Franchise 50 Rates Carlson Wagonlit Travel Program Number 1 Among Travel And Hospitality

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (Thursday, March 23, 2006) - For many years, the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate Program has earned high rankings on annual lists that measure the overall size of franchise networks by locations and annual sales volumes. Now, a definitive examination of why the program performs so well has been released: Franchise Business Review™ has just rated the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate Program tops among all travel and hospitality franchise organizations on its Franchise 50 list, based entirely on franchisee satisfaction.

"Not only did Carlson Wagonlit Travel (Associates) receive our Franchise 50 Best-in-Category Award for the travel and hospitality industry, they were ranked 14th overall on our list of top 50 franchise companies," said Eric Stites, Founder and President of Franchise Business Review. "Without a doubt, Carlson Wagonlit Travel puts their franchise owners first and their franchise opportunity ranks among the best of the best in franchising today."

"Based on our own internal surveys each year, we already knew that there was a high level of satisfaction by those agencies proudly flying the Carlson Wagonlit Travel flag, but the Franchise Business Review's ‘Franchise 50' provides us with independent, third-party reaffirmation of that satisfaction that will help us grow," stated Roger E. Block, CTC, executive vice president of the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate Division. "We're thrilled that our program rates very highly in terms of overall satisfaction and our relationship, among other criteria, with our Associates."

The Franchise 50 surveyed 47% of all Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates on five specific criteria: Training & Support, Franchise System, Franchisor Relationship, Financial Opportunity and Overall Satisfaction.

Associates were given a five-point scale on which to rate the program (5=excellent, 4=very good, 3=good, 2=average and 1=poor). According to the survey, Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates gave their program the following scores:

• Training & Support – 3.9

• Franchise System – 3.9

• Franchisor Relationship – 4.2

• Financial Opportunity – 3.8

• Overall Satisfaction – 4.1

"Franchise Business Review is designed to get prospective franchise buyers the feedback they need to make a timely investment decision," explained Stites. "With the help of Franchise Business Review, the standard questions that every prospective franchisee wants to know are answered by existing franchisees and accessible online in minutes." The Franchise 50 will go online during March at www.Franchise50.com.

"The Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate Program has continued to succeed because of our dedication to each individual Associate and the positive word-of-mouth they have provided other travel agency owners interested in converting to a time-tested agency leader," noted Block.

Franchise Business Review is the premier validation service company in the franchise industry, assisting prospective franchise buyers through the examination process of today's leading franchise systems. Its services compress the typical due diligence process from weeks into just days, shortening the average sales cycle and increasing overall sales for franchisors.

For information on joining the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate Program, call 866-225-9026 or visit www.CarlsonTravel.com's franchise section.

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Carlson Travel Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Carlson Companies, Inc. Brands include: Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Cruise Holidays, Results Travel, SeaMaster Cruises, Carlson Leisure Travel Services and Carlson Destination Marketing Services. In 2006, for the tenth consecutive year, a Carlson Travel Franchise Group brand was named the top travel business franchise by Entrepreneur's Franchise 500®; Franchise Times ranked the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate Program as the 3rd top franchise overall in 2005 for the fifth year in a row.

Franchise Business Review is a national franchise market research firm that performs independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction and franchise buyer experiences. The firm administers the Franchise 50™ Awards - an annual rating of the top fifty franchise companies based on the highest level of overall franchisee satisfaction by participating companies. Franchise Business Review is headquartered in Portsmouth, NH and can be reached at 603.552.2747 or online at http://www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com or http://www.Franchise50.com

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