I often get asked how you actually make money as a travel agent so I have written this blog to help you understand how fantastically lucrative the travel industry can be, especially when joining a travel franchise like ourselves. 

Putting it as simply as possible, when you sell a holiday to a customer the company you booked it with (supplier/tour operator) pays you a commission as a thank you for promoting their business to the customer. This commission level can vary depending on the type of holiday you have booked but as a rough average you can usually expect this to be around 10% of the total holiday cost. 

This commission is not added as a fee to the booking, therefore the customer is not paying you a fee to book the holiday - we make all of our money from the suppliers & tour operators that we partner with! In fact when a customer books a holiday with a tour operator directly they are still paying that 'commission amount' but not getting the service of a personal...

We have done it again! Our second award within the first 12 months of trading

This time it was the 'Travel as a Force for Good Champion' Award at Advantages Big Celebration Lunch. 

Award Criteria - 'This award is about recognition and inspiration for a member who is at the forefront of creating a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future for all. It celebrates those who are giving back, whether it is worldwide or in a local community.  We’re looking for someone who has made significant contributions to promote sustainable practices, reduce environmental impact, and drive positive change in their community or within the industry. We’re looking for someone who has made significant contributions to promote sustainable practices, reduce environmental impact, and drive positive change in their community or within the industry.'

Sustainability has been at the forefront of our minds from day one! Ensuring that everything we do has an amplified impact on...

The terms 'PEAKS' & 'Turn of Year' are phrases you will hear spoken quite a lot while working in the travel industry and there is a good reason for it! Simply put these phrases are there as a term to describe our busiest time of year.

The months of January - March are often the busiest time of year for the travel industry with approx. 30% of all bookings being made during these months. As a travel franchise owner these are key months that you want to be trading in as not only will they give you a boost in sales but it helps set you up for the future due to building your repeat client base. 

The business during this time of year is usually driven by people wanting something to look forward to. They have enjoyed Christmas and with New Years resolutions looming over them the blues start to kick in and quite often having a holiday to look forward helps boost morale meaning we see a lot more customers searching for their annual holiday! 

This is also heightened by all of...

The travel industry has always been an exciting and dynamic sector, and in 2024, it continues to present incredible opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. If you've ever dreamed of owning your own business but want to benefit from the support and structure of an established brand, a travel franchise could be the perfect fit for you. In this blog, we'll explore why starting a travel franchise now is a smart decision and how it can lead to long-term success.

What is a Travel Franchise?

A travel franchise is a business model that allows an entrepreneur to operate a travel agency under the branding, systems, and support of an established franchisor. By investing in a travel franchise, you're not starting from scratch—you're leveraging the power of a well-known brand, proven business practices, and a network of suppliers, marketing materials, and technology platforms.

Franchisees receive training and ongoing support to help them manage their operations, while benefiting from the...

The start of the year marks the most important period in the travel industry - known as 'Peaks', which runs from January through to February. This is when travel bookings surge as consumers plan their holidays for the upcoming year. If you’re thinking about starting a travel business, here’s why launching in time for Peaks can set you up for success:

1. Take Advantage of High Demand

During Peaks, travellers are actively searching for their next holiday destinations, often looking for deals on summer holidays, city breaks, and special getaways. By launching your travel business before this time, you’ll tap into the biggest booking season of the year, capitalizing on the surge in demand. Travel agents make 30% of their yearly income during Peaks alone, so you can't afford to miss out!

2. Capture Early Bookings for the Year Ahead

Many travellers prefer to book early to secure the best prices and availability. By launching before January, you position your business to...

JetHolidays have now released their Summer 2026 programme with TUI launching theirs on the 17th October 2024. 

Our franchise owners are busy contacting their clients to let them know that they can now secure their Summer 2026 holiday with deposits as low as £60 per person. 

There are lots of benefits to our customers when booking their holidays early e.g free child places, the best flight times, the best room categories and early booking discounts. 

Being part of a travel franchise like us, we ensure you are kept up to date with information like this so that you can prepare your marketing strategy and make the most of these holiday launches. As a business we expect to see an increase in sales over the coming months with people booking their holiday for 2026 now and then spreading the cost. 

If you are looking at joining a travel franchise then now is a great time to do so in order to take advantage of customers eager to secure their Summer 2026 holiday and...

We are excited to announce that this month we are going to be paying out a record breaking commission to all our franchise owners due to the huge success in summer sales! 

Holiday sales continue to rise due to the high demand as people look to escape the disappointing UK weather. The last few months saw an increase in customers looking to book last minute getaways meaning that our franchise owners were seeing quicker commission payouts. 

As we reach the end of the school holidays we have seen a big spike in customers looking to book their holidays for next year with a range of holiday types being booked but with Cruise Holidays being one of our top selling products which is going to set our agents up perfectly for September which is often referred to as cruise month in the industry.

During cruise month we see lots of cruise companies launch new campaigns and incentives.

Holiday sales are booming right now! The poor UK weather really has set holiday sales in motion with this month set to be a recording breaking month for The Good Travel Agent. 

More and more customers are looking for last minute getaways in order to escape what has been an unsatisfactory summer in the UK! While it's normal for us to have lots of enquiries for last minute holidays we have seen a significant rise in late bookings this year and it's not all down to the UK weather. 

Usually in customers would book their holidays in advance and then pay off their holiday bit by bit, but with the current financial climate we have experienced more people saving their holiday funds and then booking what they can with the budget they have rather than booking in advance and then struggling to afford it as the time comes to make payment. 

This combined with the current weather in the UK has had a big impact on customers booking last minute in order to enjoy their summer...

On Thursday 11th July 2024 we attended Travel Weekly's Agent Achievement Awards in London where we celebrate the amazing success of the travel industry and to our delight we won a prestigious award! 

We are officially Travel Weekly's One to Watch! This is due to the impact we have had on the travel industry since starting our small business, building strong relationships, setting new standards and our innovation to change the way that travel agents work. 

To win an award within the first year of starting our business is a massive achievement and something we are extremely proud of. 

As a Travel Franchise company we pride ourselves on listening to our franchise owners to ensure they have the tools, training and support that they need in order to run a successful travel agent business from the comfort of their own home!

This award is just the start for us though, we have really high ambitions and lots more innovations on our road-map to success and we look forward to...

I often get asked about marketing strategies and how to find customers that want to book holidays. Luckily finding people who like to go on holiday is the easy part! Most people you meet will go on at least one holiday per year. 

Joining a travel franchise business like ours ensures you get full training on how to market your business, as well as being their to coach and mentor you. We help you understand what works and what doesn't to help you build a strong marketing strategy. You do not have to be a marketing guru in order to get it right, you just need to be willing to reflect, learn and adapt! 

So what are some of the strategies you can use? 

Friends & Family - Most people have a good network of friends and family and most of them will plan to go on holiday at some point. These should be your first customers, they already have a connection with you and will trust you to help them with their next trip. Booking your friends and family also help you get...