Story time…
Let’s say you are an independent writer who wants to publish a book you’ve been working on for quite a while. The story is pretty good, and that ending... man, what a twist! Who would have thought the butler was the actual killer? You’ve also got an amazing cover, you've gone through every grammar mistake and corrected everything multiple times, and now all you need to do is publish it!
The idea is to publish it on your own and reap all the benefits. Hey, wouldn’t it be amazing if you’ve just written the next Harry Potter, and all that money goes to you and you alone?
The problem is... how do you publish it? How do you market it? Wait, on which platform are you going to sell your book? You can’t just go to the streets and sell it, right? How are people going to know about you and that your book is good? Ahhh, there’s so much to keep track of!
That’s when you turn to someone like Amazon and decide to publish your book online. Amazon will take a 30% cut of all the sales, but at least you have a place to sell your book, market it, and they offer all the support you need in case something goes wrong. Hey, 70% in earnings is definitely better than nothing, and it’s easier than handling everything yourself, right?
Host Agencies to the rescue
A Host Agency plays a similar role for travel agents as Amazon does for the writer in the example above. Host Agencies are essentially businesses that affiliate with travel agents from all over the globe, serving as an umbrella to offer support, training, connect agents with various companies, and assist them in any way possible when it’s time to book a trip.
Travel agents aren’t, by definition, employees of Host Agencies, but they are still affiliated with them. In exchange for all the help provided by the host agency, there is generally a commission split between the travel agent and their host agency of choice. Some agencies actually ask for a 50/50 split, which we think is too much, while others, like VacationLab, start you at a 70/30 commission split, and that number can increase all the way to 80/20.
The Benefits of a Host Agency
Working alone as a travel agent can be really challenging. You'll face increased costs to obtain the necessary documentation to work with various suppliers, and it can take ages to build a solid network and establish relationships with different cruise lines, theme parks, resorts, and so on.
Host Agencies offer numerous benefits with very few drawbacks. One downside is that you won’t receive a 100% commission payout when booking trips for your clients, but some agencies (like *cough* VacationLab) offer excellent commission splits, such as 70/30. Another disadvantage is that it may take time to find the perfect Host Agency for your needs, as some may feel questionable, especially those that ask for a 50/50 split or try to bring you on board without an interview process.
Hey, guess what. You are already browsing an amazing Host Agency that would love to meet you! Here are the benefits you get when you are part of VacationLab:
- It doesn’t matter if you have previous experience as a travel agent, we're here to help you.
- We have a fun interview process!
- We offer SORS - our very own Travel Dashboard to help you manage bookings and travel rewards.
- We provide exclusive courses, like Mastering Travel Social Media, to support travel advisors of all backgrounds.
- We offer a commission split starting at 70%.
- We have hundreds of guides and reviews on our sister site, Famvia, covering major cruise lines, theme parks, and beach resorts.
- We also have numerous blog posts (just like this one!) and articles right here on VacationLab!
- We’re always ready to listen, chat, and lend a helping hand!
Now that you know a bit more about Host Agencies, why not reach out to us so we can get to know you better? There are no fees involved when you contact us for a chat, so let’s set up a call!
