US cruise specialist Cruise Holidays has made a move into the Australian market with Queensland-based CruiseMart to drive expansion of the brand locally.

CruiseMart has rebranded its two retail shops in Brisbane and the Gold Coast to Cruise Holidays and will become the “master franchisor” of the brand in Australia.

Cruise Holidays will look to expand its footprint in Australia through the recruitment of home-based agents and shop locations.

“This partnership is a first between a major international cruise business and Australian cruise retailer and brings a new level of sophistication to the way cruise holidays are sold in Australia,” CruiseMart founder and managing director Les Farrar said.

As the master franchisor, CruiseMart will be responsible for growing the brand in Australia.

Cruise Holidays was founded in 1984 and has around 250 franchise stores in the US, Canada and since March 2011, the UK.

It is part of Travel Leaders Leisure Group which is a division of Travel Leaders Group, a US$16 billion company that has 30% of all travel agencies in the US and Canada in its fold.

http://www.travelweekly.com.au/travel-today/news/new-cruise-brand-for-australia