YTB International Contemplates Franchises

Bizjournals.com:

YTB International Inc., a provider of Internet-based travel booking services for travel agencies and home-based independent representatives, said Tuesday that it is contemplating the replacement of its referring travel agent business model with a franchise operating system, potentially in 2009.

The company expects that a franchising model, if adopted, would facilitate the YTB’s expansion into additional markets by providing more comprehensive training and a new proprietary e-commerce platform.

Details regarding price, product offerings and the conversion plan are all under consideration.

The company hired iFranchise of Chicago for consultation on this switch, said Scott Tomer, CEO of YTB, in a statement.

If a franchising model is adopted, its distribution is expected to be managed by the current marketing arm of the company, YourTravelBiz.com, also known as YTB.com.