Canada


 

CWT Canada History

1872

Belgian innovator Georges Nagelmackers begins a new enterprise with the sole purpose of serving the traveller. Adding sleeping compartments to trains serving the European continent, he founded the company, Wagons-Lits, which literally means "sleeping car." Nagelmackers goes on to create the Orient Express.

 

1888

The Ask Mr. Foster travel agency is founded in St. Augustine, Florida, making it one of the oldest travel agencies in the United States. Its unusual name is the result of one local St. Augustine resident, Ward G. Foster, who is the unofficial keeper of the train timetables. When tourists inquire about the time of train arrivals or departures, they are told to "Ask Mr. Foster."

 

1928

Full-service Wagons-Lits travel agencies spring up in rail ticket offices throughout Europe.

 

1931

P. Lawson Agencies is founded in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

 

1957

Ask Mr. Foster changes hands when two shareholders, Donald Fisher and Thomas Orr, pay $157,000 for controlling interest in the company, which has seen hard times during, and in the wake of, World War II.

 

1960

The "Compagnie des Wagons-Lits" expands its mission of serving travelers to become Wagons-Lits Travel, Europe's largest travel management company.

 

1972

Peter Ueberroth acquires Ask Mr. Foster and its 29 branch offices for $1 million. When Ueberroth sells the company seven years later, it is comprised of more than 100 branches and annual revenues in excess of $100 million.

 

1974

P. Lawson Travel acquires Voyages Bel-Air.

 

1979

Carlson Companies, Inc. purchases Ask Mr. Foster.

 

1980

Wagons-Lits Travel is the first in Europe to have client-based offices, introduce the widespread use of computer reservation systems, and offer global reporting to European business travel customers. It expands quickly and through major acquisitions achieves strong positions in Denmark, Spain, Germany, the UK and Eastern Europe.

 

1983

Carlson Companies acquires P. Lawson Travel.

 

1986

P. Lawson Travel enters a joint partnership with Harvey's Travel Limited of St. John's, Newfoundland.

 

1990

Ask Mr. Foster changes its name to Carlson Travel Network, to better position the travel company for the 1990s and beyond, and also to capitalize on the professionalism, strength, and synergy of the Carlson Companies.

 

1990

Wagons-Lits joins Accor.

 

1993

Wagons-Lits changes its name to Wagonlit Travel and consolidates its network, products and services for multinational companies.

 

1994

P. Lawson Travel became part of Carlson Travel Network.

 

1994

Carlson Companies, Inc. of Minneapolis and the Accor Group of Paris combine the business travel interests of their two companies, Carlson Travel Network and Wagonlit Travel, under the name Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

 

1995

Carlson Wagonlit Travel enters the Asia Pacific market with acquisitions in Hong Kong and Japan.

 

1996

Increasing its presence in Asia Pacific, Carlson Wagonlit Travel acquires a company in Singapore and finalizes a 50/50 joint venture in Australia.

 

1997

Carlson Travel Network in the U.S. and Wagonlit Travel in Europe finalize the merger to form the Carlson Wagonlit Travel network for business travel. The merged company is the first true global travel services company with international management. In Australia, Carlson Wagonlit Travel acquires the remaining 50% of the joint venture company and becomes wholly owned in this market.

 

2000

Digital Business is at the heart of development strategy. Further global expansion takes place with an acquisition in Thailand and joint ventures in Indonesia and India. In Japan, a joint venture agreement with Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) is completed to form JTB-CWT Business Travel Solutions.

 

2001

Joint venture with Japan Travel Bureau resulting in the creation of JTB/CWT Business Travel Solutions. Joint venture with Concorde Travel in South Africa. Acquisition of AC Travel in Germany making CWT the 3rd largest player in that market.

 

2003

CWT opens its first eCenter in Warsaw, Poland.  This new service configuration is designed to handle multinational clients with business travelers in several European cities, all from a single Business Travel Center. CWT’s joint venture with China Air Service creates China’s first specialist business travel agency in Beijing. In December, CWT signs an intention to purchase Protravel in France and integrate business, leisure, and group and incentive travel activities.

 

2004

Hubert Joly is named President and CEO of CWT in July.

 

CWT acquires Maritz Corporate Travel in the United States in March, and Onboard in Germany in October, demonstrating its continuous commitment to taking a lead role in the consolidation of the travel management industry.

 

CWT purchases Protravel in France and integrates its business travel, leisure travel, and group and incentive travel activities in this strategic market. The new entity becomes the largest player in the French travel-distribution market.

 

CWT’s joint venture in China extends to Shanghai and Guangzhou and the first national call center is created for General Electric, servicing travelers from more than 30 cities.

 

2005

Geographic expansion continues with the acquisition of the business travel of Raiffeisen Reisen Wien GmbH in Austria, Frantour in France, CWT Brazil and CWT Mexico.

 

Opening of eCenter in Belfort, France.

 

Significant enhancements and upgrades to CWT global products and services, including: 

-Globalization of the CWT Solutions Group, the company’s consulting division

  • Global reseller agreement with iJET for enhanced safety and security products and services
  • -Launch of Direct Connect technology for Hotels, p roviding travelers and agents with direct access to hotel inventory
  • -Strengthening and globalization of our information-delivery processes and systems
  • -Enhancements to the CWT Discovery offering and progress in implementing a single data warehouse and common client-reporting platform worldwide

 

2006

In September, CWT opens a Latin American regional reservations center in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 

In August, CWT finalizes acquisition of Navigant International, doubling its size in North America and reinforcing its presence in Asia Pacific.

A change in CWT's shareholding structure also occurs in August: Carlson Companies and One Equity Partners (OEP) acquire Accor's 50-percent stake in CWT. Carlson becomes majority shareholder with 55 percent of CWT shares, while OEP holds the remaining 45 percent.

In May, CWT signs a global reseller agreement with Amadeus to distribute its online booking system Amadeus e-Travel Management, the most widely deployed online booking solution for global managed travel.

In March, CWT signs a reseller agreement with GetThere to offer CWT clients worldwide greater flexibility when choosing their online corporate travel reservation system.

 

2007

    The CWT Program Management Center, a proprietary web-based tool designed to help streamline and optimize travel program management, is launched in May.

     

    CWT U.K. unveils a carbon calculator tool in February to advise environmentally aware travelers of the level of CO2 emissions a trip by air or rail is likely to produce.

     

    In January, Hubert Joly and Mike Koetting are named among "The 25 Most Influential Executives of the Business Travel Industry, 2006" by Business Travel News.