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.”
Six reasons to start a travel business before the New Year – even if you’re new to travel
1. The post-pandemic holiday boom
The rapid rise of the homeworker has been one of the most significant trends to take hold in the travel industry for decades, according to travel industry insider, TTG Media.
According to the Association of British Travel Agents “confidence to travel across the UK population is up by 6 points compared with 2023”.
People are prepared to spend money on holidays: from once-in-a-lifetime bucket list trips to fly-and-flop packages, demand is up. If you need proof that the package holiday market continues to grow then the fact that three of the biggest UK holiday companies are all upping their capacities for 2025 is proof enough (in October, Jet2 announced its capacity would be about 6% higher in 2025).
2. Peaks 2025 is tipped to be the biggest yet
With soaring demand, you could grab one of the last few remaining places to train with The Travel Franchise before Christmas and launch your home-based travel business before the busiest time in travel – the January to March ‘Peaks’ period when agents typically book four times more holidays than any other time of the year. Many analysts predict Peaks 2025 will be the biggest one yet.
3. Travel agents are in demand
New research by ABTA reveals that more people are choosing to use travel agents and this research is backed up by Phocuswright which recently noted a growing trend for travel agents to open brick-and-mortar agencies. Recent news articles in the travel trade press including Breaking Travel News suggest that customers are tired of trawling, and agents do often have access to better deals.
4. Commissions and agent incentives are rising
ABTA’s report also revealed that 46% of travellers are expecting to spend more money on their holidays, which means bigger commission for agents. Not Just Travel (the customer-facing arm of The Travel Franchise) reports the average commission continues to rise – the award-winning company specialises in training people new to the industry and reports record bookings every month this year.
Some tour operators are also offering agents “commission uplifts” and tax-free benefits, including high street vouchers, designer clothes and the latest technology and gadgets.
5. Specialise in cruise and reap the rewards
Many savvy agents are becoming experts in niche travel products that attract high-paying repeat clients. These include areas such as cruising which typically offers commission of around 15-20 per cent. With around 19 ships currently being built, this is a fast growth sector to watch.
Not Just Travel launched a Cruise Division in 2022 and recruited experts who can train people new to travel to become a ‘cruise master’ in just a year, giving you the skills and credentials you need to succeed. Since then its cruise sales have tripled! One of its consultants made over £1 million-worth of sales booking hundreds of customers onto one single cruise in September 2024.
6. Travel perks including FAM trips
It’s no secret that travel agents get discounted holidays and educational trips (known as FAM or familiarisation trips) to learn about the places and products they’re selling.
Many travel suppliers are increasingly keen to host agents and boost business over the next year and give behind-the-scenes tours of new ships and hotels too.
Some companies like Not Just Travel host company events overseas for its consultants as well as unique money-can’t-buy mentorship retreats abroad which are free to franchisees who sign up on its Elite franchise package.
In September it arranged no less than five separate overseas trips taking nearly 200 franchisees overseas. Mauritius, Antigua, Barbados, Ibiza, Rome and Peru were on the menu.
In October, the company also sent 68 Elite agents to a Millionaire’s Retreat in sunny Crete with another planned to Florida shortly.
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