10 July 2025

Caravan New gTLD Application

10 July 2025

Click to view Chinese translation articles.

---------------------------------

New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: Caravan International, Inc.

String: Caravan

Originally Posted: 13 June 2012

Application ID: 1-1847-21047

Applicant Information

Full legal name

Caravan International, Inc.

Address of the principal place of business

401 N Michigan Avenue

Chicago IL 60611

Phone number

+1 312 321 9800

Fax number

+1 312 321 9810

If applicable, website or URL

Primary Contact

6(a). Name

Mr. Michael Rodenbaugh

6(b). Title

Founder-Rodenbaugh Law

6(c). Address

6(d). Phone Number

+01 415 738 8087

6(e). Fax Number

+01 415 738 8087

6(f). Email Address

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Secondary Contact

7(a). Name

Mr. Brendan Patrick Duffy

7(b). Title

Sales Director

7(c). Address

7(d). Phone Number

+1 312 545 8267

7(e). Fax Number

7(f). Email Address

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Proof of Legal Establishment

8(a). Legal form of the Applicant

Corporation

8(b). State the specific national or other jursidiction that defines the type of entity identified in 8(a).

Caravan International, Inc., is an Illinois domestic corporation, incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois, USA.

8(c). Attach evidence of the applicant's establishment.

Attachments are not displayed on this form.

9(a). If applying company is publicly traded, provide the exchange and symbol.

9(b). If the applying entity is a subsidiary, provide the parent company.

9(c). If the applying entity is a joint venture, list all joint venture partners.

Applicant Background

11(a). Name(s) and position(s) of all directors

Beatrice Duffy Treasurer

Thomas Dennis Duffy President

11(b). Name(s) and position(s) of all officers and partners

Beatrice Duffy Treasurer

Thomas Dennis Duffy President

11(c). Name(s) and position(s) of all shareholders holding at least 15% of shares

Beatrice Duffy Treasurer

Thomas Dennis Duffy President

11(d). For an applying entity that does not have directors, officers, partners, or shareholders: Name(s) and position(s) of all individuals having legal or executive responsibility

Applied-for gTLD string

Provide the applied-for gTLD string. If an IDN, provide the U-label.

Caravan

14(a). If an IDN, provide the A-label (beginning with "xn--").

14(b). If an IDN, provide the meaning or restatement of the string in English, that is, a description of the literal meaning of the string in the opinion of the applicant.

14(c). If an IDN, provide the language of the label (in English).

14(c). If an IDN, provide the language of the label (as referenced by ISO-639-1).

14(d). If an IDN, provide the script of the label (in English).

14(d). If an IDN, provide the script of the label (as referenced by ISO 15924).

14(e). If an IDN, list all code points contained in the U-label according to Unicode form.

15(a). If an IDN, Attach IDN Tables for the proposed registry.

Attachments are not displayed on this form.

15(b). Describe the process used for development of the IDN tables submitted, including consultations and sources used.

15(c). List any variant strings to the applied-for gTLD string according to the relevant IDN tables.

Describe the applicant's efforts to ensure that there are no known operational or rendering problems concerning the applied-for gTLD string. If such issues are known, describe steps that will be taken to mitigate these issues in software and other applications.

Caravan International, Inc. foresees no known rendering issues in connection with the proposed .Caravan string which it is seeking to apply for as a TLD. This answer is based upon consultation with Caravan International, Inc.’s preferred backend provider, Neustar, which has successfully launched a number of new TLDs over the last decade. In reaching this determination, the following data points were analyzed:

- ICANN’s Security Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) entitled Alternative TLD Name Systems and Roots: Conflict, Control and Consequences (SAC009);

- IAB - RFC3696 “Application Techniques for Checking and Transformation of Names”

- Known software issues which Neustar has encountered during the last decade launching new TLDs;

- Character type and length;

- ICANN supplemental notes to Question 16; and

- ICANN’s presentation during its Costa Rica regional meeting on TLD Universal Acceptance;

(OPTIONAL) Provide a representation of the label according to the International Phonetic Alphabet (http://www.langsci.ucl.ac.uk/ipa/).

Mission/Purpose

18(a). Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD.

Answer 18(a)

The .Caravan TLD is intended to benefit Internet users by enabling Caravan International to communicate more easily, effectively and securely with all Internet users, and particularly with Caravanʹs many customers, employees and affiliates. The .Caravan TLD will become a supporting branding, technology, and services platform for Caravan Internationalʹs mission and business.

Caravan International, Inc. is an active Illinois corporation that was founded and incorporated in 1964. For 38 years, from 1964 until 2001, Caravan International operated guided vacations in over 30 countries, across Europe, Africa and Asia. Caravan International is under the same ownership and management as Caravan Tours, Inc., a leading travel company, founded in 1952. Caravan Tours marketed and sold the tours that Caravan International operated. These two companies have a long, close working relationship and have continuously shared office space at 401 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois since the office building was built in 1965. Following the events of September 11, 2001, Caravan International, ceased operating its international tours but has remained an active corporation. Caravan Tours has continued to market, sell, and operate guided vacations with current destinations featuring five countries in the Americas: Canada, United States, Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala.

Caravan International will be the .Caravan TLD operating company. Caravan is the public name and international corporate brand name for both Caravan International and Caravan Tours. The first use of Caravan was in 1958 and it has been in continuous use since then. Caravan Tours, Inc. registered Caravan as a trademark in 1962. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the issuance of the Caravan trademark. For consumers, travel agents and travel service providers the Caravan brand name has long been associated with affordably priced, quality vacations.

Caravan International has a long-term, sustainable vision for the development of the .Caravan TLD. Caravan International believes that the .Caravan TLD will help in the development of innovative travel products and services. Caravan International envisions that the dynamic possibilities of the .Caravan TLD and the domain names registered under it will be a great opportunity to interact online with current and potential customers, travel agents and travel service providers around the world. In addition, the .Caravan TLD will provide a unique opportunity for creating a secure, trusted internet platform. A strong internet presence, along with technologies such as the world wide web and email, are central to this on-going development. This is also reflected by Caravan Toursʹ current domain portfolio, of over 400 names.

The .Caravan Registry will provide an Internet space, under control of Caravan International, to allow for the distribution and exchange of information among Caravan International and its stakeholders by means of, but not limited to, websites, social networks, email and other technologies that will reside within the .Caravan domain name space.

Caravan International intends initially to reserve all names within the TLD to itself, and to primarily use any of those domain names for promotional and navigational purposes relating to the online presence and⁄or provision of goods and services of Caravan International and Caravan Tours.

Eventually, though not likely for at least three years post-delegation, Caravan International anticipates the possibility that Affiliates could license the use of domains within the TLD from Caravan International. However, such licenses could only be made via contract which limits the use of the domain name to purposes specified by Caravan International. Such terms would be enforced via monitoring and quick action to mitigate any negative effects of any such abuse, if any. Licenses of the domain names could be revoked by Caravan International at any time, for any reason.

18(b). How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

Answer 18(b)

The TLD is intended to benefit internet users by enabling Caravan International to communicate more easily and effectively with all internet users, and particularly with Caravan International’s many customers, employees and business associates. Internet users will benefit from a more distinctive and trustworthy Internet experience in dealing with Caravan International and its Affiliates. Caravan International expects to benefit from the TLD by increased and more effective brand recognition in its marketing and communications, and by having an ample supply of relevant and available domain names to use in its business. In addition, the TLD will permit Caravan International to have greater control over its online brand and services, including but not limited to robust trust and security features. In turn, those benefits are certain to result in a better internet user experience, particularly for those internet users interested in Caravan International and its products.

What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of specialty, service levels, or reputation?

The TLD ultimately is intended to function as Caravan International’s online branding and services platform. It is intended to function with leading-edge technologies and business practices, ensuring a trustworthy and positive user experience. The goal is to use Caravan International’s online infrastructure, services and marketing to encourage Internet users to interact online with Caravan International and its Affiliates.

Caravan International anticipates having an ample supply of relevant domain names available for its use, which will assist in marketing all of Caravan International’s products, delivering products and services, and developing new services.

Eventually, though not likely for at least three years post-delegation, Caravan International anticipates the possibility that Affiliates could license use of domains within the TLD from Caravan International. However, such licenses could only be made via contract which limits the use of the domain names to purposes specified by Caravan International. Such terms would be enforced via monitoring, and violations could lead to termination of the license. Licenses of the domain names could be revoked by Caravan International at any time, for any reason.

What do you anticipate your proposed gTLD will add to the current space, in terms of competition, differentiation, or innovation?

The TLD will provide an alternative for Caravan International and its stakeholders to the current TLDs. The branded nature of the TLD will serve as a differentiation force, as a distinctive name space that simplifies users’ choice to interact with Caravan International and⁄or its Affiliates. For example, many users more likely will be able to directly navigate to intuitive domains and subdomains, saving time and resources from first accessing a search engine.

As many industry insiders predict there will be many new branded TLDs, it is expected that consumers will learn to distinguish them from the existing TLDs and from new generic, geographical or cultural TLDs. Today, these brands are used and distinguished in the online marketplace and in the bricks and mortar world. Consumers will continue to distinguish them even as these brands will now be represented at the top level of the DNS. The very use by Caravan International of domains within the TLD ultimately should impact competition by lessening the amount of domain registrations that Caravan International registers and maintains with existing registration providers. This effect, multiplied by many companies who choose to own and operate their own TLDs, should result in increased competition among the existing registration providers. They will need to compete more fiercely for the remaining business interest in their existing TLDs, and with many new organizations offering use and⁄or registration of new TLD domain names. The logical effect should be lower pricing and better service for all Internet users.

The Caravan TLD will allow Caravan International to innovate and create many uses for domain names which today are too complicated, or are unforeseen. Today, it is often difficult to find a relevant and easily available domain name from existing registration providers. Even if one is found, often pricing is prohibitive because the domain name is only available on the secondary market. All new domains must be purchased from third parties and then managed as corporate assets. These expenses and complications can be dramatically reduced over time. Furthermore, an ample supply of immediately available, inexpensive domain names relevant to Caravan International is likely to pay dividends in ways we do not currently foresee.

What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?

The TLD ultimately is intended to function as Caravan International’s online branding and services platform. It is intended to function with leading-edge technologies and business practices, ensuring a trustworthy and positive user experience. The goal is to use Caravan International’s online infrastructure, services and marketing to encourage internet users to interact online with Caravan International and its Affiliates.

More specifically, Caravan International intends for users to perceive the TLD as a trustworthy indicator of the source of Caravan International’s online information and services. Caravan International intends to use advanced technical and policy measures to ensure the security of online transactions and communications, and to ensure that domain names in the TLD are only used for purposes authorized by Caravan International. Caravan International intends to provide a safe and legitimate Internet space, enhancing user experience by mitigating security-associated risks.

The TLD will reinforce the ideals of Caravan International. Therefore, domains within the TLD will only be used for purposes authorized by Caravan International. Policies to define and address any potential abuse of any domain name within the TLD will be established and enforced, to constantly reinforce the Caravan experience and the reputation of the space. These policies are described in further detail below in further response to this Question 18, and in response to Questions 28 and 29.

In addition, the TLD will provide an easily navigable and predictable domain name space. For example, geographicname.Caravan for locations of Caravan International’s localized websites, function.Caravan for websites related to that company function, product.Caravan for websites related to that product. All of this will lessen users’ confusion when interacting online with Caravan International.

Provide a complete description of the applicant’s intended registration policies in support of the goals listed above.

Caravan International intends to be the sole registrant of domain names within the TLD. This will ensure that such domain names only are used for purposes authorized by Caravan International. Only relatively few, specifically designated employees of Caravan International will have authority to use or to authorize the use of any such domain names.

To the extent that Caravan International authorizes Affiliates to use any such domain names, a written license will ensure that Caravan International maintains control over all use of the domain name(s). That license will include specific guidelines and restrictions relating to use of the domain name(s), including but not limited to specific prohibitions against:

- Illegal or fraudulent actions;

- Spam

- Phishing

- Pharming

- Willful distribution of malware: (Computer viruses, worms, keyloggers, and trojan horses etc)

- Botnet command and control

- Distribution of child pornography;

- Illegal Access to Other Computers or Networks

- Defamation of Caravan International, its businesses, employees, etc.

Use of any and all licensed TLD domains will be monitored, and compliance with the contractual restrictions and guidelines will be enforced. Violations of any restrictions, guidelines or other contractual conditions may result in termination of the registration and⁄or accompanying license. Indeed, such licenses to Caravan domain registrations will be revocable by Caravan International at any time, for any reason. Further policies will be implemented to prevent abuse of any TLD domain names, to monitor for such abuse and quickly mitigate any negative effects, and to set observable goals by which these policy implementations can be measured. Such policies further are described in answer to Questions 28 and 29.

Will your proposed gTLD impose any measures for protecting the privacy or confidential information of registrants or users? If so, please describe any such measures.

Caravan International intends for users to perceive the TLD as a trustworthy indicator of the source of Caravan International’s online information and services. User trust is enhanced when users are confident that they are in fact interacting with the website and service they are intending to interact with, and that their private or confidential information is securely protected. Caravan International intends to use advanced technical and policy measures to reasonably ensure the security of online transactions and communications, and to reasonably ensure that domain names in the TLD are only used for purposes authorized by Caravan International. Caravan International intends to provide a safe and legitimate Internet space, enhancing user experience by mitigating security-associated risks.

Caravan International intends to deploy DNSSEC and to comply with all of the other policies and practices required by ICANN in the Registry Agreement and⁄or via any Consensus Policy. And of course, Caravan International complies with all applicable laws and regulations relating to Internet security and the privacy of users’ confidential information. Furthermore, Caravan International already employs commercially reasonable practices with respect to the security of online transactions and users’ private or confidential information.

Further policies to protect information from abuse are stated in response to Questions 28 and 29.

Describe whether and in what ways outreach and communications will help to achieve your projected benefits.

Caravan International intends ultimately to use the TLD in many of its marketing initiatives, and in relation to many of its core operations and services. Use of the TLD in this way will effectively outreach and communicate to the intended audience the availability of the TLD, not only for the specific purpose at hand but also for more general or intuitive purposes. For example, a user who first sees an advertisement for product.Caravan may later directly navigate to search.Caravan to search for other products of Caravan International. Besides Caravan International’s own specific efforts to communicate the new TLD to its intended audience, Caravan International expects that audience and relevant media to further communicate the TLD as they communicate about Caravan International.

In sum, outreach and communication are important in order to achieve the projected benefits of the TLD, but also will be inherent in Caravan International’s use of the TLD, and further will be enhanced by the viral nature of communications about Caravan International. As it seems there will be many other Caravan TLDs presented to internet users, it is expected that the outreach, communications and media relating to each of them, individually, will lead to collective benefit insofar as many internet users will quickly grasp the concept behind these TLDs, and will expect many companies to operate them in generally consistent ways.

18(c). What operating rules will you adopt to eliminate or minimize social costs?

Answer 18(c)

In general, Caravan International intends for users to perceive the TLD as a trustworthy and intuitive indicator of the source of Caravan International’s online information and services. Caravan International intends to use advanced technical and policy measures to ensure the security and reliability of online transactions and communications taking place on domains within the TLD, and to ensure that domain names in the TLD are only used for purposes authorized by Caravan International. Caravan International intends to provide a safe and trustworthy Internet space, enhancing user experience by mitigating security-associated risks.

The TLD will reinforce the ideals of Caravan International. Therefore, domains within the TLD will only be used for purposes authorized by Caravan International. Policies to define and prevent abuse of TLD domain names will be established and enforced, to constantly ensure the integrity of users’ Caravan experience and the reputation of the TLD. These policies are described in further detail in answer to Questions 28 and 29.

How will multiple applications for a particular domain name be resolved, for example, by auction or on a first-come⁄first-serve basis?

Caravan International does not expect there to be multiple applications for a particular domain name. Caravan International will be the sole registrant of all domain names in the TLD, and will decide the most appropriate use for each domain, in the interests of internet users who wish to interact or communicate with Caravan International. Caravan International will maintain control over the registration and use of all domain names in the TLD, such that use of all domains in the TLD will inure to the benefit of Internet users who wish to interact or communicate with Caravan International.

Explain any cost benefits for registrants you intend to implement (e.g., advantageous pricing, introductory discounts, bulk registration discounts).

Do you intend to make contractual commitments to registrants regarding the magnitude of price escalation?

Caravan International will be the sole registrant of all domains in the TLD, in the interests of Internet users who wish to interact or communicate with Caravan International. There will be cost benefits to those users, via easier navigation and more trustworthy interaction with Caravan International. They should intuitively come to know and use Caravan domain names to directly navigate to their intended destination. Search engines may be needed less, lowering consumers’ time to get where they wish to go. Once they get there, they will have enhanced confidence that they are dealing directly with Caravan International or its Affiliates

To the extent Caravan International licenses use of the domain names to Affiliates, it is likely that the domain name license will be a small part of a larger relationship, and thus ‘price’ of the domain registration would be insignificant. Price is further insignificant since the domains could have no value if registered or used in any manner unauthorized by Caravan International.