Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Encyclopedia
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) is a large travel agency
, handling both business and leisure clients.
It operates in 157 countries and territories, with 22,000 employees. According to Business Travel News Online.com, in 2007, CWT surpassed American Express Business Travel and became the world's largest business travel management company. The company has $27.8 billion in annual sales (including joint ventures) in 2008, from 55 million transactions.
maintained its 50% interest up until 2006. Accor sold its shares for in a transaction worth €500m, thereby placing a value of €1bn on CWT at the time)
The company is jointly owned by Carlson
, a privately held corporation in the hotel, marketing, restaurant, and travel industries; and by One Equity Partners
, a private equity affiliate of JPMorgan Chase.
In 2011, Carlson Leisure's Macy's Travel were rebranded as Carlson Wagonlit Travel; the stores were located in former Marshall Field's
department stores and were known as Marshall Field's Travel before the stores were purchased by Macy's; Marshall Field's was owned by Twin Cities based Target Corporation
, similar to Carlson Wagonlit Travel co-owner Carlson Companies. Macy's Travel had joined Carlson Wagonlit Travel in 2006 when TQ3Navigant was purchased by CWT.
, Hertfordshire
.
Travel agency
A travel agency is a retail business that sells travel related products and services to customers on behalf of suppliers such as airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, sightseeing tours and package holidays that combine several products...
, handling both business and leisure clients.
It operates in 157 countries and territories, with 22,000 employees. According to Business Travel News Online.com, in 2007, CWT surpassed American Express Business Travel and became the world's largest business travel management company. The company has $27.8 billion in annual sales (including joint ventures) in 2008, from 55 million transactions.
History
The group has existed in its present form since 1994, the result of a 50%/50% merger from two large travel agency ventures. The Carlson side was originally from the Ask Mr. Foster Travel Agency chain, which had been rebranded to Carlson Travel Network a decade earlier. The Wagonlit part came from the travel shop business of Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. After the merger, AccorAccor
Accor is Europe's leading hotel group , part of the CAC 40 index , and operates in over 90 countries. Headquartered in Courcouronnes, Essonne, France, near Évry, France, the group owns, operates and franchises 4,229 hotels ranging from economy to luxury on five continents .Previously, the group...
maintained its 50% interest up until 2006. Accor sold its shares for in a transaction worth €500m, thereby placing a value of €1bn on CWT at the time)
The company is jointly owned by Carlson
Carlson Companies
Carlson is a privately held international corporation in the hotel, restaurant, and travel industries. Headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, near Minneapolis, Carlson brands and services, including franchised operations, employ more than 170,000 people in more than 150 countries and territories...
, a privately held corporation in the hotel, marketing, restaurant, and travel industries; and by One Equity Partners
One Equity Partners
One Equity Partners is a private equity firm focused on leveraged buyout and growth capital investments in middle-market companies across a range of industries....
, a private equity affiliate of JPMorgan Chase.
In 2011, Carlson Leisure's Macy's Travel were rebranded as Carlson Wagonlit Travel; the stores were located in former Marshall Field's
Marshall Field's
Marshall Field & Company was a department store in Chicago, Illinois that grew to become a major chain before being acquired by Macy's Inc...
department stores and were known as Marshall Field's Travel before the stores were purchased by Macy's; Marshall Field's was owned by Twin Cities based Target Corporation
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, similar to Carlson Wagonlit Travel co-owner Carlson Companies. Macy's Travel had joined Carlson Wagonlit Travel in 2006 when TQ3Navigant was purchased by CWT.
Controversies
Since 2004, CWT has been contracted by the UK Border Agency to book seats on scheduled and chartered flights for immigration detainees due for deportation. In the financial year 2004-5, the contract was worth £22,895,452. In April 2010, CWT won the contract again. On June 3, 2010, campaigners from the Stop Deportation Network presented CWT with a 'Deportation Profiteer of the Year' award at the company's main UK offices in Potters BarPotters Bar
Potters Bar is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire, England, located north of Central London. In 2001 it had a population of 21,618....
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
.