Before the 1950s, road travel was a gamble.
Hotels varied wildly in cleanliness, safety, and service. Families had no way to know what they’d find when they pulled off the highway.
Kemmons Wilson, a Memphis businessman, wanted to change that. Inspired by a disappointing family vacation, he envisioned a new kind of hotel: clean, safe, affordable, and—most importantly—consistent.
In 1952, he opened the first Holiday Inn.
By 1957, he launched a franchise model, allowing independent owners to open Holiday Inns under strict brand standards. And in 1965, he introduced a central reservation system, connecting guests to rooms across the country.
Holiday Inn became the first truly national hotel franchise, transforming road travel into a predictable, pleasant experience. It set the standard for modern lodging—and showed how franchising could transform industries beyond food.
Wilson’s motto? “The best surprise is no surprise.”
That’s franchise thinking in a nutshell.
From Road Trips to Cruise Ships
The road trip gave rise to many food and lodging franchises in the middle of the last century. But in more recent times, a love for the open sea, and the explosion of the cruise industry have been the catalyst for various travel related franchises, including one with a familiar name.
Expedia Cruises boasts one of the best brand names in the world and expertise to match.
Expedia Cruises™ began franchising in 1987 and is a leading seller of travel in North America. Our network of retail travel franchises is rapidly expanding, with over 260 locations currently open or under development. Our growth is driven by three overarching factors:
The power of the Expedia brand allows us to capture new shoppers and turn them into life-long customers. Plus, all cruise inquiries from Expedia.com and Expedia.ca are sent to our franchise locations
Our proven business model is affordable to start and extremely scalable
Our omnichannel approach, and deep integration with Expedia, makes for a seamless booking experience
As part of the Expedia Inc. family of brands, our franchisees operate as full-service travel agencies offering Cruise Vacations, All-Inclusive Resorts, Coach & Rail Tours, Vacation Packages, Homes & Villas, Insurance, Flights, Hotels, and Activities – all at Expedia prices. This allows us to serve all the needs of our customers.
With a strong leadership team and a support team numbering more than 100 strong, Expedia Cruises is fully dedicated to providing a world class system that will achieve our mission: To empower our franchisees with a proven system to grow a profitable and valuable business.
