) to CLG President Michael Batt. An extensive rebranding process was initiated to distinguish franchisees from CWT and culminated with today’s announced transformation into Travel Leaders.

The Woodbury Travel Leaders office can be reached at (651) 731-9706.

For more information, visit www.travelleaders.com.

Tags: business, woodbury, travel, leaders, carlson, wagonlit, associates, block