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10 Steps to Starting a Travel Agency from Home

If you're thinking of starting a travel agency from home, you're in luck. The cost to become a travel agent is relatively low and there are plenty of opportunities for someone with the passion to sell travel. Not only that, but starting a travel agency from home is becoming the most popular route to become a travel agent .

"Home-based independent advisors continue to dominate the travel agency landscape, accounting for 72% of travel advisors." -Phocuswright

According to Phocuswright's US Travel Agency Landscape 2023 , "Home-based independent advisors continue to dominate the travel agency landscape, accounting for 72% of travel advisors."

Want to throw your hat into the ring and start your own travel agency?

Starting any business is no walk in a park, but it certainly helps if you have someone to advise you and lay out a path. We're here to help support you and answer your questions as you start out on your new entrepreneurial journey!

PS: If you can't answer the question ' what do travel agents do ', let's have you read up on that first before you go all in on starting your own travel agency. 🤗

10 Steps to Starting Your Travel Agency From Home

Here's a summary of the steps to start your travel agency from home. If you've already completed some of the steps, you can click on the link to shortcut which step is best for you!

• Find your travel agency niche: Finding a travel agency niche is a great way to hone in on what about travel you're most passionate about. If you develop a niche, you'll be building your travel agency business on a strong foundation of your strengths, interests, and personal networks. Not only that, it will help you give direction as you start (and grow) your agency!
• Choose your travel agency name: This is often a step advisors struggle with, but don't skip it! Travel vendors need a travel agency name for their records. Make sure you have one ready so you can start selling travel.
• Choose a Travel Agency Business Structure: Most new-to-industry advisors will be choosing between a sole proprietorship or a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). It's a matter of balancing host requirements (if you go with one), business protections, your agency model, and your budget.
• Create a Travel Agency Business Plan: A travel agency business plan is a document that will help you cat herd all your amazing ideas for your business. It helps you define your mission and goals, helping you think through the process on how to get there. Best yet? We have a free 15-page travel agency business plan template you can use!
• Register Your Travel Agency with the State + Feds : This is a critical step so to legitimize your travel agency. You can register your LLC through the Small Business Administration (SBA) resource to find the steps to get registered with your specific state. This will enable you to do other fun steps like starting a business bank account.
• Get an FEIN : This is optional but recommended, here's why: It's free to get an FEIN, takes just a few minutes and if you move to a business structure that requires an FEIN in the future it will save you a few steps!
• Set Up Your Travel Agency Financials : Separating your business bank account from your personal account is required if you set up an LLC. But frankly, we recommend setting up business financials regardless of your agency model.
• Choose Between a Host Agency, Travel Franchise, or Your Own Accreditation: There are a lot of choices in which direction to go with your travel agency. Do you have your own vendor relationships and want to get your own travel accreditation? Do you want to partner with a host agency under your own brand so you take advantage of their aggregate sales volume? Do you want a turnkey agency option with a franchise? This will help you choose.
• Check Out Host Agency Reviews' Resources Page : Our resources page gives you tips on how to optimize our site to help start your travel agency from home.
• Sign Up for 7 Day Setup Accelerator Course: Within each of these steps, there are many many many other steps to starting a travel agency from home. (Yes, just like nesting dolls.) Our course gives you the tools and knowledge you need to go from the seed of an idea to hanging the shingle out for your travel agency!
• Bonus: Read up on what you can expect in terms of income potential as well as time and financial investment.

I know. It can be totally overwhelming. But if you're starting a travel agency from home, these steps will help prepare you to feel 10,000% (no those extra zeros are NOT typos!) more confident. What are the preliminary steps you need to take when starting a travel agency? Funny you should ask . . .

Here are the steps to take to start your travel agency from home:

1. Find a Travel Agency Niche

A niche is your friend. When you start your home-based travel agency, a niche will help you establish your brand, create your travel agency name, and allow you to focus your energies. Starting a travel agency without a niche is like traveling without a compass (or, let's be honest, a smartphone). Are you going to be focusing on a destination? Maybe you'll be like Andres Zuleta, who specializes in Japan tours:

Or maybe you'll focus on a type of travel, like Deb Fogarty, who specializes in cruising:

Or maybe you're like Will Medina and have a love for destination weddings and honeymoons:

Or maybe you're more attracted to the corporate world and aim to book travel for corporations like Karen Hurlbut:

Whatever your niche, it's the first problem to solve when you're starting your travel agency! We have a free brainstorming exercise to help you find niches that you're passionate about.

Try out our free brainstorming exercise on how to develop your niche here !

2. Choose Your Travel Agency's Name

Vendors will need a travel agency name for their records so have one ready before you start selling travel.

Whether you go with a host agency or choose to go independent, you're going to need a name for our agency. The vendors (hotels, cruise lines, airlines, etc) will need a travel agency name for their records so have one ready before you can start selling travel. Having a niche already picked out can help you as you decide on your travel agency's name .

Starting your travel agency (from home or otherwise) is a lot of work. The last thing you want as your travel agency opens its doors is a letter saying you've infringed on someone else's trademark! We help you through the things you need to consider when choosing a name for your agency. Are their any competitor's with similar names that will make it harder for you to pull up at the top of the search engines? Are the URLs available? Are their any copyrights? Is it too long to neatly fit on marketing materials? We go through this and a whole lot more, so dig in!

Here's the things to consider when choosing your travel agency's name!

3. Choose a Travel Agency Business Structure

You can change your business structure as your needs evolve.

A base step in starting your travel agency from home is deciding on a business structure. There's a lot that goes into what is the best fit for you. Do you have personal assets like a house or car that you want to make sure are protected? How much money do you want to spend?

We help you understand the different business structure options for your new travel agency : Sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, S Corp.

As you're starting your travel agency, you may feel like the low cost of a sole proprietor makes the most sense for you. It's important to know that you can change your business structure as your needs evolve.

As your business grows and you're making more bookings (which exposes you to more liability), you can always move to a structure that gives you more personal liability protection, like the LLC. While it's more expensive, and may not be feasible for everyone as they're starting their travel agency, the protection it offers to your personal assets is incredibly important as your business grows.

And what the heck is an S Corp anyhow? Don't worry, we'll give you the scoop and let you know when that should be a consideration for you.

4. Create Your Travel Agency Business Plan

Next step in starting your travel agency? A business plan!

While a travel agency business plan isn't technically required to start an agency, it is something I highly recommend. I didn't write a business plan when I started this site but I also knew online marketing, SEO, and the travel industry front and back. I also had the industry connections to make it work. Most people starting a travel agency from home either don't have experience in starting a company or they don't have experience in travel. This is where a business plan can help.

What a business plan does for you is it forces you to think through each different area of your business and come up with a plan. Will you stick to that plan 100%? Definitely not. But it gives you something to refer back to and helps you organize your thoughts. Plan to take a chunk of time to work on it as it's not something you want to do willy-nilly.

Not only that, but we made it really easy with our free 15-page travel agency business plan ! All you need to do is download our template and adapt it to your agency.

While I didn't write a business plan for Host Agency Reviews, I did write a VERY detailed travel agency business plan for you. :) It's completely filled out with a fictitious travel agency. That's helpful because you can use some of the data and ideas in there on your travel agency's business plan.

Here's a peek of the business plan. Just to note, this version is not editable! To get the editable version, download the travel agency business plan template (an editable version of the one below).

That was good stuff, right? So let's move on to some more logistics, getting your government paperwork in place.

5. Register Your Travel Agency with the State ... and Feds!

You're doing great!

Starting a travel agency from home isn't as tough as you thought, is it? When you have a road map, it's easier to navigate the start-up process.

Registering with the State

Ok, now that you've:

• nailed down your niche,
• come up with your name,
• and settled on a business structure.

The next step is letting the state government know you've got a company. The Small Business Administration (SBA) website shows   how to register your company's name by state . If you are an LLC, the SBA also has a state-by-state guide on how to register your LLC .

A word of warning: When doing a DBA, your business, even though they have different names, are still legally considered the same entity.

Registering your company with the state is an important step because you will need this proof to open a business bank account and other random things (running FB business ads, getting a loan) as your business grows. Do yourself a favor and when those certificates come in, keep them handy in a file for your company's legal documents.

When you start your travel agency, you may have registered it as Margarita Travel. But over time, that might change.

Let's say you fell into becoming the local destination wedding expert that everyone turned to. Margarita Travel works, but you want to have a more romantic name for those clients and different branding. So you create a new brand, Beach Romance , that specializes in destination weddings.

Do you need to let the state know about this new company, even though it's really your same company? Yuppers.

You'll need to file a DBA with the state. DBA is an acronym for "Doing Business As." It's also sometimes referred to as a fictitious name, trade name, or assumed name.

Your DBA is essentially saying, 'My formal company is Margarita Travel, but I also go by Beach Romance.'

To help you get a feel for the pros/cons of a dual-brand, listen to Andrey Zakahrenko's story of how his agency evolved into two brands: (This was our first ever podcast so please forgive the horrible sound quality!)

The one thing to know about DBAs is that they don't create a separate entity. DBAs just allows you to legally operate under different names.

A word of warning: When doing a DBA, your businesses, even though they have different names, are still legally considered the same entity. That means if someone sues Beach Romance for a honeymoon gone wrong, Margarita Travel is also being sued since it's the same company.

Registering with the Financial Crimes enforcement network

And can we talk about the Feds for a moment? They're doing their part to cut down on money laundering. (Score!) And... since money laundering happens through businesses, you're going to have to do a little paperwork with them. (Boo!)

You'll fill out the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) form to make sure you're on the up and up. :)

Don't worry, it's not too painful despite the fact the they name of the government org in charge—Financial Crimes Enforcement Network—sounds like they're going to send a SWAT team into your home at any moment.

6. Get an FEIN (Optional, but Recommended)

A Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) is like a social security number for your company. It's a number to identify your business and is sometimes referred to as an EIN.

Technically, you do not need an FEIN if you're a sole proprietor or a single-member LLC with no employees since you can use your social security number to file taxes.

However, I personally prefer not to give out my social security number if I don't have to. :) I also like to get my pencils lined up from the get-go.

It's free to get an FEIN and takes just a few minutes. A huge plus in getting one right off the bat when starting a travel agency is that if you move to a business structure that requires an FEIN, you won't have to worry about changing out your SS# for an FEIN on legal documents, bank accounts, etc.

Also, make sure to check in with your tax professional when it's tax filing time—for certain business structures, you may still file under your SS# even though you have an FEIN.

Confusing, I know. That's why you go to the professionals! 😊

7. Set Up Your Travel Agency Financials  

Like the FEIN, when you're starting a travel agency, you don't need a separate business bank account or credit card if you're a sole proprietor, but you'll have wished you'd had set one up come tax time!

Separating your personal bank account from the business account from the start makes accounting easier and will help you keep track of business expense write-offs.

Wondering what travel expenses you can write off as a travel advisor ? We've got a resource for that too. :)

Important to note: If you choose a business structure that offers personal liability protection, like an LLC, you need to keep your business and personal money separate. If you are mixing finances and paying personal bills out of your business account, or vice versa, that opens you up to personal liability.

The argument is that, yes, when you started your travel agency you chose an LLC structure, which protects your personal assets. BUT, clearly, the business and the owner are not separate entities because the owner is making business payments out of their personal bank account (or vice versa). And if you're one and the same, then your personal assets are also the business's assets.

There's a lot to consider when it comes to travel agency financials and getting the foundations laid.

Don't worry, we walk you through all things having to do with your travel agency's financials :

• what to consider when choosing your bank,
• the documents you need to have ready for the bank,
• what business credit cards are best,
• the most common software travel agencies use for their bookkeeping, and
• how to find a bookkeeper for your agency

8. Decide if a Host Agency Is Right for You

We mentioned host agencies at the very beginning of the article. And maybe you noticed the name of our site. We're big fans of host agencies for people starting a travel agency . . .but it's not for every agency out there.

That said, our travel advisor research reports continually show that new advisors almost always choose the host agency route.

Your next step is going to take a lot of research. You need to decide if you want to go with a host agency, franchise, or go independent.

Questions you might have:

• How do you know if you should go with a host agency, travel agency franchise , or if you should be independent and get your own accreditation ?
• How do you decide which travel consortium to join if you are independent?
• How do you choose a host agency when there are 200+ listed on the site ?

Don't you worry, little bird, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, but we have answers to all these questions. :)

To start, check out our article, " The Top 10 Benefits of Using a Host Agency . " If you read that and decide a host agency is a good fit for you, you'll move on to our article on choosing a host agency and take a look at our best host agencies of 2024 .

Oh, and we've got a great tool for you to help narrow down your list of host agencies and/or travel franchises in our choosing a host agency article. It's a nifty spreadsheet to help you narrow down your top host agency picks ! 😊

9. Read our Home-Based Travel Agent Resources Page  

We put together a page with loads of links so you don't have to scour the web. Here she be, the Home-Based Travel Agent Resources page. 😊

Not only that, connecting with host agencies, travel franchises and consortia couldn't be easier! You can go directly to a host's profile to write them via Host Agency Reviews' Q&A feature. The beauty of this is that tons of agents will also get to learn from your question too!

10. Sign up for HAR's 7 Day Setup Accelerator Course

Phew. That was list was a little overwhelming, wasn't it?

The fact is that there's a lot of groundwork that needs to take place in order to start a travel agency.  Wouldn't it be nice if someone with tons of experience who's helped over 10,000 agency get started could walk you through the setup?

We've got an option for that too! It's called our 7 Day Setup Accelerator course .

But don't take our word for it. Hear from some of our students on the value of bite-sized instructional videos, a supportive community, and access to the HAR team:

The course is written and taught by HAR Founder, Steph Lee, and professional Educator, Bridget Lee. It includes nine chapters with 70+ instructional videos, course quizzes, peer accountability, and monthly meet-ups with HAR members and industry experts. Check out HAR's 7DS Accelerator course below!!

As you can see, there are lots of things to do as you start a travel agency from home. But we're here to offer you a TON of resources and support.

So take a deep breath and we'll do it step-by-step together!

Once you start your travel agency from home, you'll have lots of other things that will demand your attention so laying the proper groundwork as soon as you can is smart business. 

Starting a Travel Agency from Home: What to Expect Time-Wise

In general, it will take a few years to get your agency off the ground.  This is the case with nearly all entrepreneurial endeavors.

Our travel advisor research reports continually show that it typically takes about 3 years to really start generating a sustainable income.

Here's why it can take time to see the cash flow when you starting a travel agency:

• It takes a while to build a client base and develop your brand
• Even when you do make your first bookings, you're not paid commission until after your client completes their travel (or after final payment for some vendors). So, if you make 7 bookings in January but the clients aren't traveling until November, you can see how your first-year money might be tight.
• Travel is something most people only do 1-2 times a year. Even with referrals and repeat clients, it can take a lot longer to build a steady business compared to a new restaurant or other service industries. 

Starting a Travel Agency from Home: What to Expect Money-Wise

And money. You probably want to know what you can expect when it comes to money and starting that travel agency from home, huh?! 😊

I hate to admit it but there is no one set answer. It depends on soooo many factors. The good news is that we were so curious to answer this question that we asked a few hundred new travel agents about their income in the first years of starting a travel agency.

Here's some hard data on travel agent income and travel agency start up costs in the first 5 years of business!

Even more travel agent income data

Want to dig into travel agent income data even more? Here's a great reading list that will give you an idea of what you might expect to earn when starting a travel agency: 

There's a lot of things to look forward to when it comes to a travel agent career . Check out our (free) annual event, Host Week , to get a flavor of what you can expect once you decide to start a travel agency.

The travel industry opens possibilities of traveling to beautiful places to help you do your job better. You'll get to attend things like FAM trips , ship inspections and go on site inspections. When you sell enough, you'll have access to travel agent rates .

All that said, it's important to understand that you still have to (*ahem*) work if you're a travel advisor- --you just get to have a lot more fun doing it than most people (yay)! :)

Questions? Ask Away.

I grew up in the travel industry and have I've worked with thousands of agents looking to start a travel agency. It's totally my jam. And it's not just my jam.

The entire HAR team is here to help you start (and grow) a successful travel agency. Ask us questions in the comments, drop us a line via email, or reach out to us on social. We love helping bring new people into our amazing industry! 🤗

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in July 2021. We updated this resource and republished it on publish date above.

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Everything You Need to Know About Becoming a Travel Agent

Here's what you should know before becoming a travel agent.

If you're someone who spends your days scanning flights , loves hotel rewards points, and in general, is a fervent traveler, you've probably wondered how to become a travel agent.

And, while it's true that living in the age of Expedia means travel agents are not as vital as they once were, people use them a lot more than you might think. Just because travelers aren't calling up an agent every time they need to book a quick flight doesn't mean they don't want to consult an expert for a big trip. This holds especially true when it comes to honeymoons or experiential trips that have a lot of moving parts — coordinating tour companies , translators, or multiple resort stays, for example. It's often easier to leave the logistics to someone else: travel agents.

You don't need a specific employment background to become a travel agent, so if you're looking for a fresh career start, that's totally OK. You have to start somewhere on your path to becoming a travel agent, and the sooner you jump in, the sooner you'll build your client base. On the other hand, if you're hoping to parlay your experience in a semi-related industry, be it marketing or hospitality, that can help because you'll have even more context for your new gig. Either way, this can be a rewarding career path (with some fun perks), so here's what you need to know to become a travel agent.

Formal Training Needed to Become a Travel Agent

While some four-year colleges, community colleges, and trade schools offer tourism certifications, it is not a requirement for those trying to become travel agents. Certificates of tourism can be very helpful, but so can previous training in marketing, hospitality, or even event planning. Ultimately, your knowledge of destinations, sales, itinerary planning, and booking software will be crucial for your career as a travel agent.

In terms of the training time you need to put in before becoming a fully-fledged travel agent, it depends. You could start your career right after high school, or you could put in one to four years to earn a certificate, associate's, or bachelor's degree in tourism. Of course, you could also change course from a related job, and morph your experience as, say, a destination wedding planner into a career as a travel agent.

Training Programs Available

You could take classes with a company like The Travel Institute to earn your certification. Not only will they teach you the basics of planning itineraries, but they'll also make sure you're learning about new cultures, world geography, and experiences you can have all over the world. They'll also help you decide what business route you want to take.

The Worst Mistakes You Can Make When Booking a Hotel, According to Experts

How to become a travel agent: the logistics.

Becoming a travel agent will likely mean starting your own business . On the plus side, it requires relatively little overhead. If you're becoming a small business owner by opening a yoga studio, for example, you will need to rent a space, deal with permits, buy supplies, build a website, and pay yoga teachers and someone to work the front desk. However, if you're starting a travel agent business, you can operate from your living room and there aren't nearly as many upfront costs.

You will have to think about what type of business you want to become. Do you want to incorporate or become an LLC? Would you rather be a sole proprietor? Incorporating takes the most effort, and is often the most expensive. Becoming an LLC is a good happy medium because it can help protect you as a business entity without having as many associated costs. Small business owners typically become an LLC to protect their personal assets. If you get sued as an LLC, someone can come after your business holdings, but can't come after your house, car, or personal savings.

If you choose to remain a sole proprietor (which doesn't require any fees or legwork), you are essentially a freelancer or independent contractor. You can be an LLC and an independent contractor, too — they aren't mutually exclusive. If you want to be an independent contractor, it likely means you're working as part of a larger host agency, which is smart to do when you're starting out as a travel agent. Down the road, you can also own a travel agency franchise. Owning a franchise might come with more overhead costs, and that would be a reason to incorporate.

If you're an independent contractor, you should know that your taxes aren't going to be as straightforward as a full-time employee's might be. You may have to start keeping track of your business expenses, as you might be able to write them off. You also might not get things like health benefits from your employer. As you plan your new career, consider sitting down with an established travel agent to ask them some logistical questions: Where do they get their health insurance? How do they keep track of their income and expenses? Do they use an accountant to do their taxes? While meeting with the travel agent, you can discuss the pros and cons of working for a larger agency, too. If you're not sure how to get in touch with other travel agents, consider using social media, like LinkedIn or even Instagram.

What to Think About When You Become a Travel Agent

Once you've secured work as a travel agent, you'll want to think about how you can earn more money and distinguish yourself from other agents. Here are three things to consider as you start your career.

Making Commissions: If you're working for a larger travel agency as an independent contractor, how do commissions work? Make sure you have this conversation early on before accepting the position. When you're starting out, you want to make sure the commission rate you're receiving is similar to the industry standard.

Growing Your Client Base: How do you make more money as a travel agent? Clients, clients, clients. You want happy customers who will return to you every time they want to book a travel experience. You'll want to keep your clients happy by finding them great deals, curating unbelievable experiences for them, and simply being great to work with.

Establishing a Niche: This is by no means a requirement for becoming a travel agent, but as you establish your career, you may want to consider focusing on a specific niche. For example, perhaps you're someone who focuses on honeymoon travel , luxury travel, or adventure travel . Your niche can help you attract clients, and it can be anything in the travel realm, as long as there's a need for it.

Related Articles

How to Become a Home-Based Travel Agent: Everything You Need to Know

Nothing feels better than being your own boss. ​In most fields, you need the infrastructure and support of a reputable corporation to reach anything beyond the low-hanging fruit. In the travel industry, things are changing—and if you move now, you can catch the wave.

While the industry used to be dominated by travel agencies, it is increasingly the domain of independent agents. Experienced agents already have the knowledge, training, and qualifications they need to professionally book travel arrangements for clients. According to a 2018 survey, 61% of these independent travel agents make between 10-30% more than when they worked for an agency, and 23.5% earn more than 30% more! The most attractive part of starting your own independent travel agency is the freedom to work for yourself, on your own hours, with your own clients, in your own home. But like all good things, independence comes with risks. As an independent travel agent, you have to assume the risks of entrepreneurship. You must also develop a personal brand that distinguishes you from other agents and from corporate agencies. The right tools and partnerships can empower you to overcome these obstacles and start working for yourself. Once you learn how to become a home-based travel agent, you will truly be able to enjoy your freedom and earn top commissions working directly with clients. You will be free to decide when, where, and for whom you work—and this guide will show you how.

How to Become a Travel Agent from Home in 3 Steps

If you have experience in the travel industry, then you're at a great advantage, however even if you're just starting, becoming your own agency breaks down to five crucial steps:

1. Find Your Grove

Customers look to independent travel agents for individualized customer service and niche expertise they can't get from a corporate agency. Although you may have experience with cruise lines, scuba trips, honeymoons, and adventure trips, you need to choose the types of travel experiences you're most familiar with and focus on them. Once you know what your preferred niche is, you need to learn everything there is to know about it. This could mean being an expert in a specific destination—in its local customs, cultures, languages, and tourist attractions—or being an expert in a particular type of vacation. In today's travel environment, we usually see the best results when independent agents combine different travel specialties to create a niche. For instance, combining scuba and cruise ship trips, or adventures and honeymoons. Whatever your combined niche is, your clients will expect you to have answers for all of their questions, so be prepared to deliver. The key to thriving as a home-based travel agent is knowing what your clients want and being able to deliver before they have to ask for it. Focusing on your niche allows you to deeply understand your clients and create a personal brand that speaks to their needs. Young, adventure-minded travelers, for instance, will respond to edgy, exciting brand messaging. Retired veterans, on the other hand, demand different treatment—you must know your client. As a home-based travel agent, you are directly responsible for your income. If you haven't brushed up on your sales skills, you may want to. Travel Quest World, EDGE, and regional travel conferences can help you create a solid foundation for your future. Not only must you make sales without the large corporate team backing you up, but you also have to tend to the needs of a more demanding customer base—people willing to pay extra for premium service.

2. Consider a Host Agency

Independent travel agents still need to use state-of-the-art technology to manage their customer relationships, make timely bookings, and track commissions accurately. You still need a top-shelf insurance policy to handle potential liabilities. Partnering with a host agency gives you access to these important tools and benefits. This is a secret that large corporate travel agencies don't want you to know. The truth is that becoming an independent travel agent doesn't mean you're completely on your own. The key to starting a successful travel agency while working from home is choosing the right host agency to collaborate with. The travel industry has evolved. Home-based independent travel agents are becoming the new norm because much of the time-consuming legwork that goes into making travel plans for clients can be streamlined and scaled using new technology. The same Internet that enables travelers to book their own flights and make their own travel arrangements also makes travel agents' jobs easier. And although it may seem counterintuitive, the hyper-connected Millennial generation actually relies on travel agencies more than previous generations do. This means that independent agents will spend less time typing code into a Global Distribution System (GDS) and more time talking to clients about exciting opportunities off-the-beaten-path. In fact, one in three leisure travel agents and one in five corporate travel agents prefer using the Internet to using a GDS. But there are still certain things you need to assure your new career as an independent travel agent is a successful one. Host agencies lay the groundwork for you to showcase your expertise and deliver value to travelers while retaining 100% ownership of your travel brand.

3. What to Look For in a Host Agency

Not many people will tell you that when you learn how to become an independent travel agent, what you're really learning is how to become your own sales team, your own customer support service, your own commission manager, and your own marketing expert. That's where having access to the powerful, intuitive tools host agencies make available becomes useful. Some of these tools include:

Web Development and Design. Having a state-of-the-art website is an absolute necessity for today's independent travel agents. Potential clients will be browsing your website to determine how professional and trustworthy you are. Host agencies can provide you with destination-specific content, booking engines, and special trip information that boosts your online presence significantly.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software. You can't run your own home-based travel agency on Microsoft Excel. A professional host agency will provide you with a customized CRM solution that enables powerful, intuitive management of client profiles according to a variety of unique, indexed factors.

Commission Management and Accounting Tools. Independent travel agents need 24/7 access to an accounting platform that shows open invoices, close invoices, unpaid commissions, and more. Customized reporting lets you be your own accountant and stay on top of your financial situation with ease and accuracy.

Travel Agent Networking. When you work in a niche, your competition isn't so competitive anymore. Through your host agency, you can connect with other independent travel agents to cooperate, share contacts, and forge new relationships.

Which Host Agency is Best?

Choosing between host agencies for independent travel agents is one of the hardest decisions to make. Many organizations offer technical and marketing support to home-based travel agents, but not all of them represent an equal value. Dozens of these agencies exist, and each one offers different benefits and drawbacks to its network of independent travel agents. To choose the right one for you, follow these guidelines:

Identify What You're Looking For. Your host agency should complement your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses. If you're great at connecting with clients but not so experienced with customer management support and marketing, those would be the areas you want to focus on.

Ask for References. Remember that as an independent agent, you are interviewing hosts, not the other way around. Find other agents who are working with the host in question and find out what they have to say about the host's resources and offerings.

Look Beyond the Commission Split. Your commission split is just a small part of the overall equation that will determine your success as a home-based travel agent. The best host travel agency is not necessarily the one that offers the best split, but that offers the best value.

Choose a Pure Host Agency. Not all host agencies are really host agencies. Most retail travel agencies offer a few home-based travel agent jobs with commissions. A few of them believe this lets them describe themselves as host agencies—which they are not.

If an agency runs its own internal sales process parallel to yours, that creates a conflict of interest.

Is Travel Quest Network the Right Host Agency for You?

When you want to learn how to become a travel agent from home, you need to approach every relationship you build from a place of honesty and professionalism. When you run your own company and put your name on the line, your reputation takes the hit when things don't go as planned. As a result, it pays to spend time interviewing host agencies and finding the right one to fit your needs. When you're learning how to become a home-based travel agent, remember that the best host travel agency is the one that gives you the tools and knowledge you need to maximize the success of your independent business. Ready to take the first step towards financial independence as a home-based travel agent? Talk to Travel Quest Network today and we'll show you how to get started.

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Learn how to become a Disney Travel Agency Qualifications / Requirements for Joining Our Team

• You must have visited a Disney Destination or stayed on Disney property a minimum of 3 times in the past 5 years (preferred).
• You are over the age of 21.
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• You are proficient in social media (specifically Facebook and Instagram – additional platform knowledge preferred).

Academy Travel is a Diamond EarMarked Travel Agency – the Highest Designation from Walt Disney Travel Company. We are the original, Disney-only agency, making Disney vacation dreams come true for over 25 years. Our Agency and Work From Home program has been featured in many industry publications, including: Agent@Home, Travel Weekly, Travel Trade, Modern Agent, Seatrade Insider, and the Washington Post. You can learn how to work from home as a “Disney Travel Agent” with Academy Travel

If you’d like to work from home as a “Disney Travel Agent”, and would like to work with an EarMarked Diamond Travel Agency, then you should consider joining our team of Disney Travel Agents and Vacation Planners

We are looking for professional, self-motivated Travel Planners who will be able to assist their clients with every aspect of their Disney vacation and offer concierge level service, who are available to work a minimum of 15 hours per week or more making memories for their clients.

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Why work with academy travel, what makes academy travel different.

Become a Disney Vacation Planner Work from Home with Academy Travel Incorporated

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Work from home as a disney travel agent, universal studios travel agent, cruise travel agent, all inclusive travel agent, or a guided/hosted tour travel agent with academy travel join our team of travel planners today.

Walt Disney World is the #1 travel destination in the United States. Academy Travel, an independent travel agency that specializes in Walt Disney World vacation packages is currently seeking independent, outside sales reps wishing to work from home as Disney Vacation Planners selling Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland California, Adventures by Disney, and Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa vacations.

Academy travel also specializes in cruises, land vacations, and group travel. we earn top tier commissions with suppliers and have excellent relationships with all our vendors..

Academy Travel, a Diamond Earmarked Agency, is actively hiring new and experienced Travel Planners who are looking for an exciting new career in the travel industry selling Disney Destination vacations.

Why not turn your Disney love and knowledge into an exciting career? Academy Travel is actively hiring new and experienced travel planners who are looking for an exciting new career in the travel industry selling Disney Destination vacations.

Are you passionate about Disney? Are you the “go-to” person for your friends and family during Disney vacation planning? Do you go on vacation at least once a year visiting one of the Disney Destinations? Have you stayed on Disney property a minimum of three times in the past five years? Do you have a presence on at least two social media platforms? Are you charismatic, organized, well-spoken, and able to work independently?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have what it takes to become an Independent Disney Vacation Planner, selling Disney Destination vacations from home. Applicants must be professional, self-motivated and able to assist their clients with every aspect of their Disney vacation, offer concierge-level service, and are able to work from home a minimum of 20 hours per week or more. We offer up to 90% commission and we never charge fees!

Work for the best. We are passionate about Disney, but we are more passionate about helping our clients make memories that will last a lifetime.

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How to Become a Travel Agent Online: Fora's Full Guide

The Modern Travel Agency

Fora Travel

https://www.foratravel.com/the-journal/become-a-travel-agent-online

Learning how to become a travel online agent has never been more accessible. With a plethora of online courses and resources available, you can gain the necessary knowledge and skills from the comfort of your own home — or anywhere, for that matter. Whether you are passionate about helping others plan their dream vacations, seeking a flexible career path (or career pivot) or wanting a creative outlet, travel advising is a fulfilling, flexible way to enter the travel industry.

Fora Advisor Danielle Fisher has two young children, and has stayed home with them full-time since her first was born — just weeks before the Covid 19 pandemic.

“I have always been passionate about travel planning and intended to go back to work once my kids were both in school,” she said. “But the opportunity to become a travel advisor with Fora fast-tracked that plan and gave me a tremendous flexible opportunity I didn't even know existed!”

• Family Travel ,
• Caribbean ,

This guide breaks down how to become a travel agent online, with the necessary steps, pros and cons, tips and more. When you’re ready to jump in, apply to become a Fora Advisor . In the meantime, read on for an overview of what the life of a travel advisor entails.

How to become an online travel agent: the steps

Read on to learn how to become a travel agent online. For additional context, also check out our guide to how to become a travel agent .

Find the right host agency

Most contemporary travel agents partner with a travel agent host agency . The agent remains an independent business owner, but makes use of the agency’s extensive resources (including their relationships and IATA number , an industry-wide stamp of credibility) in exchange for a commission split and/or subscription fee. 

Exact prerequisites for joining vary by agency, but Fora welcomes anyone who loves travel and has a roll-up-your-sleeves, entrepreneurial mindset. When becoming a travel agent, you’re building your own business, which is no small task. We’ll be with you every step of the way, of course, and the hard work is worth it.

Fora’s travel partnerships , many of which are invitation-only or exclusive to Fora, unlock VIP perks for Fora travelers, which makes booking with one of our advisors all the more special. When you join Fora, you’re joining a well-connected club of travel enthusiasts from around the world. 

To further set our advisors up for success, we also offer a full suite of marketing and customer-relationship management tools. These include an in-house booking platform that streamlines hotel reservations and commissions tracking; the Vault , which securely stores client information; Forum , a community app that allows travel advisors to share intel, tips and more in a collaborative environment; and, an expert-led, online training program that covers everything travel agents need to know to run their businesses successfully. 

Learn how to get clients & navigate the industry as a home-based travel agent

Fora’s online training program is split up into different tiers. Our Certified curriculum covers the basics, like earning commissions from hotel and other bookings (cruises, tours, et. al.) itinerary planning and taking advantage of Fora’s preferred partnerships to VIP a client. Our Advanced topics cover more nuanced topics like group bookings, brand-specific bookings, planning trips to unique locales and more. Best of all, all of our training is completely online and can be completed at your own pace. And you can start booking from day one. 

Fora’s various training tiers allow anyone to make the most of their time at Fora, whether they’re new to the industry or a seasoned pro.

“There's industry terminology I wasn't familiar with but could learn quickly,” Fora Advisor Sequoia Armstrong , who already had a travel-planning business when she joined Fora, said. She had been planning trips for years, “but even a more experienced advisor might have to learn something for a new client or a [travel brand’ they haven't worked with yet.” 

In addition to deepening one’s hard knowledge, Fora is big about imparting the requisite soft skills to help our advisors succeed. 

“The training helped give me a deeper understanding of how I could confidently communicate how I can help a potential client,” Sequoia added.

• Solo Travel ,
• Off-the-Beaten-Path ,

Learning how to get clients is also a major topic of Fora’s training program. In fact, we recently launched a dedicated “Find Clients” curriculum, complete with tailored courses on getting your foot in the door, best practices and more. It takes time, but from here, you can start building your clientele with Fora’s ongoing support.

Pros of becoming a travel agent online

Becoming a travel agent online offers a high degree of flexibility; remote travel agent jobs allow you to work from anywhere (especially ideal if, like us, you love to travel). Plus, Fora’s online travel agent training is constantly being updated to remain relevant. We have our finger on the pulse of the industry at large, and adjust our lessons and webinar schedules accordingly. It’s dynamic, current and always evolving. You get to complete our training at your own pace. If you can’t make a live session, recordings are most usually available, and many sessions are repeated at various times throughout the month.

Cons of becoming a travel agent online

Although some clients still prefer in-person exchanges, this is no longer the industry norm. At the same time, working remotely does not necessarily preclude you from working with clients in-person, though it is less common. 

If you love travel, you have what it takes to become a travel agent . But it certainly helps to have interpersonal skills, industry knowledge and a rolodex of relationships with travel partners around the world — all of which we provide in our online travel advisor training program.

(Check out more jobs in the travel industry or jobs where you travel .)

What are the benefits of becoming a remote travel agent with Fora?

We’ve covered the basics of becoming a travel agent online, and Fora is one avenue forward. We offer flexibility and consistent support. We’re big on inclusivity, and are proud of our dynamic, diverse, kind and fun community of travel advisors. When you join, you’re still an independent travel agent , but with an entire community behind you.

If you’re ready to get started, apply to become a Fora Advisor . 

Become a travel agent online with Fora’s comprehensive training & tools

Between top-tier training taught by industry experts and a bevy of high-tech marketing and CRM tools, Fora is the ideal host agency for those interested in becoming a travel agent online. Apply to become a Fora Advisor today, and get access to our top-tier training taught by industry experts, bevy of high-tech marketing and CRM tool, vibrant community, in-person events and so much more.

How to become an online travel agent: FAQs

Read on for answers to common questions we receive on the process for becoming a travel agent online.

Can you become a travel agent online part time?

Yes. In fact, most Fora Advisors have other roles and responsibilities. 

“I'm able to work around [(my kids’]) schedules and find pockets of time throughout my day to email clients, talk to suppliers and curate amazing travel experiences for so many,” Fora Advisor Danielle Fisher explained.

Some plan travel part time (nine-to-fivers, we see you), while others decide to pursue travel advising full time. You do you. 

What are the logistics of becoming a travel agent from home? What do you need?

If you join Fora, you need an internet connection and either a smartphone or computer. All of Fora’s apps — our booking platform, Forum and marketing tools — are mobile friendly. Additionally, being labeled as a “home-based” travel agent does not mean you have to work from home. 

“‘WFH’ means I work from anywhere: sitting in the car at school pickup, waiting in line to order a coffee or while cooking dinner for my kids at home.” Danielle shared. “I've become a multi-tasker extraordinaire.”

Do you need any certifications or degrees to become a travel agent online with Fora?

You do not need industry experience or advanced degrees become a Fora Advisor. We offer all the online travel agent training and travel agent certification programs you need to run your business. These courses can be completed at your own pace, and topics range from the basics of booking hotels to how to build a sales funnel and beyond.

How much money can you make as an online travel agent with Fora?

With great flexibility comes great ranges of Fora travel advisor salaries . The more you book, the more you earn. Check out our guide to how much travel agents make , and for a deep dive on commissions, see how much travel agents make per booking .

How does Fora pay remote travel agents?

Fora Advisors are paid via direct deposit. Our guide to how travel agents get paid offers an in-depth explanation.

How long does it take to become a travel agent online with Fora?

Becoming a travel agent online with Fora doesn’t take long. The application process is straightforward, and you’re allowed to start booking travel as soon as you’re accepted as a Fora Advisor.

Related article: How Long Does It Take to Become a Travel Agent?  

How much does it cost to become a travel agent online?

At Fora, we charge a monthly subscription fee that covers our training program, access to our advisor community — which has an incredible depth of travel expertise — extensive marketing resources, access to our proprietary booking platform and much, much more.

It costs $49 per month or $300 annually for a subscription (and most advisors make back their membership fee within the first month).

Related article: How Much Does It Cost to Become a Travel Agent? Fora Tells  

More travel advisor resources

Check out more travel advisor resources:

Take it from Our Advisors: 8 Reasons to Become a Fora Advisor  

How Do Travel Agents Get Clients? Fora's Top 4 Tips  

How to Become a Luxury Travel Agent: the 2023 Guide  

How to Become a Disney Travel Agent  

How to Market Your Travel Business Like a Pro: Tips from the Experts  

The Destination Management Company: A Travel Advisor’s Ace  

What Is an IATA Number & Why Do Travel Agents Need One?  

Are you the go-to person for travel tips?

Transform your passion for travel into your dream job. We'll set you up with everything you need to succeed as a travel advisor. From training to top-notch tech, marketing assets, community, commission tracking & payments (and more), we've got you.

How to Become a Travel Agent—Because, Believe It or Not, the Industry Is on the Rise

There’s a reason “how to become a travel agent” has been a continuously trending search phrase on Google—it is a career path that offers a flexible work environment and schedule, ample travel opportunities, and an immersion into a supportive world-wide industry. It's a surprise to some in 2023: Once the internet became widely available, it was largely believed that needing a travel agent was obsolete. However, even though the brick-and-mortar agencies with punny names in strip malls have vanished, the career is on-the-rise .

New software options are making it easier than ever for people to make money planning trips, either as a side hustle or as a full-time business. That’s why Cherikonda, India-based stay-at-home mother, Maya Kapoor-Miller, decided to enter the professional world as a travel agent this year, at 31. “I knew nothing about the travel industry prior to signing up,” says Kapoor-Miller, who decided to use San Francisco-based booking platform Dreamport to establish her online travel advisor business. “It is my first business in life, and the only one that you can start with no investment.”

But there's also a rise in demand. When people ventured back into the world after the pandemic, travel agents saw an overwhelming amount of business . And that momentum hasn’t stopped—when travel is complicated, like it was in 2020 and 2021, travelers turned to professional trip planners to create a seamless vacation. For better or worse, traveling has remained complicated and chaotic, with new rules being implemented (like Americans needing to pay a fee to visit Europe in 2024 ) and airline strikes and staffing issues. Offloading all of the nitty-gritty details to someone else is more appealing than ever.

For those entering the field, there's also the age-old motivator: a love of travel. 

Shelton Ellis, who is based in North Carolina, recently saw these opportunities and left behind more than 20 years in public relations and global advertising to turn his passion into a career. “I was born with a wanderlust that would wear Rick Steves out,” Ellis says. “I decided to take the leap and follow that lifelong yearning. Transitioning into this role was really about learning how to monetize what I'm passionate about.”

Whether you are looking for a new career path or a lucrative side-hustle—or simply curious about those taking the plunge—here’s how to become a travel agent, from the qualifications and education required, to anticipated earnings, according to those who have made the shift in the past year. 

What exactly does a travel agent do?

Travel agents, or travel advisors (the term is mostly interchangeable), manage everything that goes into a trip for their clients: the flights, car transfers, accommodations, restaurant reservations, and more—they even inspire the itinerary. The reason people turn to travel agents, aside from having a helping hand during any travel chaos , is also to tap into the travel agent’s first-hand knowledge of destinations, and their industry partnerships, which often lead to perks such as hotel upgrades, ideal airplane seats, and experiences that can’t be found on a search engine.

“You have to remember that as a travel agent, you will be a guide for people during their happiest moments—family reunions, weddings , baptisms, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that people have dreamt of,” says Kapoor-Miller. “It has been one of the most rewarding aspects of being a travel agent. You navigate people, inform them, and help them choose.”

So, how do you become a travel agent?

There are many ways to become a travel agent, from joining an existing travel agency , to starting an independent business from the ground up. Others are opting for one of the buzziest start-ups in the travel industry, Fora . When it launched in 2021, the software company, which trains and provides search engine-optimized profile pages to advisors—at one point had a waitlist of over 30,000 people eager to begin a part-time gig. Travel photographer and Condé Nast Traveler contributor Amanda Villarosa is currently in the process of joining.

“I'm the person that friends and family come to for travel recommendations, tips and tricks, and general travel advice,” says Villarosa. “After discovering Fora and looking into it, I realized that it could be the perfect side-hustle, considering I'm already so involved in the industry.”

With additional flexibility, Villarosa was able to move from New York City to splitting her time between Denver and Los Angeles . She says that the sign-up was quite straightforward. “You're given a dedicated Fora email and have access to advising tools and fellow Fora advisors,” she says. “The training is in the form of Zoom meetings and videos, which you have the option to watch at your own pace. Once completed, you take a certification quiz and you're on your way to advising.”

The other ways in are slightly more involved. To begin an independent practice, you go about it like many other businesses. You will have to create an LLC, establish a business name, cultivate marketing materials, build a website, find clientele, and more.

Ellis found something in the middle, choosing to connect with an established travel agency. “Don't be afraid to reach out to an agency looking to take on new advisors and is willing to mentor," says Ellis. "I was fortunate to learn so much from Annie Chambers, the owner of Crafted Escapes , who has seven years in the business.” He now knows the ropes on everything from using itinerary-building software to destination-specific training, to the sales and marketing aspects of the trade.

Is there required education or qualifications?

Ellis says that there's no certification, per se, required to become a travel advisor, but there are countless training courses available like Departure Lounge ’s classes on navigating the industry through hotels and tour operators. He said it’s also important to stay on top of travel trends. Ellis recently completed travel agent training programs provided by premier cruise lines such as Virgin Voyages , Ritz-Carlton Yachts , and Cunard to help agents sell their products more accurately.

How much does a travel agent make?

What a travel agent earns depends on how many trips they successfully book for their clients. The entire model is commission-based, meaning agents earn a percentage of the total cost of the vacation they orchestrate. Many travel advisors choose to charge a flat-rate planning fee in addition to their commission, but balance is key—if you charge a high planning fee, it could lead to potential clients going elsewhere.

Fora ’s website states that “some of our full-time, expert advisors earn well into the six figures (or beyond).” So a lucrative career may be on the horizon, for those who are able to build a robust client base and excellent industry connections.

How much you make can also depend on where you live around the world. “I am being paid in dollars,” says India-based Kapoor-Miller. “So the currency fluctuations of the local exchange rate are not something I am worried about.”

What are the key skills required to become a travel agent?

“Travel agents need a mix of customer service, communication, destination knowledge, organizational, and problem-solving skills,” says Kapoor-Miller. “But I would say that adaptability, flexibility, curiosity, and cultural sensitivity top them all—you have to put yourself in other's shoes, and understand the requirements, hopes, and expectations of your clients along with any worries and questions they may have.”

It’s vital to have a passion for traveling, even the aspects of the process that aren’t as exciting, such as learning about new airline routes, train schedule updates, and industry news. “It can be an information-heavy hustle, and I believe it's important to be excited about it as that energy definitely transfers to your clients and partners,” Villarosa says.

Should travel advisors choose a specialization?

Many travel advisors have found success through becoming an expert in a few types of travel and destinations. “It's important to become an authority and learn as much as you can through personal experiences and continuing education,” says Ellis. “As a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community , an avid snow skier, and scuba diver, I know not only the popular destinations but others that are off the beaten path, equally safe and adventurous for all travelers.” This helps travel agents establish a competitive edge, and hopefully convince potential clients to choose them for their expertise.

What are the benefits of being a travel agent?

“Flexibility tops them all,” says Kapoor-Miller. “And the ability to start without industry knowledge. If you worry that you are too old for this job, the good news is that this is a job you can enter and enjoy at any age.”

Another great perk is the "Familiarization trip,” says Ellis. “Tourism boards and hotels invite agents to visit and familiarize themselves with a particular country and its properties. After all, any accomplished salesperson should learn everything they can about their products first-hand...even if they're in Bora Bora.” It's hard work, but someone's got to do it. 

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How to Become a Home-Based Travel Agent

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Written by Blake

It is quite surprising how many job opportunities exist in the travel and tourism industry. If you want a piece of the pie, you are in the right place. Here, we show you exactly how to become a home-based travel agent for free and its benefits.

Have you been contemplating becoming a home-based travel agent? In this day and age, nothing feels better than being your own boss.

Technological advancements offer an excellent platform for working remotely from home. But where do you start? Is the idea feasible or profitable?

A home-based travel agency will have challenges like starting any other business. While this industry used to be dominated by large agencies, the wave is shifting, with an increasingly high number of agents going independent.

This is mainly because of the convenience it offers, as well as the better income rate it guarantees. However, although the job seems exciting, especially with the freedom and perks, you’ll also have to handle the risks of being an entrepreneur.

Also, since you are building a personal brand, you must develop unique ways to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack.

Read on to get the best insights on becoming a home-based travel agent for free.

What is a Home-Based Travel Agent?

A home-based travel agent is an individual who books and arranges travel for clients , right from their house. They then receive commissions from suppliers for tickets booked , although they also charge clients for services not included in the commissions.

As a home-based travel agent, you can be completely independent with an online agency or work with a travel supplier as an affiliate. Whichever the case, you have the freedom to work remotely based on your set schedule.

The good thing here is that you can relate with your clients personally, develop trust and loyalty, and grow your network. This means that you have the potential to grow and expand the business over time, which will only add to your income.

How to Become a Travel Agent from Home

If you’ve been into the travel industry, this gives you an upper hand over people from other fields trying to become travel agents . This is because you already have the training, skills, and experience necessary for this job. But, even as a novice, you need not worry.

The easiest way to become a home-based travel agent is to browse current remote job opportunities on FlexJobs , a seamless way to browse travel agent jobs available no matter your location. If you are looking for a general travel agent career opportunity or want more options, be sure to use ZipRecruiter as they are one of the largest job boards in the world.

Here is an all-inclusive guide to becoming an independent travel agent for free.

Develop a Business Plan

Formulating a concrete business plan should be the first thing you do. While becoming an online travel agent sounds like the ultimate dream job , it is as challenging as starting any other business. Therefore, make sure that you have a plan.

Although you might not need a formal one, especially if you’re not seeking funding, a business plan is essential nevertheless. This helps to guide your actions and prevents you from derailing from your objectives. Your plan should detail things like:

• The type of travel agent you want to become
• How to identify the best host agency – in case you want to start a home-based travel agency
• How much startup capital is necessary and how to acquire it
• Marketing details
• Milestones, and
• Goals to achieve both financially and professionally/

Early planning is a great way to ensure that you have ample time to consider every angle of the intended business. So, don’t just wake up one day and decide to start a travel business . Take your time and plan. Email marketing is very, very important for any business. I used this free course to grow my email list and boost revenue.

See Related:  Tips for Luggage Free Travel

Consider Travel Agent Training Programs

If you’re interested in becoming a travel agent, there are a few things you should consider. One of the most important things is getting the right travel agent training.

There are a number of paid and free travel agent training programs available, and it’s important to choose one that will give you the skills and knowledge you need to succeed.

You can also opt for free online travel agent training programs or in-person certified travel associate license training. Many different training programs are available in the travel industry, and courses vary depending on your experience. You must choose the training that matches your business plan and encourages continuing education.

Here are several different types of training programs and courses for people in the travel industry:

• Certified travel counselor program
• Certified travel industry executive program
• Comprehensive management preparation program for travel
• Certified travel associate program
• Online travel agent certification
• In-person travel agent training program
• Travel sellers license

Another factor to consider is whether or not you want to become an independent travel agent. This can be a great way to get started in the travel industry without many overhead costs. Online travel agents typically work with a travel agency , which is a larger agency that provides support, resources, and booking power.

You must market your services and build a client base as an online travel agent. This can be done through social media, networking events, or your website as a travel agency.

See Related : Ways to Book the Cheapest First Class Flights

Research the Travel Industry and Successful Travel Agents

You can’t afford to go in blindly in whichever kind of business you’re starting. You need to conduct thorough research to understand the market and competition.

If you are learning how to become a home-based travel agent, you must have a clear picture of the market in terms of what the customers need and what the competition offers.

The size of the market is also something that you must find out. This way, you can identify possible problems you can solve with your business and how to position yourself better in the eyes of potential customers.

The whole idea is to provide something extra that customers are not getting or offer what they are already getting but in a better way. To do this, a proper understanding of the market, customer behavior, and competition will be essential.

Finally, research travel agent positions currently in the market to understand what companies look for in successful travel agents online or in person.

See Related : Top Digital Marketing Tips for Hotels

Identify a Niche Within the Travel Industry

Niche expertise and personalized customer service are the primary factors that make clients seek assistance from independent travel agents. This means that you have to be quite good at what you do to win the confidence of these customers.

Since they need something they can’t get from the large corporate agencies, you must specialize to offer exceptional services. You can’t be a “jack of all trades” and expect to outdo your competition.

For instance, despite having experience in cruise tours, adventure trips, honeymoons, and scuba trips, you must choose one niche that you’re perfect in. When you focus on a single line, you become better at it and can offer services that customers will love.

But, it also means that you must learn every nitty-gritty aspect of that niche. If, for instance, you choose to specialize in tours to a certain destination, learn everything, including the local culture, languages, customs, tourist attractions, and the best time for travel .

This means that when you serve a client, you can answer any question they might have and offer solutions. Understanding your customers’ needs will go a long way in making your business successful.

When you know what the customer needs, you can offer it even before they ask, which earns you their trust and confidence. Remember, customer trust means more referrals, and repeat purchases. This subsequently leads to growth in sales and, thus, more income for you.

See Related : How to Build a Travel Website

Consider a Host Travel Agency

As a home-based travel agent, you’ll still compete with large corporate agencies with access to cutting-edge technology. This means you’ll also need to be up to the task better to manage customer relationships, bookings, and commission tracking.

Also, it would be best to have a premium insurance policy catering to potential liabilities. While these things might be hard to fulfill as a solo agent, finding a good travel agency to partner with can make it easier. It gives you easy access to such essential technology and benefits.

Don’t be fooled by the term home-based travel agent . It doesn’t necessarily mean that you must be completely independent.

Collaborating with a great travel agency is crucial to succeed in this field. It’s an essential ingredient for those trying to make it big as home-based travel agents.

Working at home is even easier with the internet shifting the tides in almost every business sector. You can easily become an online travel agent, booking travel for your customers from your home office.

The new technology helps to streamline most of the hard and time-consuming work of travel planning for clients. Travel agencies give you the best platform to serve your customers while retaining total control of your brand.

See Related:  How to Start a Ticketing Business

How to Choose Host Agency

Once you’ve learned to take your online travel agent training to become a travel agent from home, you’ll have to learn all the necessary entrepreneurial skills to market yourself within the travel agency industry.

It also means that you’re now the salesperson, customer support, marketing manager, and commission manager to learn and grow to become a professional travel consultant.

Affiliating with one of the many reputable travel agencies grants you access to powerful tools to ease your burden. Some of the essential tools here include:

• Web design and development tools to help you design and maintain a top-notch travel website (we recommend using Bluehost to get started)
• CRM (customer relationship management) software, which we recommend using Keap
• Accounting and commission management tools
• Travel agent networking tools like Global Travel Agents
• Lead generation tools like Leadpages for email lead gen (try Leadpages for free using our link )

You might have difficulty identifying the best option with numerous host agencies offering the same tools. However, these guidelines can help you easily find the best fit for you.

• Identify your needs – what exactly do you need? The best host agency must help cover your weaknesses and complement your strengths.
• Don’t focus too much on commissions – look for an agency that offers comprehensive support for the growth of your travel business.
• Consult for references – get opinions on various host agencies from other independent travel agents.
• Look for a host agency that isn’t running a parallel in-house sales team.

Choosing the right host agency is one step towards a successful home-based travel business.

See Related: Best Travel Credit Cards: What Card is Best For You?

Start Your Business or Search for Travel Agency Jobs

Now that you have taken the necessary travel agent training and built your business plan, you need to decide if you are going to be fully independent or if you are going to work for a travel agency.

In today’s age, plenty of travel agents work directly with a travel agency. So, search for jobs using ZipRecruiter , Solidgigs , or Flexjobs . You can find many top online travel agency jobs on those job boards.

Some fully independent travel agents will contract with a few different agencies, so they always have plenty of options for their customers. This also allows them to keep a good variety of inventory for their clients.

Otherwise, if you choose to work at your own pace by starting your travel agency, you’ll need to start by building a website. You can do this by  signing up for Bluehost , which offers a completely free domain name and only $3.95/month.

From there, connect with other travel agents to understand how they market their business and build clients. If you don’t have a travel agency backing you, this is truly the only way to work based on your schedule.

Tips on How to Become a Travel Agent from Home for Free

Here are some additional tips to help you become a successful travel agent.

Free Travel Agent Training Courses

Being an online travel agent is a great career that allows you to work from anywhere. But how do you attain the necessary certifications? The funny thing is that no specific degree or certificate is necessary to become a professional travel agent.

All you need is a strong reputation as an online travel agent and interpersonal skills, and you are good at selling travel products. However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t need training.

Since being a travel agent requires travel experience, dedication, and exceptional interpersonal skills, you need proper training for the job. If you want to become an agent, you can easily obtain your travel agent certification online for free.

Numerous free online courses can equip you with all the necessary information to work as a travel agent. These include Coursera, which offers 100% free online travel & tourism courses.

This free online training program can unlock a wealth of knowledge along with the proper travel agent accreditation you need to help market yourself to both potential clients and potentially a host agency.

Also, you can use Global Travel to learn how to travel the world and get paid while doing it. Go for the paid course (but affordable) routes like these entrepreneurship and online travel industry certification programs:

• 5 Traffic Secrets course to help you grow your business
• Becoming a successful travel agent course (Online Course on Udemy)
• Basics of travel consultancy (Online Course on Udemy)
• How to start a travel business (Online Course on Udemy)

Be prepared for flexible and inflexible days as a travel agent

The day-to-day schedule of online travel agents is very flexible. Depending on the type of work they do, they might be able to work from anywhere with an internet connection.

Typically, their workday will involve communicating with clients, researching travel options, ability to sell travel, route planning, and arranging bookings. They may also be responsible for providing customer service and support schedules.

The beauty of being a home-based travel agent is that you can work around your current schedule. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or dad, a student, or someone who works a traditional 9-5 job, you can find a way to make it work.

Naturally, there will be times when scheduling is one of the most crucial aspects of being a travel agent, whether you work from home or in an office. You’ll need to be able to deal with customers who want trips at certain periods in time.

It’s also critical to answer calls from clients or provide help when they need it. There are several techniques to schedule, one of the most essential elements of being a travel agent, whether you work from home or in an office.

You’ll need to be able to work with clients who are looking for trips during specific timeframes. It’s also important to be available when customers have questions or need assistance.

See Related : Free Downloadable Vacation & Travel Planner

How Much Can You Make as a Home-Based Travel Agent?

The leading factor in establishing any new business is income. Although there are several other factors, like passion and a sense of freedom, money is always a primary factor. No one wants to put all their efforts, minds, and time into something that isn’t profitable.

A home-based travel agent’s earnings depend on the number of products sold, the type of product, and the percentage the supplier offers.

Some products, such as vacation packages and group trips , earn more commissions than others, while the commission rates also vary based on previous travel agent experience.

Although many resources put the average annual income for home-based agents at $37,000, this depends on several factors. Mostly, many home-based travel agents do it as a part-time job or are retired people already enjoying their pensions.

The fact of the matter is those travel agents who do this as a full-time job earn way more than that. Some of the different products that you can sell as a travel agent to make good money include:

• All-Inclusive Resorts
• Niche travel
• Group travel

Whereas several other travel products could offer higher income, the above categories are ideal for optimum profits. This is because the effort and time required to create the income are relatively low, as compared to other categories.

See Related : How to Use Pinterest in the Tourism Industry

Benefits of Being a Home-Based Travel Agent

Besides the attractive income, there are several other benefits of becoming a home-based travel agent.

Some of these benefits include:

• Freedom to work from home and save from not owning an office
• Having to plan your working hours
• Additional passive income if you’re working part-time
• Chance to travel at discounted prices
• Becoming your employer

Starting a job as a travel agent online or home-based is never a smooth path. However, you’ll certainly make it through with the right plan and determination. Learning the industry’s fundamentals is crucial if you plan to work from home as an independent travel agent.

We hope that this guide has taught you how to become a travel agent from home and that you can now apply this knowledge to succeed in the industry.

See Related : Pros and Cons of Being a Travel Agent

How can I become a travel agent for free?

A travel agent doesn’t necessarily have to have much experience doing it full-time. A home-based agent could be a stay-at-home mom, an Executive Chef at a four-star hotel or resort, or a retiree needing some supplemental income.

The great thing about the travel agent industry is that there are many ways to get your foot in the door and learn the ropes. You can start working part-time from home, and as you get more comfortable with the business and build a clientele, you can transition into a full-time travel agent.

Do you need qualifications to be a travel agent?

No, there are no specific qualifications required to be a travel agent. However, many employers require a high level of education, including a GCSE in English and maths. Additionally, having a strong geographic awareness can be very beneficial in this line of work.

How do you become a work-from-home travel agent?

You can become a work-from-home or an online travel agent by contacting a travel agency, joining reputable organizations, developing client databases, and building your professional network.

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It's Official, Our  Leads Program and Booking Portal With Over 750,000 Hotels Has Launched For Our Agents. Learn More

Join Our Team

Free Travel Agent Training

Program Overview

Our training is entirely free for those accepted into our program. It is extensive, taking between 50-80 hours to complete, and yes, you can fail. Our system is designed to remove those who are not serious about earning six or seven figures as a travel agent. Upon graduation, you will join a collaborative team and gain access to extensive resources for continued education. Most importantly, you will be a fully licensed agent able to earn commission on something everyone does: travel.

This is a commission-only based 1099 contract. While we will be here to train you and give pointers, you should treat this like starting your own business. You will be responsible for winning your clients and managing your own time. We recommend doing this part-time until you've created a large enough client base to comfortably replace your current job's salary. Many of our agents have started down this path and have become full-time.

Need More Information? Read Our Travel Agent Training FAQs

LuxRally Travel Reviews

Apply to join our team.

Complete our agent application form, and you'll receive an email with an invitation for an interview or a denial within 24-48 hours. Incomplete applications are automatically rejected.

• What's in the Free Online LuxRally Travel Agent Training Curriculum? Our self-directed curriculum includes but is not limited to: ​ What is a Travel Agent? The LuxRally Mindset Tenets of Sales Quick-Quoting Fundamentals Evaluating Clients Problem Solving Steps of the Sale Closing Techniques How to Use Travel Leaders Select Hotel Benefits Programs Flights and Airlines Hotel Brands Primer Introduction to All-Inclusive Resorts Introduction to Wholesalers How to Use Wholesaler Portals Cruising Primer How to Use Cruise Portals Ancillary Services LuxRally Concierge Services Travel Insurance Accounting and Finance Group Contracts and Tools Booking Groups at All-Inclusive Resorts Booking Groups on Cruises Marketing Basics Fraud and Scam Detection How to Use Our Knowledge Base The curriculum ends with a concluding assessment. Once the self-guided portion of your training is completed your will begin preparing for your practical exam, a hands-on assesment of your sales skills and knowledge. Opportunities for continued learning are offered post-graduation. Thorough GDS training is provided upon request.
• How much does LuxRally Travel's Agent Training cost? Zero. Free. No hidden fees, no catch.
• What other costs might I incur as an agent with LuxRally Travel? We do not charge any annual or monthly fees to our agent. The only cost that our agents are liable for is an annual payment of $51.50, payable directly to the State of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. We provide assistance to our agents to ensure they understand which payment needs to be made to remain an active agent.
• Do I need experience to become a luxury travel advisor with LuxRally Travel? No, we do not hire prior travel agents. Our methods and philosophies are often opposite to that of traditional travel agencies. For example, we do not believe in charging service fees, and this is something experienced agents cannot wrap their heads around. Additionally, while we enjoy free travel occasionally, we do not believe in FAM culture. FAMs are free group trips for travel agents and often create a conflict of interest between the agents and their clients. Traditional travel agents may send people to a location in exchange for a FAM trip. We find this practice repulsive. The average travel agent makes $46,000 a year; LuxRally Travel agents are trained to make multiples of that. The LuxRally system is best for beginners as it takes more energy for us to fix existing agents than to make new ones.
• Who is a good fit for the LuxRally Travel team? We want general hustlers here to make money and who know how to sell. We want you if you have no sales experience but can prove to us that you are a natural-born hustler. Those with prior sales experience, mortgage brokers, car dealers, jewelers, IT salespeople, concierges, hotel sales managers, medical, pharma, top producing real estate agents, timeshare salespeople, etc., tend to be better at not only understanding the value of their networks but also understand how to advocate for their clients when interacting with vendors. We also look for individuals with large networks that deal primarily with the upper middle class and wealthy and those with a passion for all things travel, especially luxury travel and luxury dining.
• How long does LuxRally's travel agent training take? The training can be broken down into three portions: A Self-Guided Course on Teachable: 50-70 hours (varies by the speed of the individual). This should take you 2-4 weeks. A Launch Meeting on Microsoft Teams: 1-2 hours (scheduled weekly) You Will Have a One Week Period to Prepare for Your Practical Exam A Practical Exam / Final Assessment on Microsoft Teams: 3-4 hours (scheduled weekly) You have four weeks to complete the Teachable portion of your training. If you do not complete the training within four weeks of your enrollment (note: enrollment occurs after your contract is signed/counter-signed), you will be removed from the program. You have three attempts to pass your practical exam. If you fail on your first attempt, you may retake it the following week. You can expect to become an agent within 3-6 weeks, depending on how quickly you complete the teachable and whether you pass your final assessment on the first attempt.
• Do I need anything specific to become a travel agent? From a practical standpoint, you will need a solid computer (preferably with multiple screens), a smartphone, and a current job that allows you to interrupt your day to handle issues for traveling clients. This is a 24/7/365 career. While you will not be working all of the time, clients need to be able to reach you if they experience an emergency while on a trip.
• What is the difference between a travel agent and a travel advisor? There is no real difference; however, travel advisor is often the preferred term for those in the luxury sector.
• Do I need to get my own leads? The short answer is that you will be responsible for getting your own leads and must cultivate a stable source of clients to earn six or seven figures as a Luxury Travel Agent. That being said, we have just launched our FastTrack program. FastTrack gamifies our leads program through a unique credit system, rewarding successful deals with additional credits and providing opportunities to earn more through various tasks. Credits are redeemed for leads. If an agent runs out of credits (because they did not close any leads), they can earn credits through various tasks or wait for their quarterly replenishment. Credits cannot be bought by agents. The Credits system is created to ensure agents with solid close rates work the leads and that agents with low closing rates do not take large quantities of leads. Participating in FastTrack is currently invite only. The program has completed it's pilot and has begun rolling out to other agents as of May 6th, 2024. We are expanding the program to make it accessible to all agents. Agents who score high on their final exam are more likely to be invited into the FastTrack program.
• Do I need to make my own travel brand to be successful? No, it is not a requirement for success. You can use the LuxRally Travel brand to market yourself as an agent. After graduation from our training program and completion of our orientation, you will receive the following: An @LuxRallyTravel.com Email A Landing Page (Agent Profile) on Our Website Access to Branded Templates for Business Cards, Flyers, and Other Promotional Materials Additionally, once you are officially a LuxRally Travel Agent, you will have access to our marketing team to help you create promotional branded materials. Sponsoring an event and need signage? Need help with a social media post? Our team has your back. Now, creating a brand might make sense if you plan on getting leads through SEO or paid ads that require landing pages. However, for most people, creating an independent travel brand is not necessary. Your name will be the brand you will want to focus on. When someone thinks about you i.e., "David Eisen", you want them to automatically think about travel. After completing our training, if you are still determining which path is right for you, we suggest scheduling a one-on-one session with our CMO to evaluate what would be most beneficial to growing a healthy client base. Some agents use social media and personal networks, while others use branded websites and more traditional marketing tactics. It all depends on your situation, networks and background. A simple example would be if your background is in digital marketing. If you have experience in SEO, we would never discourage you from having your own site. We don't make money until you do, so we always provide feedback based on what we think will be practical for ramping up your business. Whatever you choose to do, know that we support both approaches and will provide candid feedback after learning more about your goals.
• What can I earn commission on? Hotel Stays (including groups) Cruises Flights (select flights, not all flights pay commission, you will learn about this in our agent training) Tours Car Service Travel Insurance Rental Cars Private Villas Private Jets Luxury Trains
• How do I get Paid? We offer a commission split based on your received commissions from your client's bookings. It is one of the best commission splits in the industry, starting at 80%/20% in your favor, meaning you keep 80% of what you make. After your first $100,000 in commissions, your split increases to 90%/10%, meaning you keep 90% of what you make. The commission resets each year back to 80%. The most productive LuxRally travel advisors earn multiples of the average travel agent.
• Will I be a fully licensed travel agent after completing the LuxRally Travel Agent Training Program? Yes, after completing our training and orientation, you will be fully licensed under our host agency with all IATA and Seller of Travel licenses required.
• What is the LuxRally Travel Agent Portal? Our comprehensive portal is the one-stop shop for creating clients, making bookings, overseeing your accounting, and more. Instead of getting lost across dozens of systems, our agent portal centralizes all the essential tools you need to be a successful travel agent. These Features include: A Dashboard with Key Statistics About Your Performance, Top Clients, and Top Vendors A Booking Dashboard Where You Can Quickly Make Bookings Directly in the Portal (Launching Q3 2024) Quick Invoicing to Efficiently Complete All Accounting Work Associated With Your Booking Agent Analytics to Take a Deeper Dive Into Your Performance Over Time A CRM to Manage All of Your Client Information in One Place An Accounting Portal to Manage Invoices, Match and Track Commissions, and begin Collections From Vendors For Unpaid Commissions Direct Access to the LuxRally Travel Knowledge Base to Quickly Find Educational Resources Access to a Leads Program to Claim Leads and Track Your Performance (Launching in April 2024) Direct Access to Our "Schedule a 1:1" Feature to Easily Get in Touch With LuxRally Travel Staff When Your Need In-Depth Support in Sales or Marketing Our portal has been designed to minimize the administrative workload on our agents. It is developed in house meaning we make adjustments quickly based on agent feedback.
• What happens after training is over? After training, you become a fully licensed travel agent, ready to sell. We provide access to a superabundance of resources to ensure that all new agents feel welcomed and confident. ​ The LuxRally Group Chat: Our group chat is a go-to for most agents seeking hotel recommendations, assistance with booking tools and third parties, advice on utilizing benefits programs, and general guidance for anything that may come up. LuxRally Agents sign agreements stating they cannot poach each other's clients, allowing our agents to confidently ask for assistance without fear of giving up a promising lead. ​ Continued Mentorship: One-on-One sessions with members from our sales and marketing teams available to our agents. Whether you need a refresher on using a booking tool or lead generation advice, you will have access to a solid mentor. ​ Bi-Weekly Ask Me Anything (AMA) Sessions with David Eisen: David Eisen is not only the founder of LuxRally Travel but is believed to be the highest-grossing single travel agent in the world. Our agents can casually ask David anything travel related on bi-weekly video calls. Bi-Weekly Marketing Round Tables with Courtney Eisen: Courtney Eisen has an extensive marketing background and highlights destinations to focus on, marketing best practices and open format Q&A opportunities. Office Hours With Top Closers: Our top performing agents have open office hour sessions where you can join, ask questions and learn from other agents about specific strategies to better serve clients and increase earnings. ​ Weekly Vendor Chats: Each week, a vendor is invited to a companywide weekly video conference to present educational materials and lead a Q&A. From General Managers of Forbes Five-Star hotels to Mega Yacht experts, our agents have access to continued education directly from industry professionals.
• What if I fail? Follow our training, and, likely, you won't. However, in the rare case you do, you will owe us nothing unless you leave to join another agency. Before parting ways, we will remove you from our website, group chats, and other internal resources. While a tiny percentage of our agents who complete training drop out of the program, we understand that selling travel is not for everyone.
• Why should I choose LuxRally Travel as my host agency? We can confidently say we offer more to our agents than any other host agency with the following: Free, Comprehensive Travel Agent Training We Cover Licensing and Errors and Omissions Insurance for Our Agents We Do Not Charge Our Agents Any Subscription or Membership Fees to be a Part of Our Host Agency Weekly Group Classes One-on-One Sessions Available to All Agents, Even After Training, With Sales and Marketing Teams Competitive Commission Splits (80%/20% vs. 70%/30%), Meaning You Make More Money The Most Advanced Agent Portal on the Market Mentorship From the Highest-grossing Travel Agent in the World Modern Best Practices That Generate Revenue and Maximize Client Satisfaction A Culture of Camaraderie An In-House Team Negotiating Deals for our Agency Directly With Vendors A Comprehensive Knowledge Base Annual Sales Symposiums for In-Person Training and Networking Most importantly, we only make money once you do. We are vested in your success and will do everything possible to give you the best shot in this industry. These are just a few reasons why starting your career as a travel agent with LuxRally Travel is the best move. Lastly, we do not hire people who are already agents, so you will miss out if you ramp up with another host. Our methods are directly opposed to the fee-saturated "best practices" of archaic host agencies, and we've found it takes an immense amount of energy to break the bad habits of existing agents.
• What are the requirements to remain an agent with LuxRally Travel? To maintain your status as an agent with LuxRally Travel, you must meet the following requirements throughout the duration of your time with us: Email Communication: Agents must regularly log into their LuxRally Travel email address. If they have not logged in within 30 days or use an alternate email address for communications, this could affect their standing. Sales Performance: Agents must make at least one sale every 90 days. This can be any sale as long as it is not personal travel (booked by the agent for their own travel). Availability: It's important that agents have ample availability for clients. Limited availability may impact their ability to serve clients effectively. Equipment: Agents need access to a reliable computer to run their travel business. Without this, they may struggle to manage their work efficiently. Community Participation: Being part of the official LuxRally Travel Agent Facebook chat(s) or group(s) is a requirement. This helps agents stay connected and updated with the latest information. These are private channels for agency-related information and support. Revenue Generation: Our agents must sell $30,000 in revenue per year. That would equate to $3,000 a year in commission (an incredibly low number). If you go through our training and cannot hit this small milestone, this is likely not the right career path for you. By meeting these requirements, agents can ensure they maintain their status with LuxRally Travel. Agents who do not meet these requirements are cut from our agency. If you have additional questions regarding this list of requirements, we encourage you to ask them during your interview after applying to our program.
• What are the next steps? Go ahead and apply to join our team. You will be asked to schedule an interview or denied from our program within 24-48 hours.

More Reviews From Our Agents

Ashley harrison, shaheim davis, derek van den top, steven sheldon, lori jureller, how we compare to other hosts.

Last Updated 09/01/23

More Resources

The Ivy League of Travel Agent Schools

What is a Travel Agent License?

How to Select the Best Host Travel Agency For Your Business

What is a Host Travel Agency?

How Much do Travel Agents Make?

Travel Agent Certification

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Raise your hand if you love to travel. Whether you’re often on the road or take a vacation just once a year, you’ve probably heard of travel agents. These folks help plan and book itineraries for you, eliminating a lot of the pain points when it comes to traveling.

These days many people skip out on a travel agent in lieu of booking their trip online, but if you’re a frequent traveler, you may want to become a travel agent yourself. Why? Because it can save you a lot of money — and may even earn you some in the process.

Let’s take a look at how to become a travel agent, why it’s something you may want to consider and the ways it can work for you.

Why become a travel agent?

Have you ever obsessively researched the best hotels in a city you’re planning to visit? How about checking seat maps on an airplane? If getting into the nitty-gritty of travel logistics is something you do in your spare time, you might also enjoy becoming a travel agent.

Not only do you get to plan trips for others, but you’ll also be able to take advantage of special discounts on many facets of travel.

This is true for your clients, but also for yourself. Travel agents have access to a variety of discounted rates on both airlines and hotels, even when booking travel for themselves.

» Learn more: How to get a refund from a travel agency

How to become a travel agent

Find a program.

Becoming a travel agent isn’t as simple as declaring yourself one. Typically, the first step is to sign up for a program that’ll teach you the basics of running your own travel business.

There are a variety of programs to choose from, depending on your interests and career goals. Most programs will teach you about the business side of being a travel agent as well as how to plan trips, so your courses in itinerary planning and travel insurance will be coupled with business ethics and customer service.

If you’re wondering how to become a travel agent from home, don’t worry. Many of these courses don’t have to be done in person; there are online programs that will teach you everything you need to know from the comfort of your living room.

Apply for certification

Once you’ve completed your coursework, you’ll want to apply for certification. Although there is no single standard that designates you a travel agent, there are a number of different identifiers that you can acquire. Some of the more common ones are:

International Air Transport Association, or IATA, which allows you to book travel on domestic and international airlines.

Travel Industry Designator Service, or TIDS, which allows agents to book trips with a variety of travel suppliers and receive commissions.

Cruise Lines International Association, or CLIA, which provides agents the ability to book trips on cruises around the world.

In order to access Marriott’s travel advisor rates, for example, you can use any three of these designations, along with a variety of others.

Each of these associations and identifiers have different implications for your business, so you’ll want to be sure you’ve fully researched them before applying for membership.

» Learn more: Do travel agents really save you money?

Save money as a travel agent

Once you’ve qualified as a travel agent, what comes next? If you travel frequently, becoming a travel agent can be a huge benefit to you, as it offers discounted rates and access to luxury travel options.

Discounted rates

Travel agents have access to negotiated rates that aren’t available to the general public. The exact amount will vary depending on the business. Hilton, for example, will give personal travel discounts of 50% off at newly-opened hotels and up to 25% off at the remainder of hotels within Hilton’s portfolio.

Hyatt, meanwhile, will give you a discount on personal travel of up to 50%, but only during select dates of the year. And although not all airlines give discounts to travel agents, many do.

Regardless, these are some pretty spectacular savings, and if you’re looking to save money on your vacations, being a travel agent can help.

Luxury programs

Becoming a travel agent isn’t only about saving money, however. It also grants you access to many hotel chains’ luxury travel programs.

If you’re big into elite status benefits, this is definitely something you’ll want to consider — especially since you don’t need any status at all to receive these perks, as long as you book through the hotel’s agent portal.

Most major hotel chains have these programs, including Hyatt Privé, Hilton Impresario, Marriott STARS & Luminous, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, Belmond Bellini Club, Rosewood Elite, Mandarin Oriental Fan Club and Shangri-La Luxury Circle.

While benefits vary by brand, many of these offers include things like room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, early check-in or late checkout and credits for expenses like dining or spa services. General consumers aren’t eligible for these programs, but once you’ve become a registered travel agent, they become accessible to you; however, some programs — such as Hyatt Privé — are invitation only.

For the most part, booking rooms through these programs shouldn’t cost more than the standard rate you’d be paying anyway, so you have the potential to get big benefits without shelling out any additional money.

However, note that these numbers don’t take into account any other discounted rates for which you may be eligible, such as those offered to American Automobile Association members and veterans .

» Learn more: Uncommon tips for saving money on travel

Earn money as a travel agent

Of course, becoming a travel agent isn’t all about scoring discounts for yourself. If you’re looking to earn some money, being a travel agent can be a good way to do so.

Note that travel agents operate in a customer-facing role, so you’ll also need to be able to build client relationships and be comfortable with sales. Courses such as those mentioned above can help train you to do this and run a successful business.

If booking travel and organizing trips for others is something that appeals to you, there’s definitely money to be earned. Marriott, for example, gives agents a commission of between 8% and 10% for all eligible stays booked.

» Learn more: The pros and cons of booking through online travel agencies

If you’d like to become a travel agent

There are a few good reasons to become a travel agent, especially if you travel a lot. Although it takes time and effort to complete training and apply for accreditation, the benefits you’ll receive as a travel advisor can be significant. This is true whether you’re booking personal travel or have built yourself a client base. Either way, there’s money to be had — and saved.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

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Virtuoso Membership

• Preferred Partner Portfolio
• Hotel Elite Programs
• New Advisor Program
• Established Advisor
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Why join us

As an Independent Travel Advisor, it’s important to choose a host agency that values your success. We provide personalized support and a nurturing community for your growth. Benefit from valuable connections through our member and partner affiliations, financial stability, and timely, accurate payments. Enjoy ongoing education through webinars, our annual conference, and access to Virtuoso and their extensive Travel Academy.

Community and support

Our annual conference offers a valuable opportunity for host agency community members. Andavo takes advisors to diverse cities each year for a dynamic event where they can learn from one another, gain fresh perspectives, ideas, and expand their professional network.

Our management team holds a weekly call for our network to share industry and company updates. This time allows our advisors to connect and exchange travel tips and recommendations.

You’ll enjoy having access to our private Facebook group, which offers support, help, and networking opportunities that our advisors particularly appreciate.

Appreciation is a big part of our culture. We love to recognize our top-producing travel advisors to be in our elite President’s Club.

By partnering with us you gain exclusive access to top vendors, tour operators, and hoteliers. Our over 20-year membership with Virtuoso means increased commissions for you and enhanced travel experiences for your clients. You will also have access to Virtuoso® award winning publication and marketing, personalized with your name and branding to send directly to your clients.

Preferred partner portfolio

With over 30 years in the travel industry, we have established strong relationships with luxury hotels, cruises, and tours globally. By joining Andavo, you gain exclusive access to these connections for top-notch client experiences, increased commissions, and business success.

Hotel elite programs

• Belmond Bellini Club
• Casa de Campo
• Conrad Tulum
• Couture By Langham
• Diamond Club
• Dorchester Collection
• Four Seasons Preferred
• Hilton Impresario
• Hyatt Privé
• IHG Luxury and Lifestyle
• Jumeirah Group
• Mandarin Oriental Fan Club
• Marriott STARS and LUMINOUS
• Preferred Hotels and Resorts
• Rocco Forte Knights
• Rosewood Elite
• Shangri-La Luxury Circle
• The Beekman
• The Palms Turks & Caicos
• The Shore Club Turks & Caicos
• Waldorf Astoria Cancun
• Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach

Hey there, future Rockstar! Give us a call now to get started: 1-800-730-6392

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Startup Costs

Let's Talk Travel Agency Fees

For what you get when you partner with us here at TPI as your travel host agency , you’d think you’d pay through the nose. The level of support alone is worth its weight in gold. For example, you’ll get access to the best travel agency marketing tools and techniques, as well as state-of-the-art travel agency software (including robust travel agency back office software technology). But we don’t believe in nickel and diming you. We believe you should keep more of your money. Technology, community, a fun, fresh vibe, exclusive supplier promotions, unparalleled marketing resources, and help 24/7 makes partnering with us the deal of the century.

Show Me the Money

Depending on your level of commitment to us, we estimate the basic startup costs to own your own travel agency include:

• Training: $295-$895
• Host Initiation Fee: $0
• Typical Business Startup Costs: $500
• Commitment to Us as Your Host Agency (Annually): $240-$840

For a grand total of anywhere between $1234 to $2074. That’s not a ton of money to start your own business and be your own boss. But do you have what it takes to be a travel agent though?

Choose Your Commission

We don’t play favorites. We love our Rockstars no matter how committed they are. It’s your business

In It to Win It

Noncommittal

It's Just a Side-Hustle

Why should you partner with us? You’ll make more money for one. See why flying solo doesn’t pay.

Rockstar Success Stories

I've worked incredibly hard to get to where I am today, and it's nice to know I have a company like TPI supporting me as I continue to make my place in the travel industry.

Theresa Chu-Bermudez Get Out Custom Travels

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a typical travel agency fee.

Travel agency fees vary. We offer multiple commission split structures so you decide how much you pay in fees and how much of your commission you keep. For example, if you choose to take home less of your commission, your fees to TPI are lower.

What is a travel agency fee?

A travel agency fee is what you pay to work with a host agency like TPI. We determine our fees based on our commission split structures. If you choose to take home less of your earned commissions, your fees are lower, and vice versa.

Does it cost money to become a travel agent?

There are some fees associated with starting your own business. While you will pay for training and general business startup costs, the cost is generally low. Plus, you’re investing in your own business and your future as your own boss! Learn how to become a travel agent today.

5,000+ Rockstars Have Partnered With Us

Determine which path is right for you

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• Apr 16, 2021

Enter the Travel Industry for Free!

Updated: Apr 22, 2021

How can I become a travel agent online for free?

If you are new to the travel industry, you may be wondering: “How can I become a travel agent online for free?”

When conducting a host travel agency comparison, BNT Travel Group stands out from the rest. Our host travel agency is currently the only independent travel agent host on the market that recruits independent travel agents at no monthly and yearly fees.

We make money when you do!

Following a simple step of joining BNT at one-time $199 sign-up fee that is fully refundable (terms and conditions apply), you will be able to immediately sell travel services and products.

BNT Travel Group provides both new and veteran independent travel agents with a variety of free trainings support services to help get all affiliated travel agents on their way to earning more money faster. Partnering with BNT Travel Group you do not need to pay for license, since you work under our one and BNT covers these expenses for you as well.

Another question you may have: “Can I work as a travel agent from home?” Our host travel agency supports outside agents the same way as inside ones. Whether you work from home or elsewhere you will be able to access to BNT free trainings and support, preferred suppliers and it's deals, back office and much more. As an outside, home-based travel agent, you can work from home, on the road, part-time or full-time as long as you have a computer and access to the internet.

Our goal is your success!

So, does it cost money to be a successful travel agent?

Our answer is simple: NO!

Free home-based travel agent training, free support, no travel agent license cost and no monthly and annual fees? No other host travel agency can match our offer!

Start travel agency for free today!

Enroll with BNT Travel Group now!

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Become a Travel Agent!

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Every Travel Agent Plan Has AMAZING perks! ​

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• 6 Things No One Will Tell You About Being a Travel Agent

Written by: KHM Staff on September 12, 2024

 We happen to think that being a travel agent is one of the most rewarding paths you can take! However, it’s as much a lifestyle as it is a job. Clients can be demanding, and in such a rapidly-changing industry, it’s important for you, as an agent, to be adaptable as well!

As a host travel agency , we want the agents that partner with us to have an honest, clear picture of what to expect. Before launching your own travel business, read over these six things you might not have heard about being a travel agent :

1. The job is pretty much 24/7.

As an independent travel agent, you can set your own hours. Many KHM Travel Group agents work on their businesses part-time to supplement their income, and then gradually build up to full time. Of course, many of them have other jobs. While you aren’t researching or booking travel 24/7, when clients are traveling there’s always the potential for the 2 AM emergency call or email . Being responsive is part of having stellar customer service.

2. You will also have to be your own salesperson – especially in the beginning.

Travel agents get paid on commission, so you only earn if you sell. While this may terrify some prospective agents, being a salesperson doesn’t necessarily mean making cold calls and throwing your business card at every new acquaintance. Rely on your strengths, whether that be your networking skills , your established connections in the community or your social media savvy, to promote yourself.

3. Education is essential.

There’s no official degree or test you have to pass to legally be able to sell travel. Having a basic knowledge of geography and a desire to learn about the world are definitely helpful to start off, but most KHM Travel Agents have no previous experience as travel professionals. That being said, new travel agents must be willing to invest in their education if they are serious about growing their businesses. Knowledge truly is power for travel agents.

4. Learning how to sell travel is like learning a new language.

Or rather, multiple new languages. KHM Travel Agents work with suppliers directly to book their travel, and becoming familiar with each supplier’s products, booking engines, and policies is one of the first things a new agent should focus on. Between airport codes, fare categories and other travel agent lingo, there’s a lot to learn. Watch our How to Talk Like a Travel Agent video for some tips!

5. You need insurance to protect yourself and your business.

Travel agents are liable for mistakes they make when booking travel for their clients. Say you book the incorrect flight time for your client, and then end up missing an important event or appointment. If they decide to take you to court, the expenses could get costly. Errors and Omission Insurance is a must for every travel agent, which is why our   $2 million professional E & O policy is included in all of our agents’ memberships. Our Compliance and Resolution team is a great resource for our agents too!

6. Once you start selling travel, your own vacations will never be the same!

As a travel agent, you hopefully love to travel! Once you start taking trips as an agent, whether they be FAMs or your personal vacations, you’ll find it almost impossible to completely remove your travel agent hat . You’ll always be thinking about how you could sell an experience or product to clients, or what first-hand advice to pass along to them.

Are you curious about the other benefits of being a travel agent?

Request our free Travel Agent Information Guide to find out why it’s one of the fastest-growing professions and how KHM Travel Group can help you get started from home.

We are also available by phone at 888-611-1220 if you’d like to chat with a member of our team.

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• 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Travel Agency Become A Travel Agent
• 5 Things to Consider When Learning How to Start a Travel Agency Become A Travel Agent
• What Are the Options to Become a Travel Agent? Become A Travel Agent
• Perks of Being a Home-Based Travel Agent Become A Travel Agent

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