How much does it cost to be a travel agent?

The cost to become a Travel Counsellor depends on your route into the business. Our joining fees range from £295 + VAT to £5,000 + VAT, depending on your experience and the training you need. Once your business is up and running, there’s a monthly fee of £40 + VAT. Travel Counsellors works on a 60/40 commission split. That means you keep 60% of the profit from the bookings you make. If you already know which route fits your background, you can explore that route directly. If you’re unsure, take our Pathfinder test, or speak to our Franchise Team.

• Leisure: Experienced leisure travel sellers. £295+VAT

• Corporate: Experienced corporate travel professionals. £295+VAT

• Business Development: Corporate travel sales, account management, or business development backgrounds. £295+VAT

• Return to Travel: Experienced travel professionals returning after time away. £995+VAT

• Travel Trade: Travel industry professionals moving into selling. £995+VAT

• Travel Academy: People new to the travel industry. £5,000+VAT

• Agency Owners: Existing agency owners exploring the Travel Counsellors model. Tailored

Your joining fee and monthly fee give you access to the platform, tools, training, and support you need to run your own travel business. You’ll have access to Travel Counsellors’ technology, including Phenix, myTC, our in-house AI assistant, and booking tools that help you create, manage, and support customer bookings. You’ll also have marketing support, campaign assets, supplier relationships, product choice, financial protection, and guidance from specialist teams across IT, accounts, aviation, commercial, and business support. You’re building your own business, but not from scratch. You’ll have mentoring, a wider community, and 24/7 support around you, so you can focus on customer relationships and service.

Travel Counsellors is a self-employed business opportunity, not salaried employment. That means there’s no guaranteed salary, and you won’t be given a ready-made client base. Your customers will come through relationships, referrals, marketing, personal networks, and local visibility. We’ll give you tools, guidance, and support, but the business you build is yours. You should also plan for personal tax, National Insurance, accountancy support, phone, internet, home office setup, optional local marketing, networking, events, and living costs while your business grows.

When you sell travel as a Travel Counsellor, you earn profit, or commission, from the booking. You keep 60% of that commission. The remaining 40% supports the wider Travel Counsellors infrastructure, including systems, technology, training, supplier access, financial protection, support teams, and ongoing development. For example, if a booking generated £500 in profit or commission, your 60% share would be £300, before tax and any personal business costs. Actual earnings vary by booking value, product type, supplier, margin, cancellations, and the time and effort you put into growing your business.

Every Travel Counsellor starts from a different place, so the right route depends on your background.

• Leisure is for experienced leisure travel sellers who want to build their own business.

• Corporate is for experienced corporate travel professionals who want to use their business travel knowledge to grow their own client base.

• Business Development is for people with corporate travel sales, account management, or business development experience.

• Return to Travel is for experienced travel professionals coming back after time away.

• Travel Trade is for people already working in a non-sales travel role who want to move into selling.

• Travel Academy is for people who are new to the travel industry and want structured training and support.

• Agency Owners is for existing agency owners exploring what the Travel Counsellors model could offer.

• If you’re not sure which route fits your experience, use TC Pathfinder to take our quick self-assessment. 

There’s no single break-even point for every Travel Counsellor. Your results depend on what you sell, your customer base, booking values, and your business costs. This example is based only on Travel Counsellors’ first-year fees, excluding VAT. It doesn’t include tax, National Insurance, accountancy, marketing, home office costs, personal expenses, or living costs.

• Average booking value: £3,000

• Example profit or commission: 10%

• Travel Counsellor share: 60%

• Example earnings per booking before tax and costs: £180

This is an illustration, not a forecast, guarantee, or earnings promise. Your actual results will depend on your booking mix, margins, cancellations, tax, expenses, customer base, and time invested.

When comparing the cost to be an independent travel agent, consider beyond the joining fee.

A lower upfront cost may not include the same level of training, technology, supplier access, financial protection, marketing support, or ongoing business guidance. A higher fee can represent better value if it gives you the structure and support to build with confidence.

When comparing travel franchise costs, ask:

·      What’s the total first-year cost, including monthly fees?

·      What training is included?

·      Is there mentoring after launch?

·      What booking tools and technology do I get?

·      Is marketing support included?

·      Are customer bookings financially protected?

·      Do I need my own ATOL, IATA, supplier access, or compliance support?

·      Will I be given leads, or will I build my own client base?

·      What extra costs should I budget for?

·      What support is available when something goes wrong?

The cheapest option isn’t always the clearest, safest, or most supported route. The right question is: what do I get for my investment?