American Express Travel Representative Cruise Planners has earned the top spot in its category on the Franchise 500 from Entrepreneur Magazine for the 16th year in a row. As the company moves into its 25th year in business, it is celebrating its franchisees with a new campaign called "My Story," which shows how franchisees from many different backgrounds have found success with the travel franchise business. Its home-based franchise opportunity does not require a storefront or staff, so one of its businesses can be run by a single person from anywhere. This model is popular among franchisees who are looking for a second career.
Franchisees with Cruise Planners receive many benefits, including a low startup cost, marketing programs that are turnkey and have both print and digital components, voice-activated tech and mobile apps for franchisees and clients, in-person training opportunities, and ongoing personalized training. This franchise also has CP Maxx, a proprietary system that handles accounting and booking and has the tools needed for a franchisee to run his or her business on any internet-connected device.
Brand Founder and CEO Michelle Fee said that the company is now the biggest home-based travel franchise and the top-awarded travel brand overall. She also noted that being named the top travel franchise by Entrepreneur for 16 years in a row demonstrates that they are here to stay and have been helping people build businesses for more than two decades.
Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 panel considers fees, costs, financial strength and stability, brand strength, support, size and growth when creating the rankings. Started over 40 years ago, this list is a leading competitive measure for franchisers and a good research tool for prospective franchisees seeking a franchise opportunity.
Cruise Planners currently has a network of over 2,000 franchisees and has achieved top producer status will all of the major cruise lines, including Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Princess Cruises and more. The initial total investment for this brand is $10,995, and this includes the American Express Travel Representative affiliation, training, tools, and ongoing support.
