Dream Vacations Offers Free Travel Franchises To Military Veterans

Image generated with Ai

Leading travel agency franchise Dream Vacations is recruiting military veterans to enlist in its 13th annual, award-winning “Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General” contest. The contest is open for entries from now through September 2, 2024. As part of the nationwide contest, Dream Vacations will award three veterans a free franchise. Since 2012, this initiative has given away 61 franchises valued at more than $700,000.

Celebrating Veteran Entrepreneurship

“At Dream Vacations, we’re deeply committed to supporting our veterans. We always aim to go the extra mile for our military heroes and their families,” said Drew Daly, senior vice president and general manager of Dream Vacations. “Through our annual Operation Vetrepreneur contest, we’re excited to help veterans achieve their dreams of owning a business and finding success for themselves and their families. This is our way of saying thank you and giving back to those who served our country with honor.”

Contest Eligibility and Participation

The Dream Vacations franchise contest is open to former members of any of the six branches of the U.S. military (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard) who are retired, off active duty, and/or honorably discharged prior to the contest start date and are residents of the U.S. To participate, candidates must complete an online entry form and an introductory phone interview with a Franchise Development Manager. Candidates will be required to submit a candidate profile, business plan, and video. Finalists will be invited to participate in follow-up phone interviews before the winners are selected.

Prize Details

Three winners will be notified in September 2024. Each grand prize is valued at $12,300 and includes a complimentary Dream Vacations franchise with a waived $10,500 initial start-up fee and monthly administrative service fees for the first year. After completing Dream Vacations’ New Franchisee Training, the winners will be equipped with all the tools and knowledge they need to begin their journey as small business owners creating dream vacations.

Testimonials from Previous Winners

“Melissa and I have always had an interest in the travel industry. The Dream Vacations Vetrepreneur contest seemed like an opportunity to make that a reality. We thought it was cool that a company would not only honor Veterans with their words, but that they would put their money where their mouth was in the form of a franchise,” said Ron Hargrove, United States Navy Veteran and one of the 2023 Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General winners from Genoa, Ill. “We were shocked to find out that we won, and even more surprised to discover that they would fly us to training and provide us with so many tools to succeed. We are now just a few months after officially launching our franchise, and we have exceeded our own expectations thanks to the training and support teams at Dream Vacations!”

Franchising Opportunities for Veterans

According to the Department of Defense, more than 200,000 military veterans are entering the civilian workforce each day, and Dream Vacations recognizes that franchising provides a unique opportunity to leverage the traits gained in the military and translate them to entrepreneurship. This includes teamwork, decisive thinking, leadership, and self-discipline. Those who have served in the Armed Forces also have an innate desire to serve others and see the world, which are important aspects of being a successful travel franchise owner.

Additional Veteran Incentives

Military veterans and Gold Star families interested in starting a work-from-home business immediately can purchase a Dream Vacations travel agency business now at a 30 percent discount, receive an enlistment package valued at no less than $5,000, and will have their administrative fees waived, which is valued at $1,800. In addition to having access to the Command Center, an internal portal with veteran-specific training and veteran-themed marketing assets, all veterans and Gold Star families receive a waived training fee for a business partner and the ability to hire active-duty military spouses and veterans as associates at a discount. Additional veteran incentives include the ability to move residences and stay in business, travel discounts for military customers, and access to veteran networking groups.

Recognitions and Awards

The only travel franchise to receive a 5 STAR-ranking from the International Franchise Association’s VetFran initiative, Dream Vacations proudly supports military veterans and is consistently recognized by leading industry publications as a veteran-friendly franchise. Dream Vacations was named Entrepreneur magazine’s top franchise for veterans in 2021, and in the category, has ranked either first or second out of 150 franchises nationwide since 2017. Other recent number one rankings include Military Times and Forbes. In 2024, Dream Vacations was named the No. 1 travel agency franchise by Entrepreneur magazine for adapting and evolving when facing the unique challenges and changes that shaped the franchise industry over the last year. Additional recognitions include inclusion on G.I. Jobs annual “Hot Franchises for Veterans,” US Veterans magazine’s “Top Veteran-Friendly Companies,” USA Today’s “50 Top Franchises for Military Veterans,” and recognition by MSC Cruises in its Seaside Salute Award. The “Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General” program won gold from the Travel Weekly Magellan Awards and the IFA Franchising Gives Back Awards.

About Dream Vacations

Travel agents with the top-ranked home-based travel agency franchise Dream Vacations have the resources to plan and create seamless vacation experiences for their customers while offering the best value. A member of the International Franchise Association, Dream Vacations is part of World Travel Holdings and has received franchise partner of the year, a top-ranking status, by all the major cruise lines as well as national recognition for its support of military veterans.