Announcing targeted expansion, Expedia CruiseShipCenters unveiled a plan to bring additional travel franchise locations to California. Joining six locations already operating in the state, the leading travel franchise brand plans to add up to 50 locations throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, and the greater San Diego area, as well as the San Francisco Bay area, over the next three to five years.

Folded into an overall growth vision for the brand, the new California locations are key to Expedia CruiseShipCenters’ goal to reach the 500 location milestone in North America over the next five years. California’s expansion is building off of the success and efforts of local franchisees like Chris Meyer in Orange County who has seen tremendous success since opening in 2011. The brand’s target expansion plans include 15 to 20 locations in the Los Angeles area, 12 locations in Orange County, nine locations in the Greater San Francisco Bay area, six locations in the San Jose area and three in Sacramento. In addition to an opening in Chula Vista planned for early this year and a recent lease signing in San Diego, Expedia CruiseShipCenters already has a strong California presence with five locations across the state in Petaluma, San Carlos, Tustin, Laguna Hills and San Diego.

“California has been a great market for Expedia CruiseShipCenters and has shown our franchisees a lot of success. Within the next few years, we plan to rapidly expand our current footprint in the state by working with local entrepreneurs to bring our growing brand to their communities,” said Matthew Eichhorst, president of Expedia CruiseShipCenters. “We know that Californians love to cruise so it’s a prime market for us to target because of the strong need for our services.”

According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), an organization that conducts continual analysis of the industry, over one million cruisers came from California in 2015, which was 11.1 percent of all cruise passengers in North America. The Golden State is home to several busy cruise ports including Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. With four ports in close driving distance to several large California cities and a growing number of cruisers in the state, California is a hub of travelers creating ideal demographics for Expedia CruiseShipCenters.

Cruises are becoming increasingly popular because they offer comfort and convenience while making it easy for people to visit several exotic locations on a single trip. CLIA reports that the demand for cruising has increased 60 percent in the last ten years. The association also points out that the U.S. economic impact of the cruise industry is larger than ever — at $42 billion annually. Cruise lines have responded to that growth by commissioning the construction of more than 97 new ships that are on pace to set sail between now and 2026.

With over 225 retail locations already open or under development, the Expedia CruiseShipCenters’ franchise network is rapidly expanding. Meyer is a key example of the varied backgrounds the brand’s franchisees come from. Prior to opening an Expedia CruiseShipCenters location, Meyer was a journalist for 30 years and was the Deputy Editor for the Orange County Register. With a passion for travel, he left the paper to open an Expedia CruiseShipCenters and set sales records his first year in business.

“I have always loved traveling and I wanted a career change after I got my MBA that would use my extensive journalism and management experience in a new and different way,” said Orange County, California owner Meyer. “After seeing an Expedia CruiseShipCenters franchise ad on LinkedIn, I spent a few months gathering the facts and the rest was history.”

With plans to open 40 new locations during 2017, Expedia CruiseShipCenters continues to provide business opportunities for driven team leaders like Meyer who want to build income, equity and a great lifestyle with a retail business they are passionate about. To learn more, visit www.expediafranchise.com.

About Expedia CruiseShipCenters

Expedia CruiseShipCenters provides exceptional value and expert advice for travelers booking cruises and vacations through its network of over 225 retail travel agency franchises. As part of the Expedia group family of brands, the company’s 4,300 Vacation Consultants sell a wide range of vacation products including cruises, flights, hotels, vacation packages, tours, excursions and more. The company has been navigating spectacular vacation experiences for customers across North America for 30 years. For more information on Expedia CruiseShipCenters, visit www.expediafranchise.com.

Expedia and CruiseShipCenters are trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners. © 2017 Expedia. All rights reserved. CST # 2029030-50 and CST # 20893-43