Travel Leaders Group opens United Kingdom headquarters to target European growth

LONDON, March 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel Leaders Group (www.travelleadersgroup.com), one of the United States' largest travel companies operating in the leisure and corporate travel marketplaces, has established Travel Leaders UK with its new headquarters in London. The company, which includes Protravel International, the Tzell Travel Group, Cruise Holidays, Vacation.com and its flagship Travel Leaders among its many brands, will use the capital city as a base for expansion in the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe.

Travel Leaders Group has combined the operations of its two largest UK businesses – Protravel International UK and Tzell UK – in the new Covent Garden premises. Protravel and Tzell UK, which together have more than 60 independent travel agents and have a combined annual sales volume of £40 million ($66 million), will operate under Travel Leaders UK.

Protravel's Tina Rose has been appointed managing director of the UK operation, while Tzell UK's Barry Whittaker has been named executive director of business development and acquisitions. Both will report directly to Travel Leaders Group chief executive officer Barry Liben.

Liben said: "Bringing Protravel and Tzell together in new London headquarters is the first step on an aggressive expansion plan in the UK and Europe. These businesses complement each other very well, which is good news for our clients, agents and suppliers. The objective is to replicate the success of our US business on this side of the Atlantic."

Since its inception in 2008, Travel Leaders Group has grown from annual sales volume of more than $5 billion to over $20 billion last year. According to published reports, Travel Leaders Group now accounts for approximately one-third of all US-based travel agency operations, making it one of the largest travel companies in North America.

Liben added: "We expect growth to be both organic and through acquisition and are working to attract agents and agencies to our business by demonstrating why we've been able to grow so dramatically when other agency groups have not. Tina Rose and Barry Whittaker make an unbeatable leadership team with their innate and critical understanding for the intricacies of the marketplace."

Protravel International and Tzell UK are among the UK's leading travel companies that include independent agents and agencies. Tzell UK is ranked in the top 50 travel management companies in the UK and Ireland. Protravel International UK's also has high-end corporate customers in addition to a vibrant leisure and cruise business.

About Travel Leaders Group
Travel Leaders Group (www.travelleadersgroup.com) is transforming travel with a commitment to our vacation and business travel clients via our progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. Having already assisted millions of travelers – through our beginnings as Carlson Leisure Group, a division of Carlson Companies, TraveLeaders and Tzell Travel Group and through the additions of Nexion, Vacation.com and Protravel International – Travel Leaders Group manages leisure, business and franchise travel operations under a variety of diversified divisions and brands. With annual sales of approximately $19 billion, Travel Leaders Group not only ranks as the #1 corporate travel management company by Business Travel News, but it is also among the top ten travel companies on the 2013 Travel Weekly Power List. In 2013, Entrepreneur ranked a Travel Leaders Franchise Brand #1 in the category of "Travel Agencies-Miscellaneous."

SOURCE Travel Leaders Group