World Travel Holdings (WTH)

(Private)

500 - 1,000 employees |

Approx. 10 active jobs | Company Website

Overview

Pride, Passion, Teamwork, Velocity

World Travel Holdings is a distributor of cruises, air tickets, hotel rooms, and vacation packages. It was co-founded in 2005 by Brad and Jeff Tolkin, with more than 50 years of combined expertise as operating executives in the travel industry. But the story of World Travel Holdings is really the story of many successful travel companies, each specializing in a different area of product and service, united in the common goal of delivering every customer a superior travel experience.

The beginning of the WTH story starts with the end of another. For more than two decades, the Tolkins owned and operated Travel Impressions – from its start in 1974, they built the company into one of the nation's most profitable, privately held travel wholesalers. During this time, they also operated prestigious brands like Pan American Holidays, Eastern Vacations, Continental Vacations, and Virgin Atlantic Vacations. In 1992, they acquired Empress Travel; the retail travel agency grew from 44 to 104 store locations in just six years under the Tolkins' leadership. In 1998, the Tolkins sold their portfolio of brands to American Express, but it wouldn't be long before the brothers would return to the travel industry with a renewed passion and vision.

On January 1, 2005, the Tolkins established WTH and celebrated the new year and their new quest with the purchase of Creative Leisure, a wholesaler of deluxe resorts and condominiums that has served thousands of vacationers since 1968. The acquisition of Creative Leisure included Villas of Distinction, a leading brand in the villa rental field established in 1989. A new standard was set for innovation, service, and value in the luxury travel market around the world. They also acquired Rooms.com. With Rooms.com, the company now offered a powerful booking engine providing a wide selection of hotel accommodations throughout the world. Later in 2005, WTH expanded again with the acquisition of Cruise411. By bringing Cruise411 onboard, WTH now offered voyages from every major cruise line and access to the nation's premier source of cruise information.

On July 12, 2006, WTH more than doubled in size with the acquisition of National Leisure Group (NLG) , the largest cruise seller in America and one of the nation's leading vacation package distributors.

Though formally established in 1986, NLG really began as Last-Minute Travel in 1983. This small travel agency created a business model that at the time was groundbreaking in the travel industry – reselling excess inventory in bulk at reduced rates. The company achieved $1 million in revenue in just one year. In 1986, National Leisure Group was officially founded with the creation of its flagship brand, Vacation Outlet. Both Last-Minute Travel and Vacation Outlet quickly sold huge volumes of vacations. While the rest of the travel industry wrote off nearly expired inventory as losses, NLG gained national exposure and a loyal customer base by offering thousands of discount travel packages and last-minute deals from the world's best resorts, hotels, and cruise lines.

Five years later, NLG had grown from a single travel agency with three agents to a 225-employee, 19-store, $40 million company. A dedicated sales and customer service group of more than 100 staffed an inbound call center, while the retail chain spanned Boston, Chicago, and cities in New Hampshire. NLG was now sending nearly 100,000 customers a year to Mexico, the Caribbean, Florida, Las Vegas, Hawaii, and Europe.

Throughout the 1990s, NLG grew rapidly in the New England retail and U.S. online markets. Vacation Outlet launched its successful e-commerce website, vacationoutlet.com, and also established one of the most widely publicized and attended consumer travel shows in the U.S. – Vacation Expo, held annually in Boston.

Since 2000, the company has leveraged its industry expertise by partnering with some of the world’s most recognizable brands. Strategic alliances with BJ's Wholesale Club, Hotwire, priceline.com, Overstock.com, many of the country's largest airlines, and others have enabled NLG to significantly broaden its market reach and fortify its already strong reputation in the travel industry.

In 2003, NLG expanded the depth and breadth of its leisure travel offerings with the acquisition of the CruisesOnly (1-800-CRUISES) and Cruises.com brands. By adding these two cruise powerhouses to its portfolio, NLG was now not only a leading provider of land vacation packages to the world’s most popular destinations, but now had also become the largest provider of cruise vacations in America. The company also acquired the CruiseOne and Cruises, Inc. brands to make NLG the largest home-based cruise distributor in the United States.

Today, World Travel Holdings, majority owned by Brad and Jeff Tolkin and Frank Cougentakis, is able to provide all of the products and services needed to meet the demands of every kind of traveler. United by the same mission, all of the world-class brands in the WTH portfolio deliver higher levels of sales and service and will continue to grow as one company into broader horizons. By building strategic partnerships and providing customers with the skill and guidance of the most passionate, trusted experts in the travel industry, WTH is uniquely positioned to offer leisure travelers a lifetime of remarkable vacation experiences.

Benefits

Great Travel Discounts
Medical & Dental Benefits
Disability Insurance
100% Paid Life Insurance
401(k) Plan
Paid Vacations & Holidays
Flexible Spending Account
Employee Assistance Program

Mission

Deliver a Remarkable Experience.

Contact

WTH Corporate Offices
100 Sylvan Road, Suite 600
Woburn, MA 01801
Phone: (617) 424-7990
Fax: (617) 424-1943

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