Here at VacationLab, our mission is simple. We help travel advisors grow, succeed and enjoy what they do. We are one of the fastest growing companies in the industry, and we got here by staying transparent, offering support and giving our advisors the tools they need to shine.
Below are the three pillars that make VacationLab such an amazing place for travel agents worldwide.
Once you join us, you will have access to weekly team meetings, our legendary Advisor Academy and calls with other travel agents. Have a question? You can schedule a call with the CEO at any time and he will be happy to help you. Our sister website, Famvia, also provides more than 3,000 free guides, reviews and FAQs from the most popular travel destinations in the world, which will support your growth and help you build a strong client base.
VacationLab offers new webinars and courses every month that are created just for you and remain available for life. We also have a social media wizard (hi, Sofia!) who will be happy to set up a call with you. All of this is here to help you get started and develop your expertise in the way that works best for you.
We do not charge entry fees or monthly fees, and we never will. At VacationLab, you start at a 70% commission split and it only goes up from there. We pay on time, stay transparent and make sure your contracts and payments are always clear and straightforward.
TPI charges a startup fee (reported at approximately $199 depending on current promotions) to join their network. They also partner with Tern, a CRM tool priced at $20/month for TPI advisors which is a discounted rate from the standard $49, but still an ongoing cost.
At VacationLab, there are no startup fees, no monthly CRM costs, and no platform fees at any level. Our AI planning tool is included. The Tern discount is a benefit; not paying for it at all is better.
TPI's preferred supplier network is genuinely deep and is one of the broader supplier portfolios among host agencies. But when you are starting out in the industry, it will be overwhelming and daunting to know where to start. Another thing to think about is how you can truly be the expert with so many options.
VacationLab's 80+ partner network is more curated but includes the full range your clients need across luxury, theme parks, cruises, all-inclusive, and international travel. Plus our training encompasses all partners!
~$199 startup fee (verify); Tern CRM available at $20/month (regularly $49)
No entry or monthly fees ever, and you start at a minimum of 70% commission.
30+ hours of training courses and free travel agent guides for over a dozen destinations
Disney and theme parks, sure, but also cruises and beach resorts, with multiple guides about each one.
Weekly meetings, private calls with the CEO, travel dashboard, dedicated webinars
Famvia, our sister website with thousands of curated guides and reviews for your guests to browse
Travel Planners Academy with a self-paced curriculum
Broad: luxury, cruises, all-inclusive, groups, international; 380+ preferred suppliers
Phone support and in-person events
No individual advisor client content platform
Short on time?
If you want the highest commissions and want to sell theme parks, cruises, beach resorts... basically all destinations and trips, VacationLab is your best choice!
Travel Planners International charges approximately $199 as a startup fee to join their advisor network. An optional Tern CRM license is available to TPI advisors at $20/month (standard price $49/month). Their commission plans reportedly start at 70% and scale upward. Worth noting that their luxury page claims up to 90% from the start, with 100% commission available as advisors grow. Third-party comparisons confirm a $199 startup and 70–90% split range.
VacationLab has zero entry fees and no monthly costs. Zero. Nothing. Nada. You don’t pay to join us, and we are more than happy to help you succeed as a travel agent and build a strong client base. As we said before, your success is our success, so we always have each other’s back. We also pay on time, and any questions about contracts or payments can be discussed with the CEO whenever you like.
Travel Planners offers commission starting at 70% with published claims of up to 90% immediately and 100% commission as advisors grow. They explicitly state no quotas and no fluctuating commission based on sales volume (except for the 100% tier). Their luxury page claims even higher starting splits for luxury-focused advisors. Confirm specific terms during onboarding.
At VacationLab, we keep things simple and transparent. Every travel agent who joins starts with at least a 70% commission, and experienced agents can earn even more. With time and a growing client base, you can increase your earnings up to 90%, all with no entry or monthly fees.
The Travel Planners Academy is a self-paced curriculum covering multiple aspects of becoming a travel advisor. Training is described as voluntary and advisors are not required to complete it before booking.
At VacationLab, we offer over 30 hours of self-paced courses you can watch online, along with monthly courses, weekly team meetings and webinars covering a variety of topics. We also provide specialized courses, like social media-focused training, and you can always set up a call with our CEO, our social media expert, or other travel agents.
Their 5,800+ advisor community is one of the largest in the host agency space. They claim a strong event culture and community focused on marketing-first entrepreneurship.
Being a travel agent should be fun, and you should know who’s part of your family. At VacationLab, we have a private Slack channel running all day and team calls more than once a week, with the CEO present and ready to answer your questions. You can also set up calls with our content creator, social media expert, or fellow travel agents. Need a guide focused only on luxury resorts at Disney World? Talk to us, and we’ll get it done in no time so you can share it with your guests. After all, we’re here to help each other.
Travel Planners International maintains a blog and advisor success story content. They provide marketing program resources to advisors including marketing templates and campaigns. This is brand-level and agency-managed rather than a proprietary client content platform advisors own directly.
VacationLab does things differently. We have a sister website called Famvia that is entirely dedicated to travelers and content. We offer more than 3,000 free guides, reviews and FAQs covering the most popular theme parks, cruises and beach resorts in the world. Have a client who wants to go on a Celebrity Cruises vacation? Send them our planning, dining and room guides, most of which are around 2000 words and packed with helpful information and details. We also have curated reviews of top cruise ships, resorts and theme park rides, with ratings and clear pros and cons for each one. Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure received a perfect 10 out of 10, and the same goes for Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios. Curious to see what else earned a perfect score? Well, we will not spoil that here.
Travel Planners advisors benefit from relationships built on decades and hundreds of preferred suppliers. As noted online, top producer benefits include additional recognition and commission opportunities. The Tern CRM at the discounted TPI rate ($20/month) is a practical operational perk versus paying the standard $49 rate.
At VacationLab, we offer not only the best experiences for your guests, but also the best benefits for travel agents. You have the opportunity to access special deals for your guests and save on your own personal travel. On top of that, we run giveaways from time to time and offer a perk called Tier Skip. Every month, we select three special travel suppliers, and you can earn bonus commission and prizes when you sell them. For example, if you are earning 70% commission and the travel supplier of the month is Disney World, selling Disney World vacations could give you 75% or more in commission. Yes, that’s definitely a great way to boost your income!
