Irvine-based Sundance Travel International, the third-largest travel agency in Orange County, formed a strategic alliance last month with TraveLeaders, a Coral Gables, Fla., travel agency.
The pact, which Sundance President Scott Shadrick calls a “revenue-enhancing” move, is aimed at expand the scope of both agencies.
The alliance gives Sundance and TraveLeaders a more national reach and more clout with airlines and other vendors due to enhanced buying power, Shadrick said.
“This was not a cost-cutting move,” he said
With gross sales of $85 million for the 12 months ended June 30, Sundance is the third-largest travel agency operating in OC and the largest independent one headquartered here.
Shadrick said the TraveLeaders alliance doesn’t involve any ownership or management changes and said he expects no layoffs or relocations. Shadrick said the company is actively recruiting more employees to its Irvine office, which has seen growth in the past year from its online operations.
TraveLeaders, which brings tour, cruise and travel training operations to the mix along with its traditional travel operations, has been in an acquisition mode of late, making eight buys in the past year.
The moves placed the Florida company among the country’s top agencies in 1999 air sales, according to industry publication Business Travel News, which ranked it No. 17 with $240 million in air sales, the same as Boeing Travel Management. About $80 million of Boeing’s sales were from the headquarters office in Westminster.
