How To Become A Travel Agent From Home: 8 Questions Answered

For many people, lockdown was an unexpected lightbulb moment. A moment in time that disrupted our busy lives. Most people who became work-from-home travel agents post-March 2020 said that lockdown made them reassess and reevaluate their lives.

At this stage, you must have lots of questions surrounding how to become a travel agent so, that’s why we put together the 8 most popular questions people ask when researching this topic.

We are the world’s Best Lifestyle Franchise (for two years in a row) recognised by the Global Franchise Awards. We are also one of UK Top 10 Franchises (according to Franchise Direct) and Top Homeworking Agency by the Classic Awards. And we are five-star rated on Trustpilot, which means we know this world inside out.

1) Do you need any prior experience to become a travel agent from home? 

A resounding no. With no prior experience in the travel industry, you can still make it happen.

The remarkable thing about becoming a travel agent from home is that your previous career can only help in your ability to succeed. That’s because we have people from all walks of life join us.

99% of people who join us have a passion for travel but have no prior experience in the industry.

From accountants to investment bankers, security officers, estate agents, at home mums, biochemists, and marketing managers, people from every type of career and background have become travel agents from home. 

Thinking About a Career Change at 30, 40 or 50? Discover the World of Travel Franchising

When looking at our existing and most successful franchisees to date, their previous career choices have no influence whatsoever. See the faces and hear the stories from people who changed their life…

• Meet Warren, an investment banker
• Meet Soraya, Corporate Catering 
• Meet Frances, oil, and gas 
• Meet Deepkamal, TV production
• Meet Leigh, cleaning franchise
• Meet Julie, a Zumba teacher
• Meet Faye, an at-home mum
• Meet Angela, a celebrant
• Meet Peter, a tour guide

 

2) What are the qualifications or skills you need to become a travel agent?

To become a travel agent from home you don’t need to have a prior qualification. Although having a degree or A-level in travel and tourism can be a nice addition, it’s not necessary.  Find out “What qualifications do you need to become a travel agent” in our detailed blog article.

Our live, online travel agent training will be the only certification you need to become a travel agent with ABTA and ATOL protection.

There are some key skills you’ll need to be a successful travel agent and business owner. 99% of people don’t have all these skills at the beginning of their journey and it’s impossible to be an expert across the board.

Some companies provide full-time and part-time training, either in the classroom or online, in which they’ll teach you everything you need to know to become a travel agent. You’ll need a laptop, an internet connection (and a smile), that’s about it. 

With so much to learn when starting your own business, it’s impossible to do it all in one sitting. That’s why we provide ongoing online travel agent training sessions, weekly calls, and a personal travel coach.

The important thing to focus on is your strengths, on what you do know, not what you don’t.

The key is to think about what you already bring. An accountant joining us will lean on financial planning and business forecasting. A former sales manager will draw on relationship-building and closing techniques. A customer-facing professional will have the empathy and communication skills that separate an excellent travel consultant from a good one.
Here is what the work-from-home travel agent’s toolkit looks like and, crucially, why each skill matters in this specific industry:

• Great organisational skills: Managing bookings across multiple suppliers, time zones and customer timelines simultaneously demands genuine rigour. A missed deadline on a visa application or hotel payment can derail a client’s trip entirely.
• Customer service skills: Travel is deeply personal. A call at 11pm from a client whose flight has been cancelled is not a ticket number. It is someone’s wedding anniversary, family reunion or hard-saved-for holiday. How you respond in those moments is what earns lifelong loyalty.
• Sales skills: You are not selling a product off a shelf. You are understanding a client’s vision and presenting the right option with confidence. The ability to listen, qualify and recommend without being pushy is the hallmark of every successful consultant we have seen.
• Online marketing skills: Your clients live on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Knowing how to share the right content at the right moment, such as a genuine recommendation, a time-limited offer or a personal travel memory keeps you front of mind when they are ready to book.
• Excellent communications skills: Written and verbal. Prompt, clear, warm communication builds the trust that turns a one-time booking into a long-term client relationship.
• Business planning and forecasting: Particularly important if you are running this alongside another job. Understanding your pipeline, your busiest booking periods and your income targets keeps you on track.
• Trade and travel industry knowledge: This grows continuously through trade events, supplier webinars, fam trips and conversations within our franchise community. It is the expertise that makes clients trust your advice over a search engine. 
• Basic IT skills: Our booking platform is intuitive, but comfort with email, social media and video calling is essential.
• Empathy and patience: Never underestimate these. A client who is nervous about flying, anxious about travelling solo for the first time or overwhelmed by options for a multi-generational family trip needs a consultant who genuinely gets it. 

 

3) What is the purpose of a travel agent in today’s market?

Planning a holiday or even a group trip away is a time-consuming and sometimes complicated process. Work-from-home travel agents provide a valuable service by giving expert advice in an industry they are knowledgeable about. They have access to great packages, prices, and know the latest offers, often having information that cannot be found or accessed online.   

Travel agents have the ability to book flights, cruises, rental cars, hotels, and private villas, and even attraction tickets. Becoming a one-stop-shop for everything a customer needs when going away. 

In a fast-paced world where people value their time off work and quality time away with their nearest and dearest, the booking of a holiday is one of the most important things to get right.

A great travel agent or Personal Travel Consultant won’t just sell a holiday. Instead, they help customers get more for their money, help them to make better choices on where to stay, and navigate around obstacles. 

 12 reasons why people book holidays with travel agents:

1. They save customers time and stress
2. They have the customers back if they need an advocate
3. They are first to know in a world which is ever-changing 
4. Like any professional, they are expert in their industry
5. They are much more convenient
6. They really care and are passionate about travel
7. They have better and more access 
8. They are perfect for group bookings 
9. Giving more value for money 
10. They’ll save a customer preference for future travel 
11. They are always in the know 
12. They can provide recommendations and advice 

You can read more about these 12 reasons here.

4) What does a day in the life of a work-from-home travel agent look like? 

It’s very hard to put into words a typical day for a home-based travel agent. Every day is different. It’s even harder to do when you consider the difference in lifestyles between travel agents. Some do it full-time, some work another job alongside and are part-time, others are at home mums; the list goes on.

The things you can come to expect in a travel agent’s day are: 

• Picking up the phone to an unhappy or happy customer 
• Responding on email to new enquiries
• Posting on Facebook a new offer or inspirational story
• Putting together a quote for a new holiday enquiry
• Researching new holiday offers in your niche 
• Attending a trade or suppliers online conference call 

Nicola one of our franchisees gave us an idea of her typical week below. You can read more of Nicola’s story here. 

A week depends on which day of my life I’m at, whether it’s working my other part-time job, or whether it’s a travel business day.

If I’m working on my other job, that’s what I’ll be doing. Then outside of those hours, as much time as I can commit to the travel business is what I do.

That’s evenings, weekends too.

Travelling is a very personal thing, and the best travel agents have a sense of empathy for what the customer wants to get out of the trip, whether it’s beautiful memories with their family or an experience of a lifetime or perhaps a deeper understanding of the local culture.

Take a look at this video below to get a sense of what it means to book holidays for people. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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5) Can you make money as a travel agent at home?

You can absolutely make money as a home-based travel agent. But it is important to be honest about what that looks like in practice, particularly in your first year.

As a franchisee with The Travel Franchise, you earn commission every time a client books travel through you. That commission comes from the supplier, which may be the cruise line, the hotel group or the tour operator and not from your client.

This means your customers pay no more than they would by booking directly. Your percentage commission varies depending on the type of holiday. For example, a complex, tailor-made safari itinerary will typically yield a higher margin than a straightforward package deal.

Curious about how much travel agents make in the UK? Learn more about travel agent earnings. You can also explore exactly what commission a travel agent makes on different booking types.

Most franchisees find their business grows meaningfully in years two and three as their client base builds and repeat bookings begin to accumulate. Here is what success looks like in practice:

• Rachel, a travel agent, made a £31,000 booking for a family this year
• Palvi, a travel agent, celebrated 2 million in sales this year
• llesh, a travel agent and networker, saw a £29.k booking
• David, a travel agent, sold £175k of travel during lockdown

The amount of money you make is up to you. There is no limit or cap to your earnings. If you have 10 customers or 100, and whether you have a lot of repeat business or spend very little time promoting yourself, will determine how much you make.

There are travel agents making six figures a year, whilst others enjoy a meaningful additional household income of around £20,000 working part-time. Ultimately, it comes down to your own goals and what you are willing to put in.

We will always tell you honestly: those headline results come from sustained effort, strong client relationships and a willingness to specialise. If you want a guaranteed salary from day one, this is not the right model. If you want uncapped earnings doing something you love, the potential is real.

You can also learn how much it costs to become a travel agent. And explore our full commissions page to see the percentage you retain from every booking.

Turn passion into profit: Watch our Discovery Tour to see the simple structure that lets you keep up to 75% of the profit on your home-based bookings.

6) What are the Pros and Cons of being a travel agent?

The main advantages…

• The flexibility to work from anywhere whether at home or on a tropical island. Since your primary role is to sell travel, going on holiday or having lots of mini-breaks is advantageous. As you’ll be able to take pictures, videos and share it on social, expand your knowledge of a destination, and get clued up on the best hotels in that country.
• Being your own boss. People who have chosen to become a travel agent from home love the ability to set their own work schedule. If your goal is to achieve another source of income, alongside another job or role like being a full-time mum. The job is versatile enough to allow you to set your own working hours. Explore how long it takes to become a travel agent.
• The unlimited earning potential. Earning a commission every time someone books a holiday means there is no limit.
• It’s an exciting industry to be in, which is ever-changing and evolving. It’s also a great product. Travel is a popular topic that everyone loves to talk about. Selling holidays is the ultimate feel good.

The things to be aware of…

• The job is demanding and can be stressful. Since that human touch and personalised experience is what differentiates a travel agent from an online booking platform, you might need to answer that call in the middle of the night or work on weekends. Some travel agents report helping customers when on holiday themselves.
• Being a travel agent is a commission-based pay – no sales, no pay. You’ll need to brush up on your sales skills, as ultimately you will be selling travel to customers and will be paid once they travel.
• If you work as an independent travel agent you’ll need to get your own travel insurance. There are hundreds of things that can go wrong, and inevitably something will, insurance will protect you and your business.
• Developing a niche is essential in a competitive market like travel. You might choose to focus on eco-friendly travel, or in luxury Safaris, New York trips, or become the expert for honeymoons. Discover essential tips for choosing a travel niche.

You can read 8 reasons to become a travel agent here.

7) What is becoming a travel agent all about?

At its core, being a home-based travel agent is about becoming the person your clients trust completely with something they deeply care about. A holiday is rarely just a holiday. It might be a family’s first trip abroad in years, a couple’s honeymoon after a long time saving or a group of friends finally ticking off a bucket-list destination. Getting it wrong (the wrong resort, the wrong room category, a missed transfer) is not a minor inconvenience. It is a memory that cannot be remade.

That responsibility is also what makes this career so rewarding. The best personal travel consultants are part travel expert, part relationship manager and part problem-solver. You will spend time genuinely getting to know your clients: not just their destination preferences, but their travel anxieties, their budget priorities and what makes a holiday feel truly special to them.

Over time, that knowledge compounds. A client who books a family villa with you this year may come back for a honeymoon, a milestone birthday cruise and eventually their children’s gap-year adventures. The relationship and the referrals it generates becomes the engine of your business.

Supplier relationships matter equally. Within The Travel Franchise network, you gain access to trade pricing, exclusive offers and direct contact with representatives from major cruise lines, hotel groups and tour operators. This is intelligence that no online booking engine can replicate.

Understanding which operator genuinely delivers for a particular destination, and which one to avoid based on real client feedback, is knowledge built over years of bookings and experience. It is the difference between a consultant who sells holidays and one who builds an enduring reputation.

Customer Relationships

How do you make more money as a travel agent? Clients, clients, clients. The key is to have happy customers who return to you every year or each time they need a break so you do not have to spend time finding new customers each time. Building a solid, loyal client base comes from nurturing relationships over time and delivering personalised, outstanding service every time.

Meet Palvi, a travel agent gives her 5 top tips on this here.

Meet Julie, a travel agent who shares how she has succeeded

8) What are the main differences between being an independent travel agent or joining a franchise?

When anyone is thinking about becoming a travel agent the key question to ask is ‘Do I do it alone, or do I join an established travel company?’  

Both choices have pros and cons, and only you can decide which path is the right one for you to take. The popularity of joining a franchise has grown exponentially in the UK in the last 20 years.

Going independent is possible, and some people do it successfully. But the challenges are significant: you must negotiate your own supplier agreements from a standing start, obtain ABTA or ATOL protection independently, build your own booking systems and establish credibility with clients who have no existing reason to trust an unknown agency. Every legal and compliance requirement falls entirely to you.

For anyone weighing these costs before committing, our guide on whether you can become a travel agent for free sets out what’s realistic and what isn’t.

Half of all independent new businesses fail within their first two years whilst 90% of franchise businesses become profitable in that same period of time. 

Explore the key differences in our in-depth article: Independent Travel Agency vs Franchise: What’s The Difference?

But why do people pay money to a company to start their travel business? There are many reasons, and here are a few:

1. Access to a tried, tested, and ready-made business model
2. The initial and ongoing support, not to mention the essential training
3. When you invest you join a business with a financial backbone
4. Less worry in terms of legal compliance, systems, procedures – plus access to powerful travel agent software that simplifies booking management and customer interactions
5. Use of a trusted, known brand in the market, with authority

As the World’s Best Lifestyle franchise and one of UK’s Top 10 Franchises, The Travel Franchise has a demonstrable track record. The brand’s franchisees offer ABTA and ATOL-protected holidays, keep up to 75% of commission on every booking and receive one-to-one support from a dedicated personal business consultant.

“Starting any business on your own is tough. What a franchise does is remove the guesswork. You’re not trying to figure everything out from scratch, you’re stepping into a proven model with the right support around you. For someone completely new to travel, that can make all the difference between struggling and actually building something that lasts.”
— Jenny Farenden, Head of The Travel Franchise

You can read more about how to start a travel agency here.

As the home working agency of the year for 5 years in a row, The Travel Franchise is a community of home workers, who feel the support and protection of a bigger company, with all the benefits of being your own boss.