Independent travel agent working from a laptop at home, reviewing client bookings

The case for using a host agency

Running your own travel business doesn’t mean doing it alone. A host agency allows you to run your own travel business under your own brand without having to build all of the supporting infrastructure yourself

Why agents choose to work through a host agency

If you’re thinking about starting your own travel business then no doubt you’re grappling with a whole range of issues you need to consider – starting with should I work with a host or mobile agency, or should I go it alone and begin entirely under my own steam?

Starting a travel business involves far more than simply selling holidays. Behind every successful agency is a combination of technology, supplier relationships, marketing, financial systems, industry agreements, and professional support.

Establishing all of these elements independently can be time-consuming and costly. And that’s just to get started.

The Short Version

A host agency lends its size and relationships to a business that’s still yours. You get the leverage of a big operator without giving up the brand you’re building.

What you’ll need to run a travel business

Lets begin with a quick and deliberately simple checklist of what you’ll need to start operating your business.

  • A professional website
  • Contracts with a mid office/booking system and GDS provider
  • Membership/contract with a buying group or affiliation
  • Accounting support for client and supplier payments
  • Marketing tools and a strategy to attract and retain clients
  • Agreements with major suppliers and industry organisations
  • A contract with a bank to accept credit card payments
  • Professional indemnity insurance
  • Terms and conditions, compliance documentation, and business policies

Setting these up yourself can be daunting, and if you’re just starting out in the industry, maybe you’re not even sure of how successful you will be, after all, you have never done it full time before. And of course there are many other considerations, such as who do you turn to when you need help.

The other, and increasingly more popular option is to work with a host agency who can provide you with all of the above and more, in a fraction of the time, and for one generally low start up fee.

The top 10 reasons to use a Host Agency

With a host agency your business carries your name, your logo, your website. You’re building your own buainess and brand equity.  And if you ever decide to move your business, or sell it, you will have a tangible asset that’s genuinely yours.

We provide a comprehensive suite of technology solutions ready to go at start up. Including your own personalised and customisable website fully updated for you; a Mid office/CRM and bookings management system Choice of 3 GDS’s – Galileo, Sabre or Amadeus; Intranet for access to information and resources.

Our marketing program is designed to keep your business visible and engaged with clients year-round. It includes your own website, professionally designed email newsletters, supplier promotions, consumer competitions, amd local area advertising.

One of the biggest challenges agents face is to get this vital part of the business right. We help ensure your client receipts, supplier payments, commission receipts and more are reconciled.

A comprehensive program of online training modules and webinars will take you step by step through our systems, as well as covering subjects like basic travel procedures, marketing, business plans, and specialist modules like groups training.

Keep in touch with your peers via a closed user Facebook page and regular conference calls organised by head office; gain access to preferred supplier representatives and attend our annual conference.

Our setup fee of $695 or $1495 for new to industry agents is great value and the easiest way you will ever start a new business.

As members of Magellan, a wholly owned subsidiary of Helloworld Travel, we receive favourable deals from our extensive list of preferred suppliers, including cruise lines, tour companies, hotel suppliers and more.

Your one simple agreement with us encompasses our individual contracts with our GDS, mid office provider, ticketing consolidators, IT support, insurance and more

As a member of ATIA and CLIA we are recognised as accredited travel professionals. This means we adhere to the highest standards in the industry. Our services include Professional Indemnity Insurance to protect you personally.

A young couple sits together at a wooden table in a bright, plant-filled café, smiling while

Don’t Confuse the Two

A host agency isn’t a franchise

Many franchise and umbrella-brand models require you to trade under their name. Their logo appears on your website, client invoices and any other marketing activity, building recognition for their brand rather than your own. Their name is what clients see and remember, and if you decide to move on in the future, you may find that much of what you’ve built remains tied to the brand you’ve been representing

A host agency model is different. You operate under your own business name, build your own brand and we provide the infrastructure behind the scenes, including supplier access, commission processing, insurance, technology and training, but the business itself, the brand, the client list, the goodwill, belongs to you.

If you’re weighing up the two, ask yourself whether you want to build someone else’s brand or your own.

Before You Enquire

Commission rates vary by host agency. Ours are built around simple, month to month hosting plans starting at 80% of all profit is retained by you.

No, our hosting plans are unique in that we offer a simple and transparent month to month agreement.

Plenty of our agents start part-time alongside other work. The supplier access and support are the same regardless of how many hours you put in each week, it’s really about what you’re trying to build.

That’s handled as part of the hosting arrangement. You get the benefit of established Professional indemnity insurance and compliance groundwork without having to arrange or fund it separately yourself.

You can walk away, but you’ll have your own brand and client relationships to take with you, which is precisely why we structure things this way. Nothing about your business belongs to us.

Ready to take the next step?

Find out more about us, submit an enquiry, or speak with our team directly about building a travel business under your own brand.

Prefer to talk it through? Call us on 07 3861 9667.