Cta Cerritos Travel Agency

What Cta Cerritos Travel Agency does

CTA Travel is a privately held, full-service travel agency founded in 1975 and headquartered in Cerritos, California, operating with approximately 11 employees including travel advisors, managers, and independent contractors. The company sells cruises (ocean and river), escorted and non-escorted vacations, hotels and resorts, specialty travel categories (Alaska, Hawaii, luxury, family, group, Mexico, active adventures), corporate travel management, and a differentiated free Honeymoon Registry platform. Distribution runs through a single office plus phone, email, and an online quote-request funnel, with the agency accredited under IATA and CLIA and registered as a California Seller of Travel (CST 2018799-40).

The underlying technology stack is conventional for an agency of this scale: a content website with cruise, vacation, and hotel search tools, online quote capture, a Signature Travel Network-branded mobile app for in-trip information, and standard web analytics/ads pixels (Google Analytics, Meta Pixel). No proprietary booking platform, APIs, or AI/ML systems are disclosed. The agency's primary differentiation is human expertise — advisors with claimed first-hand experience across 165+ countries and 19+ cruise lines, supported by long-standing supplier relationships with AmaWaterways, Silversea, and the broader Signature Travel Network.

CTA Travel earns revenue primarily through supplier commissions on cruise, hotel, tour, and vacation bookings, supplemented by non-refundable management fees and booking processing fees. Pricing is per-person, transaction-based, and spans budget trips under $1,500 through luxury cruises above $6,000. Go-to-market is a hybrid sales-led model: dedicated personal advisors handle individual leisure travelers (honeymooners, families, luxury clients) while a separate corporate travel division, led by Director of Sales Justin Dolan, serves business accounts. Marketing is multi-channel but light — email signup, website SEO, paid social, travel videos, and Signature Travel Network sweepstakes/co-branded content.

Name

Cta Cerritos Travel Agency

Legal name

CTA Travel

Website

https://ctatravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CTA Travel is a privately held, full-service travel agency in Cerritos, California, founded in 1975, serving leisure and corporate clients with cruises, vacations, hotels, and a honeymoon registry through dedicated personal advisors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510), Travel Agencies (56151), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Cruise Travel Agencies & Specialist Cruise Consultants (THAEAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leisure & Generalist Retail Travel Agencies (THAKABAA), Luxury Travel Agencies (THAKAFAA), Cruise Planning & Booking (HSACAKAE)

Keywords

• Travel agency services
• Cruise booking
• Vacation packages
• Honeymoon planning
• Corporate travel management

Headquarters

HQ city

Cerritos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Booking Commissions: Earns commissions from cruise lines, hotels, tour operators, and other travel suppliers on bookings made for clients
2. Management Fees: Non-refundable management fee charged for confirming customer reservations
3. Booking Processing Fees: Additional fees charged during booking process, subject to change without notice

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CTA Travel is a full-service travel agency that plans and books cruises, escorted and independent vacation packages, hotels and resorts, specialty travel (Alaska, Hawaii, family, luxury, group), and corporate travel management services for clients across the United States and worldwide destinations. The agency earns revenue primarily through supplier commissions on bookings and non-refundable management fees charged on confirmed reservations. It differentiates through dedicated travel advisors who manage each trip from planning through the client's return, leveraging 50+ years of operation and first-hand advisor experience across 165+ countries and 19+ cruise lines.

Product overview

CTA Travel operates as a full-service travel agency offering a portfolio of interconnected travel products and services. The core offerings include cruise bookings (ocean and river), vacation packages (escorted and non-escorted), hotel reservations through Signature Hotels & Resorts, and a unique Honeymoon Registry service. The agency also provides specialty travel categories such as Alaska, Hawaii, luxury, family, and group travel. Corporate Travel Management services handle business travel needs. The product ecosystem includes partner services for visa/passport processing (CIBT), shore excursions, and a mobile app, all connected through the Signature Travel Network partnership. The agency has been serving clients for over 50 years with personal travel advisor support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cruises Ocean and river cruise booking services with access to multiple cruise lines including AmaWaterways, Silversea, and Signature Collection. Cruise specialists provide expert planning for cruise experiences across destinations worldwide.
• Vacations Escorted and non-escorted vacation packages with access to vacation suppliers and search-by-destination capabilities for history, adventure, and peaceful getaway experiences.
• Hotels & Resorts Signature-rated hotels and resorts booking with access to hundreds of properties worldwide and special deals, offering valuable privileges at participating properties.
• Honeymoon Registry Free online gift registry service allowing couples to create a honeymoon registry where guests can purchase travel experiences, dinners, tours, and activities as wedding gifts.
• Specialty Travel Specialized travel categories including Active Adventures, Alaska Cruises/Tours, Culinary Travel, Family Travel, Group Travel, Hawaii Vacations, Luxury Travel, Mexico Getaways, and World Destinations, curated by travel specialists.
• Corporate Travel Management

Quantifiable outcome

• Travel advisors manage each trip from planning until clients return home to ensure any unforeseen circumstances are addressed

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Signature Travel NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTA Travel is associated with Signature Travel Network, providing access to World Wide Destination Specialists with local contacts at destinations, exclusive offers, sweepstakes, and network marketing resources. The affiliation enhances their global reach and supplier relationships.
• Kern TravelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKern Travel partners with CTA Travel, combining 40+ years of specialized experiential journeys with CTA Travel's 50+ years of industry leadership. Shay DeWeese remains a trusted advisor to Kern Travel clients working in partnership with CTA Travel team.
• AmaWaterwayscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred river cruise partner. CTA Travel President Cathie Lentz Fryer serves as Godmother of AmaWaterways' AmaFiora ship. Multiple hosted group departures offered including Rhine & Moselle Delights and Flavors of Portugal & Spain cruises.
• SilverseacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLuxury cruise partner featured in multiple hosted group departures including Iberian Adventure with Silversea and The Nippon Voyage with Silversea (Japan).
• CIBT Visas & PassportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVisa and passport services partner with over 50 years experience. CTA Travel refers clients to CIBT for travel documentation assistance.
• Shore Excursions GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate partner for booking shore excursions. Offers savings of up to 50% with hot deals and multi-port packages.
• TourSales.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate partner for booking land tours. CTA Travel receives referral compensation for bookings made through their affiliate link.
• Major Cruise Lines (Azamara, Carnival, Celebrity, Crystal, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, Oceania, Princess, Norwegian, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Windstar, Uniworld)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCTA Travel advisors have first-hand cruise experience on 19+ major cruise lines, providing deep product knowledge for matching clients with appropriate cruise partners. These are preferred suppliers for booking cruise vacations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cruise Planners: Large cruise-specialist franchise network in the US with similar commission-based travel advisor model. Directly comparable to CTA Travel on cruise booking focus, hosted group departures, and Signature Travel Network affiliation style partnerships.
• Avoya Travel: US host agency model with independent travel advisors selling cruises, vacations, and tours via commission. Comparable to CTA Travel in advisor-led leisure cruise/vacation sales, supplier partnerships, and premium leisure positioning.
• KHM Travel Group: US host travel agency with a network of independent travel advisors specializing in cruises and leisure travel. Comparable business model to CTA Travel's commission-based advisor sales and cruise/vacation focus.
• Nexion Travel Group: Host travel agency under Internova providing back-office, supplier access, and consortia benefits to independent advisors. Comparable to CTA Travel on the affiliated agency/advisor model serving leisure and corporate clients.

Emerging players

• Fora Travel: Tech-enabled travel advisor network targeting premium leisure and millennial/affluent travelers with curated cruise and vacation offerings. Emerging competitor and adjacent peer to CTA Travel in cruise/vacation advisor sales.

Broad incumbents

• Travel Leaders Network: Large US retail travel agency network (part of Internova) offering leisure, cruise, and corporate travel services. Broad incumbent comparable to CTA Travel on full-service travel offerings and supplier relationships.
• Direct Travel: Large US corporate travel management company serving enterprise and SMB clients. Comparable to CTA Travel on the dedicated corporate travel division and personalized account management model.
• American Express Travel: Premium global travel services division of American Express offering cruises, vacations, and luxury travel through Card Member advisors. Broad incumbent serving premium leisure clients similar to CTA Travel's luxury traveler segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cta Cerritos Travel Agency