Vancouver-based Uniglobe Travel International (UTI) announced November 19 that it has expanded to its 65th country, Poland, which is the fastest growing economy in the European Union.
Experienced Polish travel agents Tomasz Grochal and Malgorzata Foszczynska will own the company’s new Poland franchise, Uniglobe Splast Travel.
“We looked at other options and chose the UNIGLOBE Global Partner program,” said Foszczynska. “It enables us to maintain the independence that made us successful, while expanding our client service network.”
Parent UTI is one of Vancouver’s biggest travel sector success stories.
Its franchisees worldwide combine to handle approximately $4 billion in travel bookings annually, owner Gary Charlwood told Business in Vancouver earlier this year.
Charlwood focused on business travel more than leisure travel when he founded UTI in 1979, and he said that business travel accounts for about 70% of Uniglobe sales, which are growing at roughly 10% per year.
Charlwood in February 2008 earned the highest franchise industry honour when the International Franchise Association made him the single 2008 inductee into what was then a 34-member hall of fame.
He joined luminaries such as McDonald’s Corp. builder Ray Kroc and Wendy’s International Inc. founder Dave Thomas.
