If your entrepreneurial mind is combined with a love of travel, you may want to consider a travel franchise. Cruise franchises can be particularly lucrative as evidenced by these data:

Last year, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) reported that the North American cruise industry grossed $35.7 billion, and global industry revenues were $20.6 billion—a 7 percent increase over the previous year. The number of cruisers also increased 7 percent from 2005 to 2006 for a total of 12 million people who took a cruise vacation. Americans accounted for 78 percent of that number. The total number of embarkations from U.S. ports was 9 million, representing a 4 percent increase over the previous year. Embarkations from American ports accounted for 75 percent of total, worldwide embarkations.

Cruising and travel are huge industries, and their are pieces of them available for franchisees.

Why Should I Buy a Franchise?

First, let’s discuss some of the benefits of franchising in general:

When you buy into a franchise, you are gaining access to an established brand and a proven business plan with an existing consumer base. When dealing with well-known brands, there is an expected level of quality and consistency to which consumers have become accustomed. For example, no one thinks of a fast food restaurant as a place to get a really great meal, but we know we like the low prices. Although the food itself is mediocre, it is consistently mediocre, so we know what to expect each time we visit a restaurant. This is one of the major factors in the frequent repeat business enjoyed by fast food brands. However, this is just one example. Established expectations of quality and consistency contribute to success in all industries.

Additionally, a franchisor offers invaluable assistance in getting your business started. For example, the franchisor may aid you in the selection of a location, or—in the case of a home-based business—the franchisor may provide all the necessary equipment and teach you how to use it. You may receive advice on marketing, management and personnel. Many franchisors even provide continual support in the form of newsletters, toll-free access numbers and seminars. You will also have access to a network of other franchisees to whom you can turn for guidance.

Working with your franchisor’s buying cooperatives, you will likely pay less for goods than your independent competitors.

All of these advantages amount to a significantly decreased risk of business failure.

Why Buy a Travel Franchise?

If you’re interested in starting your own franchise business, travel and cruise franchises can be a wonderfully exciting way to fulfill that desire. Let’s talk about a couple of specific franchise opportunities:

All About Honeymoons was recognized as one of the top new franchises for 2006 by Entrepreneur Magazine. This company has been the first to stake its claim in the niche market of honeymoons and destination weddings. If you think that niche sounds too narrow, consider this: There are nearly 2.5 billion weddings held in the United States each year, and 96 percent of newlyweds take a honeymoon trip.

All About Honeymoons provides some unique benefits to couples making their wedding or travel plans, which translate to unique selling points for franchisees. For instance, couples receive a wedding webpage where they can post news about the upcoming event as well as a travel registry where friends and relatives can contribute to the honeymoon expenses.

New business owners in this travel franchise begin by attending a comprehensive training program that covers the finer points of the wedding and travel industries.

If it’s cruises you want to sell through your new business, CruiseOne was recently named the top cruise franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine. You don’t need any previous experience in the travel industry to get started in this franchise, and you can choose to work full or part time from your home or office.

Cruise franchises offer tremendous growth and earning potential because cruising is the fastest growing vacation choice in America. This could be because almost everything is included in a cruise vacation package—lodging, food and fun.

CruiseOne is in the process of a major expansion, and they are actively seeking franchisees in all 50 states. CruiseOne’s headquarters boasts an extensive support staff that is available to assist franchisees with sales, marketing and booking procedures. CruiseOne also operates a private Web Business Center that allows franchisees to access all the information they need to successfully run their businesses via the Internet.

Many people hear the word “franchise” and automatically think of restaurants and retail outlets, but there are so many more options for today’s aspiring business owners. The myriad of choices allows entrepreneurs to find franchises for which they will truly enjoy working—where their personal interests and expertise can be valuable moneymaking tools. If your personal interests include exotic vacations, consider one of the exciting franchise opportunities discussed above or any of the other fantastic travel and cruise franchises now available.