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.”
When the economy wobbles, smart people stop waiting for job security and start building their own
March 2026 was The Travel Franchise's busiest month for new sign-ups and enquiries since July 2025
Job security used to mean a good employer. Increasingly, people are deciding it means not needing one.
That shift is showing up clearly at The Travel Franchise, the UK's number one franchise for people new to travel, where March 2026 brought the highest number of new enquiries and consultant sign-ups since July last year. The timing is not a surprise to the founders. When headlines about economic uncertainty and political instability start stacking up, more people start doing the maths on what it would actually cost to build something of their own.
And the maths here is accessible. Entry starts from £2,995. There are no shop premises, no stock, no employees required. Monthly running costs are low. Most new consultants start part time, alongside an existing job, which means the risk of taking that first step is far lower than people expect.
"Right now, there is an unprecedented demand for people wanting to start their own business, but with the backup and support of a proven system," says Paul Harrison, Co-Founder of The Travel Franchise. "Every day, we hear from so many people wanting to make a change in their lives."
"We've been busy before, but March felt different. The conversations we're having with people are changing,” says Jenny Farenden, Head of The Travel Franchise. “It's less 'I've always wanted to work in travel' and more 'I need to do something that works for me.' People are looking for something real, with proper support behind it, and that's exactly what we offer."
A business you can build around your life
The model is straightforward. Franchisees run their own home-based travel consultancy, earning commission on holidays they book for clients. No travel experience is needed. Around 70% of new starters join part time. Many are in their 30s, 40s or 50s, career changers from teaching, healthcare, finance, the armed forces, people who wanted flexibility and income potential without starting from scratch alone.
The support behind them is substantial. Training begins with a focused induction programme, new consultants get a dedicated business consultant as a personal coach, and Elite franchisees receive two overseas mentorship retreats included in their package. Through a partnership with Hays Travel Independence Group, every consultant has access to over £3 billion in buying power and more than 450 tour operators.
For those who want to build something significant, the ceiling is high. Several consultants have passed £500,000 in commission. Recent joiners are booking seven figures in holidays within their first two years. For those who simply want a flexible second income alongside other commitments, the model works for that too.
The network is growing, and getting stronger
March also saw the rollout of The Travel Franchise's upgraded launch training programme, with broader skills, new tools and a faster path to confidence for new starters. Unusually, every existing consultant in the network was also invited to attend, free of charge. Over 40 took up the offer.
"We already believed we had the best training programme," says Steve Witt, Co-Founder of The Travel Franchise. "With the rollout of our new launch system, we know there is no better way to get started in travel. But this isn't just for new starters. When your whole network gets stronger, everyone benefits."
The results speak to a model that holds up under pressure. Despite wider market headwinds in March, eight of the company's top twenty consultants recorded year-on-year growth in excess of 50%. Several more than doubled their business. The Travel Franchise has now been voted Best Lifestyle Franchise in the World by Global Franchise for two consecutive years, 2025 and 2026, and ranks among the top 10 franchises in the UK overall (Franchise Direct).
What it looks like in practice
Amy spent 15 years in financial services before joining as an Elite franchisee in mid-2024. Within 18 months she had booked over £1.3 million in holidays. She went part time in her previous job in August 2025 and left entirely by the end of the year. "I love it," she says. "I feel free. I get to travel and earn good money. This doesn't feel like work. It feels like I've finally found what I'm meant to do."
Jarrad, a qualified accountant from Wales, completed the Money Back Challenge in just six months, meaning his entire £14,995 franchise fee was refunded. By January 2026 he had passed £1 million in holiday bookings, all while continuing to work part time. "Now I'm in a position where I've got a business and a part-time job that fit around my life," he says. "It's been life-changing."
Two-time Olympian Daley Thompson partner with The Travel Franchise
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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
The Travel Franchise | Franchisee Testimonials
