Giant Retailer Flight Centre, CLIA Link Up

Flight Centre Canada has signed up 145 of its leisure travel agency locations for membership in the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Flight Centre is the parent company of Liberty Travel and Gogo Worldwide Vacations, and says it is the 10th largest travel group in the U.S.

Headquartered in Vancouver, Flight Centre North America has been primarily known for its nearly 200 leisure and corporate agencies across Canada and in California, Washington, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Last year the company acquired the privately held Liberty Travel in the U.S., with 193 locations.

The decision to join CLIA reflects Flight Centre’s determination to take maximum advantage of the unparalleled opportunities for travel agents in selling cruise vacations and to capitalize on the broad range of exclusive benefits of CLIA membership, including one of the travel industry’s most highly rated training programs, the company said. “We are taking a serious look at the opportunities and potential of the cruise market,” said Malcolm Sorab, cruise business leader for Flight Centre Canada, based in Toronto.

Welcoming Flight Centre to CLIA, President and CEO Terry Dale said: “We are delighted that one of the world’s largest and fastest growing travel companies recognizes the value of membership in CLIA as they focus in on helping their agencies prosper and maximize profitability by selling cruises.”

Flight Centre Ltd. was incorporated in 1982 in Brisbane, Australia. It operates 15 retail and wholesale brands internationally. In 2003, it merged its three North American companies into Flight Centre North America, with over 180 shops and businesses and over 1,000 staff across Canada, California, and Illinois.

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