12 Things You Should Know Before Becoming A Travel Agent 2026
As someone who has been an Independent Travel Advisor for over 7 years and has trained thousands of brand new travel agents, this will surely help you determine whether or not to start your travel agent business or to stay in the industry. Understanding the truths behind being a travel agent is going to give you a realistic expectation of the work that it takes in order to be successful.
The idea of being a travel agent can be quite attractive. You may hear of opportunities to travel more, save more, and experience more. You may even hear that it's easy and you can work from anywhere. You may think you can make loads of money by showing off your lifestyle. In today's social media craze, you may even think that because you are already an influencer with hundreds and thousands of followers, that you will automatically get immediate success and customers are going to simply inbox you. However, as all successful top travel agents know, it's way more than that.
As you read through these, think about how it relates to you in your life. What kinds of transferable skills can you utilize towards this career? Is this a good fit for you?
The most common misconception is that being a travel agent is easy! Trust me. It is furthest from the truth, unless you plan to be a hobby agent booking travel just for yourself. But if you want to make part-time or full-time income, you want to thoroughly understand the responsibilities fully before starting.
EARN COMMISSIONS BOOKING YOUR OWN TRAVELS: Along with booking travel components such as hotel, resort, car rental, airline ticket, vacation rental, excursion, tour, transfer, rail, and so much for clients and earn the built-in commissions, you can book trips for yourself and earn commissions, too. Most travel agents start out booking travels for themselves before they feel comfortable enough to book for clients. Commissions are determined by suppliers/vendors that are partnered with travel agencies or host agencies. More on that later.
COMMISSIONS ARE PAID AFTER TRAVEL: You won't earn commissions right away as a travel agent. Most suppliers pay after travel has been completed typically 30-60 days. Some suppliers pay the travel agency/host agency after the final payment due date. Once the travel agency/ host agency is paid from the supplier, they turn around and pay the booking agent the commission split ranging from 40-90% of the built-in commissions. The average high commission split generally start at 70 to 80%.
YOU NEED A HOST AGENCY: There are four ways that you can be a travel agent. One is working as an employee under a travel agency. This means you are paid hourly with little to no freedom. The second is to start your own travel agency from the ground up which is costly, ranging from $20k to $100k. The third is to purchase a travel franchise which will cost on average $10k to $20k plus franchise fees. The last is to partner with a host travel agency, which has low entry fee with little or to no risk along with systems, trainings, and partnerships already put in place. You can become an Independent Travel Agent working under the accreditations and umbrella of the host agency. You can book trips within the first week of being in business.
YOU MUST ACTIVELY MARKET YOURSELF: You cannot be a secret agent. You must learn the art of sales. Marketing your brand, expertise, niche, and business is essential. The most important aspect is to create like, know, and trust with your clients. Travel agents are expected to grow their own book of business. It will happen over time once you establish a consistent trusted brand within your business.
IT'S DETAILED WORK: Travel agents can be responsible for booking every aspect of travel from beginning to end. They can book one component like hotel stays or a package that includes flights, hotel, transfers, and trip protection. You have to make sure that these components flow seamlessly together, making sure that clients have all the necessary information, like fees to be paid at property, proper documents for travel, etc. In other words, you cannot be careless and unorganized. You are required to understand what type of services you are providing your clients before and during travel.
YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES: Agents are only humans. You may overlook the dates, spell names incorrectly, input the wrong birth dates, book the wrong category, miss the final payment date, etc. If you are in business long enough, one or more of these will happen because you will often service more than one bookings or clients at the same time. Often times, clients just want you to triple check and make the proper corrections. It is about how you handle these mistakes that matter the most.
YOU ARE ON CALL 24/7: When you book travel for clients, things simply happen and some things are out of your control, such as the weather, delays, missed connections, supplier or client misunderstandings, different time zones, or travel accidents, etc. Most of the time, book trip protection as it offers 24/7 concierge services for during travel emergencies. But if not, they will certainly call you for help, and as their agent, you have to be prepared to get to the resources that resolve their issues. You are a problem solver for your clients.
SOME MISTAKES CAN BE COSTLY: If and when you make an honest mistake, like spelling your clients names incorrectly even though they sent it to you correctly, you would need to pay to make that name correction. You need to make sure everything is documented and has an authorization from the client. If there are any legal issues, E&O insurance may help you resolve those mistakes, especially if you have taken all the proper steps to protect you when you're booking for clients.
YOU DON'T NEED A DEGREE OR FORMAL EDUCATION: A formal education or travel agent degree is not necessary for you to work in travel. You can learn as you earn from the host agency training programs and supplier/vendor specific trainings. In order for you to earn commissions, you must have industry recognized credentials or be partnered with an accredited host agency.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL: Of course, most people who become travel agents are avid travelers. However, as a travel agent you are not expected to travel in order to be a good one. Some people think that because they don't travel, that they won't be able to book travel. You can certainly learn everything you need to know through the industry insider information, supplier trainings, other agents, and host agency affiliations and networks. It is not required for you to travel in order to book travel for clients.
YOU'LL GET RICH QUICK: This is simply not true. If you have a strong network and influence within your community, then your book of business is better than most starting out. However, it takes time to build a strong healthy repeat list of clients. Most agents start part-time, and it correlates with your income based on the effort and time you dedicate towards your business. How much money you make is dependent on many factors like marketing, relationships, skill sets, strategy, branding and type of niche you choose.
THE WAY YOU TRAVEL WILL CHANGE FOREVER: Once you learn of all the ins and outs of travel, you will get access, agent rates, opportunities for travel, and so much more. The way you travel will change automatically because you are now traveling as an insider. You receive the latest updates, the newest products, and the inner workings of how travel is being marketed to the public. You have real knowledge and access that make the way you travel smarter and better.
Did you learn anything new about being a travel agent? The truth of the matter is that, this is one of the most rewarding and lucrative careers, IF, you love travel, willing to learn, love learning new things, love helping people, and love making money at the same time.
If you would like to learn more about how to become a travel agent with a reputable host agency, https://linktr.ee/HoaArtistryTravel lets connect on my LinkTree. Watch a short video, then set up a time to talk!
Leave me some comments below. I would love to hear your thoughts. If you have any thing else you want to add to this list, please share.
“Don’t Stress. Travel with the Best!” Hoa Artistry Travel Agency 803-665-4141
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