

Travel Leaders is a premier travel agency franchise offering comprehensive services for both leisure and corporate travelers. Its origins trace back to 1888 with the establishment of Ask Mr. Foster in St. Augustine, Florida—North America's first travel agency chain.
Over the years, the company evolved through various mergers and acquisitions, culminating in the formation of the Travel Leaders franchise in 2008. Today, the franchise is headquartered at 3033 Campus Drive, Suite W320, Plymouth, Minnesota.
Travel Leaders began franchising in 1984, offering entrepreneurs the opportunity to operate under a well-established brand. The franchise specializes in selling a wide array of travel services, including tours, cruises, and both escorted and independent travel options for individuals and groups.
What sets Travel Leaders apart is its commitment to providing personalized, high-touch service with a local feel. Unlike larger competitors, Travel Leaders offers clients direct access to local agents, ensuring tailored travel experiences.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
Travel Leaders requires franchisees to participate in a variety of training programs designed to ensure they are equipped for success in the travel services industry. Here is a breakdown of the training offerings provided by the franchisor:
Travel Leaders does not offer its franchisees exclusive territory protection. According to the License Agreement, franchisees will not receive an exclusive area or territory for their operations. This means that franchisees may face competition from other Travel Leaders franchisees, company-owned locations, or even other distribution channels and brands controlled by the franchisor.
The franchisor and its affiliates retain broad rights to open and operate outlets under the Travel Leaders name or any other marks they own, regardless of existing franchisee locations.
They also have the freedom to distribute travel-related services and products via the internet or other alternative channels. These provisions indicate that franchisees must be prepared to compete within their geographic market even if they are part of the same network.
Below are some of
Travel Leaders
key competitors in the
Other Recreation
sector.

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Cork & Candles is an experiential retail franchise offering guided custom candle-making with drinks and events, serving social groups, date nights, and corporate outings, and known for immersive scent bars, Instagram-ready studios, and highly repeatable, workshop-driven revenue.
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Animal World is a children's indoor-play franchise offering themed playgrounds, inflatables, and birthday-party packages, serving families with young kids, and known for its animal-themed equipment, multiple revenue streams, and affordable, flexible franchise model tailored to local communities.
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Bud’s Place is a lounge-franchise offering social-consumption cannabis lounges with food, beverages and entertainment, serving adults in regulated markets, and known for upscale ambiance, multiple revenue streams, and emerging industry positioning.
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