The Travel Franchise is the UK’s number one franchise for people new to travel. With over twenty years in the market, more than 750 successful travel consultants and a business model that has been tested, refined and proven over two decades, it gives aspiring entrepreneurs everything they need to launch their own home-based travel agency from scratch, regardless of prior experience, and begin earning industry-leading commission from day one.
In both 2025 and 2026 the company was named Best Lifestyle Franchise in the World and Best European Franchise at the International Franchise Association’s Global Franchise Awards, two years running. It is also one of the top ten franchises in the UK overall, the only travel franchise to achieve that recognition, sitting in the rankings alongside major household brands. The business is backed by celebrity brand ambassadors TV broadcaster Eamonn Holmes OBE and double Olympic champion Daley Thompson CBE.
Two packages designed around your life
The Lite Mentorship Programme is the most accessible entry point into the travel industry available in the UK today. Starting from the equivalent of £28 a week, it is designed specifically for people who want to enter the travel industry gradually and part time without giving up their current income or their existing commitments. Every Lite consultant is paired with one of twenty hand-picked experienced travel professionals from the very first day. Both parties earn commission on every booking that completes. It is a true business partnership from day one, not a training scheme or a shadowing programme, but a real commercial arrangement in which both sides are invested in the same outcome.
The results from the Lite programme have been remarkable. One consultant generated over £81,000 in sales within her first two and a half months, including a single £50,488 booking for a complex six-and-a-half-week itinerary to Canada and Alaska. She had no prior travel experience. Her mentor handled the booking. She found the lead, managed the relationship and earned her share of the commission. When she is ready to upgrade to Elite and handle bookings independently, the knowledge, the client base and the confidence will already be in place.
“I can highly recommend the Lite package. Working with an experienced consultant from day one is great. A really great way to start a travel business.”
The Elite package at £14,995 plus VAT is the most popular and the most complete version of the business. It includes five days of intensive live online training delivered in small groups and rated excellent on Trustpilot, a dedicated Business Consultant from day one, two fully funded overseas mentorship retreats as standard, the unique Money-Back Challenge which gives you the chance to get your initial franchise investment refunded if you hit a set level of commission in your first year, and the full technology suite. For anyone ready to commit fully and build something with genuine long-term earning potential, it is the strongest travel franchise opportunity available in the UK today.
What the business actually involves
Franchisees earn commission from travel suppliers every time they plan and book a holiday for a client. The average commission is around ten per cent of the booking value. The average UK holiday is worth approximately £4,500, generating around £400 per booking. Franchisees keep up to 75 per cent of what they generate, one of the highest commission splits in the sector. Two consistent bookings a week produces over £40,000 a year. As the client base grows and repeat bookings and referrals compound, the income grows with it. High-ticket niches like luxury tailor-made itineraries, cruises, destination weddings and group travel generate some of the highest commissions available in the entire retail sector, often for the same effort as a standard booking.
The consultant’s role is to find customers, build relationships and book holidays. The franchise handles everything else: the technology, the supplier negotiations, the ticketing, the admin, the back office and the ongoing training and development. Franchisees are never left to figure things out alone. The support is there from day one and it stays there for the entire journey.
What is included
- Five-day live online training rated excellent on Trustpilot, start booking holidays the same week
- Access to over 450 ABTA and ATOL bonded travel suppliers with exclusive trade-only deals unavailable to the public
- Dedicated Business Consultant providing one-to-one coaching and support six days a week
- Head office operations team handling all ticketing and travel admin so franchisees can focus on selling
- Free weekly webinars, in-person training events and annual company conferences
- Two fully funded overseas mentorship retreats to luxury destinations included in the Elite package
- Personal marketing website, ready-made social media content and professional marketing materials from day one
- TProfile quotation tool to create stunning interactive client proposals that convert enquiries into bookings
- NJT Smart AI, an AI platform built specifically for travel consultants, provided completely free
- Vision CRM acting as a personal assistant for client management and commission tracking
- Partners in Travel scheme to build a client base through local business and charity partnerships
- Investment refund guarantee on the Elite package: hit a set commission level in your first twelve months and receive your entire £14,995 back in full, the only offer of its kind in the travel franchise sector
Real results from real people
98 % of The Travel Franchise’s franchisees had no travel background before joining. Former teachers, police officers, NHS workers, corporate professionals, military veterans, paramedics and stay-at-home parents have all built thriving businesses by following the same proven model with the right support behind them. Many earn £40,000 or more part time. Full-time franchisees regularly achieve six figures. Some have built businesses generating millions in annual sales.
“We finished training at 3pm on the Friday and by 4.30pm on the same day we had our first booking. And it was from a complete stranger. What an amazing feeling!”
The Elite package also includes something unique: the chance to get the entire franchise fee back. It works like this. If an Elite franchisee reaches a set level of commission within their first twelve months, The Travel Franchise refunds their entire £14,995 investment in full. No small print. No conditions beyond hitting the commission target. For franchisees who follow the model and put in the work, it means the business can effectively cost them nothing. Dozens have achieved it, some in as little as six months. It is the most compelling proof available that The Travel Franchise genuinely believes in its own model.
“There were other similar companies but The Travel Franchise and its customer-facing brand Not Just Travel pulled me in due to the high level of support.”
New to travel franchisees land £298,791 booking achieving franchise’s unique Money Back Challenge in record time
When Lindsey and her husband Karl launched their travel consultancy in June this year, they never imagined that just a few months later they’d secure a staggering £298,791 booking for a private jet group trip to the Caribbean.
The single booking skyrocketed their commission, making them the fastest consultants to win the company’s unique Money Back Challenge (MBC) in just four months - despite being new to travel and holding down full-time jobs.
This initiative refunds Elite franchisees their £14,995 franchise fee once they reach a set commission target within their first year.
“Our goal was always to achieve the MBC,” says Lindsey. “But balancing full-time jobs with running a travel consultancy is a real challenge and we didn’t think we’d be able to succeed. Now, with this one booking alone, we’ve done it and are planning to go full time in travel next year.”
“We’re realising quickly that if we had more time, what could we achieve with this business?” says Lindsey.
Their journey with The Travel Franchise began nearly four years ago when they attended a Discovery event and met co-founders Steve and Paul. After postponing their plans to travel the world, they returned ready to commit — drawn by the company’s strong training and guidance.
The couple, aged 45 and 50, currently work as store managers in Lincolnshire, but their passion for travel has always driven them to take bold leaps.
A few years ago they sold their home and went travelling for a year. When they returned to the UK in December 2024, they moved from Oxfordshire to Lincolnshire, determined to start fresh and turn their love of travel into a business with The Travel Franchise.
This milestone booking was made for high-net-worth clients who were already customers and Lindsey and Karl worked on the deal while on holiday in South Africa.
“There were times I wondered if it would fall through due to challenges like limited first-class seat availability but I suggested a private jet and ITC made it happen. ”
The couple say they have been impressed with the level of support The Travel Franchise, particularly their BDM, has given them.
Initially they looked at other travel franchises, but they felt that the support, training and guidance with The Travel Franchise was unmatched.
“It was the whole package,” Lindsey explains. “From our Business Development Manager Catherine, who's been incredible, to the wider support team, who respond so quickly, there’s always someone on hand to answer questions. That support makes all the difference.”
Now, with their biggest booking to date under their belt and their sights set on building the business full-time, Lindsey and Karl are already seeing their dream life take shape.
“We’re ecstatic. It still hasn’t sunk in yet!”
The couple plan to reinvest their £14,995 into the business.
“For us, travel isn’t just a business – it’s a passion.”
Co-founder Paul Harrison commented: “More people than ever before have achieved the Money Back Challenge in 2025. It’s no small feat – especially for those juggling another job – but dozens upon dozens have proved it’s possible and 98 per cent are new to travel. The latest statistics show that the challenge is becoming easier to achieve, as more people choose to book their holidays with someone they know, like and trust.”
The Travel Franchise | Case Study | Nong
The Travel Franchise | Helen Gage | Testimonial
The Travel Franchise | The Concept
Two-time Olympian Daley Thompson partner with The Travel Franchise
Partner with a company that takes you places… in business and around the world!
The Travel Franchise x Franchise Direct Webinar
The Travel Franchise | Daley Thompson Brand Ambassador Interview
The Travel Franchise | Seminar At Sea
The Travel Franchise | Summer Conference '22
The Travel Franchise | Summer Conference 2022
