Do you love to travel? Are you a master at finding great travel deals? Then, becoming a home-based travel agent might be your ideal work from home career path!
Working as a travel agent might seem outdated in today’s world of Kayak and Airbnb, but many people still prefer to work with travel agents.
Why?
Experienced travel planners help travelers save money, time, and travel-related headaches.
Home-based travel agents generally work for a host agency (a company bonded and accredited by the Airlines Reporting Corporation or the International Airlines Travel Agents Network) as independent contractors.
As a travel agent, you’ll earn a commission on the travel arrangements (flights, hotels, rental cars, travel excursions, and more) you book, and you’ll often have access to special deals and travel discounts. You can choose to work in a particular niche, such as cruises or business travel, or work with clients looking into a specific type of travel (adventure, Disney vacations, eco-friendly, budget, or luxury travel).
One of the great things about becoming a work at home travel agent is that it’s a relatively easy startup business idea, and the costs are low. With a basic home office (including an internet connection, a phone, computer, printer, and website), you can get started with a host agency.
So, if you love to travel or if you love to help other people fulfill their vacation dreams, you may want to start a home-based travel agent business!
What Skills Do You Need to Be a Successful Travel Agent?
The basic skills you’ll need as a travel agent include attention to detail, excellent research and communication skills, high-level organizational skills, and a knowledge of geography and travel destinations. You’ll also need to be tech-savvy and have a solid understanding of programs like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
If you’re working as an independent contractor, the host company will usually train you; some host agencies charge a fee, while others do not. While there are travel agent certificate programs that you can take, you may be able to break into a travel role if you have customer service, hospitality, marketing, or sales experience under your belt.
Getting Started as a Work at Home Travel Agent
According to Host Agency Reviews, experienced travel agents make an average of $50,000 per year, and 25% of experienced agents earn $100,000 or more annually. Your earnings will depend on your experience, the number of clients you retain, hours worked, and commission and support from your host agency.
Agents who work in specific markets or on particular vacation types (like destination weddings or luxury travel) can become very familiar with their market and, thus, enjoy even greater success. Working in particular markets, like weddings or corporate travel, can also make a big difference regarding salary.
Remote Travel Agent and Consultant Jobs
If starting your own business seems intimidating, many companies within the travel and hospitality industry hire at-home travel consultants, reservationists, and planners for full-time and part-time positions. Best of all, many of these positions come with travel perks!
To start, you may want to explore:
Exploring Host Agencies
Finding a good host agency is key to getting started as an at-home travel agent. If you’re just starting, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with host agency options to get a feel for what each can offer.
How to Select a Great Host Agency
Travel agencies vary significantly in what they offer their consultants. Besides who offers the best commission, there are many other factors to consider.
For example, do you prefer a large agency or a small agency? Locally-based hosting can be easier for new agents who might need extensive support and training. On the other hand, national agencies may offer more flexibility and growth.
Carefully weigh your agency options and perform background research. Sites like Host Agency Reviews and Find a Host Travel Agency can help. They offer tips and ratings for finding the best travel agency that fits your needs.
Perks of Becoming a Travel Agent
Aside from being a fun business opportunity, being a travel agent offers some amazing perks.
If you enjoy travel, you might enjoy taking “FAM trips” or “familiarization trips” to various locales. Cruise lines, hotels, and tour guides know the best way for you to sell their services is for you to try them firsthand. So they offer perks, including complementary and deeply discounted fares, as well as opportunities to use their services and explore all your amazing options.
You can also save big on your own travel with great discounts! You’ll score awesome deals before anyone else even hears about them. As a travel agent, you’ll have access to discounts because, of course, the more you travel, the more business experience you rack up.
The best part? You can deduct those travel expenses from your taxes as part of your business! You can also deduct things like advertising and expenses related to your clients. This amounts to big tax savings for you!
Other Ways to Make Money in the Travel Industry
If you love the idea of working and traveling but you’re unsure about becoming a travel agent or consultant, there are many other options available.
Au Pair
Traveling to another country as an Au Pair is a great option if you enjoy working with children. When you work as an Au Pair, you’ll live with a family, helping them with household chores and childcare. In return, you’ll get free room and board and a small stipend that you can use on your days off. Being an Au Pair allows you to experience life in another country for an extended period of time. Becoming an Au Pair does come with some fees you’ll need to pay, such as your flights, travel visa, and insurance.
Customer Service Representative
Customer service is an excellent way to break into the travel industry and work from home! Many companies provide full training for these roles as well as a host of benefits. You can work for airlines, hotels, cruise lines, travel booking sites, and other travel-related sites and industries. For these work from home positions, you’ll generally need your own device (laptop or computer) and a high-speed internet connection. Check out this article for a list of hospitality companies that hire remote customer service reps.
ESL Teacher
You’ve probably heard of being an online ESL tutor, but did you know you can travel to another country to teach English as a second language? Most countries require ESL teachers to have a bachelor’s degree and a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate. Like being an Au Pair, there will be fees for your flights, travel visa, and insurance. Depending on which host company you use and which country to travel to, your housing may be free or purchased at a reduced cost. How much you can earn will vary as well. For more information on traveling and making money as an ESL tutor, check out the resources below.
Local Coordinator
If you enjoy working with high school and college students, consider becoming a local coordinator. In these independent contracting roles, you’ll work with educational organizations and programs to place and mentor students interested in foreign exchange programs. These part-time positions are a flexible and easy way to make extra money from home. Some programs also offer incentive trips and perks for their local coordinators.
Social Media Marketer Specializing in Travel
If you love to travel and you’re looking for ways to earn money from home, there are plenty of opportunities to take your travel beyond Instagram snaps and shares on Facebook… If you’re really great at social media, you could also become a social media manager in the travel industry! Many of these positions allow you to work from home for a travel-based company, sharing posts and connecting with their customers.
Tour Guide
If you prefer to create your own schedule and be your own boss, become a local tour guide! With this idea, you’ll need to be in the know about the food, culture, and history of the area you’re helping tourists explore. With apps like Showaround and Viator, you can create your tour, book customers, and make money from your travel expertise. You can also look at local tour operators and see if they have any openings for tour guides. Explore this article for more tips on making money as a tour guide.
Travel Writer
Magazines, guidebooks, and websites are often looking for freelance travel writers to contribute their experiences and give readers recommendations. If you have writing and communication skills and you travel often, this might be an excellent option for you.
The income for travel writers varies greatly, but many writers make great money by documenting and sharing their travels. Travel writers, according to ZipRecruiter, earn an average of $24 per hour. I think these numbers sound high, but I wasn’t able to find any other stats for how much travel writers really earn.
Travel Blogger
If you prefer to write and document your own travels, start a travel blog! With blogging, you can make money with affiliate marketing, ad networks, sponsorships, product sales, and more! The great thing about blogging is it’s affordable and easy to set up, and there are many free ways to promote your content through social media. Amanda from A Dangerous Business Travel Blog documents how she makes money from her blog in this blog post, and she earned a multiple six-figure income in 2022 alone!
Travel Influencer
Have you been documenting your travels on social media? Then, make money while traveling the world as a social media travel influencer. Whether your specialty is Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, or YouTube, you can earn good money through paid sponsorships, advertising, and affiliate marketing. Besides building an engaged audience of followers, you’ll need to become skilled at taking photos and videos, editing, and writing captions. How much you can earn as a travel influencer will depend on how many followers you have, your reach, your engagement, and which platforms you’re using. According to this article in Vogue, a travel influencer with 1-4 million followers can earn $31,000 per post!
Travel Nurse
If you’re a registered nurse, you can sign up to become a travel nurse. These nurses travel to areas where there are nursing shortages in work in a wide variety of settings. Nurses typically work in one location for 13-16 weeks, then move on to another location. Not only is travel nursing a great way to see the country, but it’s also lucrative. The average travel nurse can earn $59.66 per hour plus housing stipends. If you’re interested in travel nursing, check out these sites for assignments.
Working From Home as a Travel Agent
If you have a passion for travel, there are many ways you can earn money working in the travel industry. From becoming a home-based travel agent to finding ways to document and share your own travel experiences—there’s an opportunity for every traveler out there. Explore your options and pack your suitcase! Check out this post if you’re looking for ways to make money while you travel the world!
Originally published February 25, 2009. Updated June 2024.