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.”
The Travel Franchise Crowned World’s Best Lifestyle Franchise
The Travel Franchise has been voted the Best Lifestyle Franchise in the world and Best European Franchise at the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Global Franchise Awards 2025 (February 11th).
Co-founder Paul Harrison, who received the trophy at a star-studded event in Las Vegas, and founded the company in 2001 with business partner Steve Witt, said:
“What started as a dream to give anyone the opportunity to become home-based travel consultants has grown into a multi-million-pound powerhouse with more than 720 UK franchises. Now, with the IFA’s endorsement, the business is not seen as the UK’s leading franchise for people new to travel but officially recognised as one of the top franchises in the world.”
The IFA is the world's biggest franchise association with an independent panel of judges - CEOs, Presidents and franchise experts - at the helm.
The IFA’s decision was based on the company's exceptional business model, which empowers individuals new to travel to launch their own travel businesses with maximum flexibility and support.
Judges were impressed by The Travel Franchise’s ability to help franchisees from all walks of life achieve their personal and professional goals with the opportunity to travel and get your initial franchise fee refunded if you achieve a set amount of commission in your first year - a true game-changer in the world of franchising.
Talking from the awards ceremony in Las Vegas, Paul Harrison said: “This award is a huge testament to the hard work of our incredible team and the amazing franchisees we’ve supported along the way. We’ve built a business that isn’t just about booking holidays; it’s about changing lives. Our franchisees get to work on their own terms — whether that’s full-time, part-time, or just in their spare time. Whether from the comfort of their living room or while working from a beach, they can create the lifestyle they’ve always wanted, and that’s what makes this so special.”
The business model has already helped countless franchisees earn £40,000 part-time (many in their first year of business) and over £100,000 full-time, but the real reward for many is the life-changing flexibility it offers.
Parents have the freedom to work around their kids, others have found a new career after health setbacks, and many have escaped the grind of high-stress jobs in the NHS, police, and even those with punishing commutes.
For these entrepreneurs, it’s not just about the money - it’s about freedom, flexibility, and a career that fits their life, not the other way around.
The business also enables people to travel, taking bookings while they explore the world. One hugely successful consultant, Dale, set off in January on a 12-month worldwide tour and will be taking bookings along the way.
Meanwhile Ellie, a new mum, left her stressful teaching job last year and in 12-months has achieved the company’s Money-Back Challenge, getting her initial franchise fee refunded having achieved a set amount of commission in her first year.
Says Ellie: “The great thing about this job is the flexibility – I never would have had that being a teacher. It will allow me to work around my baby’s schedule. I know I can do it because so many people do this job while juggling other jobs.”
Other franchisees can now earn a fulfilling living while being carers to sick family members, others top up their pension to improve their way of life at a later age.
The majority say that the franchise has changed their lives, and have given them incredible support and opportunities they did not realise were possible with the franchise package including more USPs than any other.
The Travel Franchise includes two free mentorship retreats abroad in its most popular Elite (£14,995) franchise to a short haul and long haul location with the company hosting them in popular tourist spots ranging from Crete and the Canary Islands to the Caribbean and Mauritius.
The trip is no ordinary company retreat - experts attend the event hosting seminars on how to boost their businesses further. This year the company will hold their first overseas retreat in Crete, followed by a company Seminar and Sea cruise around the Norwegian Fjords.
With the IFA’s recognition and a growing network of passionate franchisees, Paul Harrison and his team are more motivated than ever to continue empowering people to follow their dreams, create their own businesses, and live the life they deserve.
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