Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (January 26, 2017) – The job hunt is over for military spouses who have difficulty finding a sustainable job as a result of frequent Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves. Home-based travel franchise CruiseOne/Dream Vacations has launched a unique contest in partnership with Military Spouse magazine where military spouses can launch a new career in the travel industry as a small business owner selling dream vacations. The contest ends Tuesday, February 28, 2017.
“Military spouses are the perfect candidates to become travel franchise owners,” said Tim Courtney, vice president of franchise development and ambassador of veteran affairs. “Owning a travel franchise such as CruiseOne/Dream Vacations affords military spouses the flexibility to start and keep a new career as they move around the world while using their personal travel experiences and connections as a foundation in growing their business.”
According to the 2016 Military Lifestyle Survey conducted by the non-profit Blue Star Families, a military family engagement organization and support network, found that less than half of military families with a civilian spouse earned two incomes and that employment is one of the top issues of concern among active duty spouses.
“Military spouses are unsung heroes and deserve recognition for the sacrifices they have made,” added Courtney. “Active duty military spouses and veterans make up nearly 35 percent of our franchise system and we are honored to have the opportunity make a difference in their lives and contribute an employment solution for spouses.”
The CruiseOne/Dream Vacations franchise contest is open to active-duty and former military spouses. Candidates will participate in two rounds of judging. First, they will participate in a phone interview with a CruiseOne/Dream Vacations franchise development specialist. Semi-finalists will be required to submit a 300-500 word essay describing why a owning a home-based travel franchise would be a valuable opportunity for their family. Twenty finalists will then be identified and one grand prize winner will be selected.
The grand prize winner will be announced in May in celebration of Military Spouse Appreciation Day. The grand prize is valued at $12,700 and includes a complimentary CruiseOne / Dream Vacations franchise and weeklong franchise training at the CruiseOne/Dream Vacations’ state-of-the-art world headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In addition to the waived $9,800 initial start-up fee and monthly service fees, the winner will be reimbursed up to $500 for travel and receive complimentary accommodations during the weeklong training. Following training, the winner will be able to take the business on the road if the spouse is relocated.
“Owning a Dream Vacations travel franchise is ideal for military spouses because it is a business that can travel with you,” said Military Spouse and Dream Vacations Franchise Owner Toni Verastegui from New Orleans. “My husband is an Army officer and we have moved nine times in 15 years of marriage. I was even able to keep my business running while stationed overseas. It also is a good opportunity for spouses because military families love to travel during the limited time they have together, and knowing how to get them military rates on their vacations gives you an advantage over other agents. You also have the trust of the military family as a military spouse so they want your help with their vacation planning.”
A member of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran initiative, CruiseOne/Dream Vacations is committed to giving back to the military community and offers many incentive programs including a 20 percent discount off the franchise fee and additional discounts for hiring former members of the U.S. military or active-duty military spouses as associates.
Consistently recognized by leading industry publications as a military-friendly franchise, CruiseOne/Dream Vacations’ accolades include a number one ranking the past three years in a row by Military Times in its “Best for Vets: Franchises” list, inclusion on G.I. Jobs annual “Hot Franchises for Veterans” the past six years and recognition by MSC Cruises in its first-ever Seaside Salute Award. Additional accolades include being named “Top 10 Military Friendly Franchise” by Forbes, “Top Veteran-Friendly Franchise” by Entrepreneur and U.S. Veterans magazines and inclusion on USA Today’s “50 Top Franchises for Military Veterans.”
CruiseOne/Dream Vacations is committed to being “Rich in Diversity” and empowers all owners, agents and employees to reach their highest potential by leveraging their broad range of talent, experiences, personalities, viewpoints and ideas to generate business growth.
About CruiseOne®/Dream Vacations
Ranked in the top three percent of all franchises worldwide and a member of the International Franchise Association, the home-based travel franchise CruiseOne® has been in operation since 1992, and its sister brand Dream Vacations launched in April 2016, giving franchisees a choice in how they want to brand their travel business. As part of World Travel Holdings, CruiseOne/Dream Vacations franchisees are given premium resources to plan and create a seamless vacation experience for the customer while offering the best value. CruiseOne has received partner of the year, a top-ranking status, by all the major cruise lines. For more information on CruiseOne / Dream Vacations, visit www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com . Like on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DreamVacationsFranchise, and follow on Twitter at @Dream_Franchise.
