Starting a home-based travel business offers freedom, flexibility, and the potential for high earnings while tapping into a stable, growing industry. With the right support, training, and dedication, it can be a rewarding and profitable way to share a passion for travel.
The rapid rise of the homeworker has been one of the most significant trends to take hold in the travel industry for decades, according to travel industry insider, TTG Media.
According to the Association of British Travel Agents “confidence to travel across the UK population is up by 6 points compared with 2023”.
People are prepared to spend money on holidays: from once-in-a-lifetime bucket list trips to fly-and-flop packages, demand is up. If you need proof that the package holiday market continues to grow then the fact that three of the biggest UK holiday companies are all upping their capacities for 2025 is proof enough (in October, Jet2 announced its capacity would be about 6% higher in 2025).
With soaring demand, you could grab one of the last few remaining places to train with The Travel Franchise before Christmas and launch your home-based travel business before the busiest time in travel – the January to March ‘Peaks’ period when agents typically book four times more holidays than any other time of the year. Many analysts predict Peaks 2025 will be the biggest one yet.
New research by ABTA reveals that more people are choosing to use travel agents and this research is backed up by Phocuswright which recently noted a growing trend for travel agents to open brick-and-mortar agencies. Recent news articles in the travel trade press including Breaking Travel Newssuggest that customers are tired of trawling, and agents do often have access to better deals.
ABTA’s report also revealed that 46% of travellers are expecting to spend more money on their holidays, which means bigger commission for agents. Not Just Travel (the customer-facing arm of The Travel Franchise) reports the average commission continues to rise – the award-winning company specialises in training people new to the industry and reports record bookings every month this year.
Some tour operators are also offering agents “commission uplifts” and tax-free benefits, including high street vouchers, designer clothes and the latest technology and gadgets.
Many savvy agents are becoming experts in niche travel products that attract high-paying repeat clients. These include areas such as cruising which typically offers commission of around 15-20 per cent. With around 19 ships currently being built, this is a fast growth sector to watch.
Not Just Travel launched a Cruise Division in 2022 and recruited experts who can train people new to travel to become a ‘cruise master’ in just a year, giving you the skills and credentials you need to succeed. Since then its cruise sales have tripled! One of its consultants made over £1 million-worth of sales booking hundreds of customers onto one single cruise in September 2024.
It’s no secret that travel agents get discounted holidays and educational trips (known as FAM or familiarisation trips) to learn about the places and products they’re selling.
Many travel suppliers are increasingly keen to host agents and boost business over the next year and give behind-the-scenes tours of new ships and hotels too.
Some companies like Not Just Travel host company events overseas for its consultants as well as unique money-can’t-buy mentorship retreats abroad which are free to franchisees who sign up on its Elite franchise package.
In September it arranged no less than five separate overseas trips taking nearly 200 franchisees overseas. Mauritius, Antigua, Barbados, Ibiza, Rome and Peru were on the menu.
In October, the company also sent 68 Elite agents to a Millionaire’s Retreat in sunny Crete with another planned to Florida shortly.
The Travel Franchise offers its consultants a free mentorship retreat abroad as part of the package.
The Travel Franchise has some innovative strategies and one of them is that it has trained hundreds of people new to travel to become homeworking agents in less than a week.
'The Travel Franchise offers you everything you need to create a successful travel business and to be your own boss. It’s hard work, but starting a new business is within any sector. The growth in the business and quality of the training and materials you are equipped with really puts you in a superb position to build a fantastic travel business.
I did £340k of turnover in my first year. I’m now looking for my next challenge, reaching 1 million turnover by the end of year 2.
'I’ve more time with my family now. I have more time to get away with my family. It’s given me a new lease of life and something to be joyful about.
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