Travel Leaders Group Acquires Vacation.com

The local company said that the acquisition will strengthen its position in the North American travel market by expanding its base of affiliated travel agencies to roughly 6,400.

Eden Prairie-based Travel Leaders Group announced Monday that it has acquired Vacation.com from Miami-based Amadeus Americas, Inc.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

With the acquisition of Vacation.com, Travel Leaders Group now comprises approximately 6,400 wholly-owned, franchised, and affiliated travel agency locations. Travel Leaders Group is a travel marketing organization that operates the brands Travel Leaders, Tzell, Results! Travel, Nexion, Cruise Holidays, and Cruise Specialists

Company spokesman Steve Loucks said in a Monday phone interview that Travel Leaders Group provides solutions for travel agencies and individual agents including marketing, technology, business travel services, and programs designed to enhance sales.

Vacation.com, which is based in Alexandria, Virginia, will continue to operate under its current president, Steve Tracas, who will report to Travel Leaders Group CEO Barry Liben.

According to Travel Leaders Group, Vacation.com has a vacation and cruise selling network of more than 5,100 travel agencies throughout the United States and Canada.

“Vacation.com brings excellent quality agencies, increased size and significant buying opportunities to Travel Leaders Group,” Michael Batt, chair and founder of Travel Leaders Group, said in a statement. “We exist solely to improve the operations and profitability of traditional travel agencies and agents, and there is no question in my mind that by bringing together almost one third of North America's agencies under one umbrella we can do even more for each and every agency and agent working within our brands and companies.”

Travel Leaders Group, a privately held company, boasts annual “total travel sales” of more than $6 billion-which Loucks said includes money passed through a variety of channels. For example, if an individual customer purchased a $2,000 travel package, that entire amount is included in total travel sales, while only a portion may be counted as revenue for Travel Leaders Group, as it reaches the company through marketing fees, franchising fees, and other means. He declined to disclose the company's revenue figures.