Welcome. Since you clicked this link, it is safe to assume that you want to make money or more money as a travel consultant. This article highlights the best practical tips to implement.
If you have a passion for travel and want to get paid to travel the world, becoming a travel consultant is an excellent way to combine business and pleasure. Travel consultants help people plan and book vacations and major events such as cruises and group tours.
They generally work on commission and therefore must market their services in order to grow their client base. For individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit, the sections below offer many helpful ideas that could be implemented to make money as a travel consultant.
1. Establish Your Target Market
As a travel consultant, your goal is to provide a service that people will want to pay you for. Before you begin, ask yourself this question “Why would somebody pay me for this?” Do you want to focus on a niche? Do you want to cater to clients from a particular demographic?
Trying to pitch adventure vacations to someone who isn’t even aware that they want one is going to be different from targeting customers who can afford a luxurious trip.
You should also find out what your customers desire so that you can provide them with the best destinations after you have identified who you want to target.
With the market flooded with travel consultants, it is essential to target your niche market to make money. Doing so will provide you not only with the best return on investment, but will also enable you to find success much faster.
2. Start a Travel Consulting Agency (Licenses Required)
If you’re looking for flexibility or want to increase your income, starting your own agency might be something to think about. Become a travel consultant licensed to plan your client’s vacations, honeymoons, family getaways, or exotic destinations.
There are several ways that you can get your travel consultant business off the ground. The first way is to get certified through organizations like CTA, ISTA, AFTA, and TCRC. This is because some states like Florida, California, Washington, and Iowa expect that you register your travel agency.
These certification courses give you the tools to be an informed tour operator while you go out on your own. Another way to get started is to join an existing travel agency (or start your own) and work on landing deals with them.
3. Offer Tips to Tourists in Exchange for Money
Using your expertise as a travel advisor would be another way to make money as a travel consultant. Your clients may require some assistance with their travel plans. However, they may not be aware of all the information they need.
It is at this point that you become their consultant. Your knowledge about the best places can be used to inform them about the weather, seasons, timings, the security situation, and budget, etc. Nonetheless, you should keep in mind their preferences.
Earning additional money from this can be a very profitable endeavor. But your market value, clients, and quality all play a role. Depending on the service, some charge as low as $50, others go as high as $500 or more for planning trips.
4. Become a Travel Blogger
There are people all over the world that want to travel, but just don’t know how to go about making it happen. A travel consultant blog may be a good idea if you’re organized, enjoy networking with other people, and have a flair for writing.
The travel industry is one of the most profitable blog niches to consider these days. Therefore, with your experience and expertise as a travel consultant, this is a good and reliable option to make money. Blogs can be monetized with affiliate links, in which case you’ll earn money by linking to travel deals.
Some people only post affiliate links on their site, but others write blog posts with information that is useful to their audience and then include affiliate links. It’s possible to earn up to 75% commission with some affiliate programs.
The best thing about this job is that you can do it from anywhere in the world, at any time of the day or night, and at your own pace.
SEE: How to create a website for your blogging business in few minutes
5. Create Digital Products like Audio Tours and Smartphone Apps
Travel consultants can also create digital products like audio tours and smartphone apps to make money. These are great ways to attract potential clients to your travel agency. Before attempting to design these digital products, you must know how to develop these content types.
Still, it’s possible that your customers will be excited enough about your services that they ask you to create these digital products for them. Some of the most successful examples of this come from the travel industry and they include audio and video tours and smartphone apps.
If you have extensive knowledge of an area or a city, consider creating a product around your knowledge and sell it online. One of the most successful examples of this is Lee Abbamonte (an American travel blogger who has visited all the countries in the world) audio guides.
SEE: How to make money selling information products
6. Become a Tour Guide
If you love exploring new places, you can make some money by becoming a tour guide. Besides, working as a tour guide is one of the best options because you get to meet people from all over the world and show them around. You can work part-time or full-time for this job and travel at the same time.
If you can find enough people to travel on the same days, think of how much you can earn by being into tour guiding. You can easily charge $100 – $150 for 3-hour tours that will be full of sightseeing.
If your tours are popular, this is something that can earn you thousands of dollars a month if not even more. Here is an additional strategy on how to make money as a travel consultant.
SEE: Best ways to earn more money as a tour guide
7. Work as a Translator or Photographer
Nowadays, the term “travel consultant” means so much more than just booking flights and hotels for your clients. Working as a travel consultant allows you to travel the world, which is what many of us want to do anyway.
If your first love is traveling and you’re great with languages, this may be the job for you. Work as a translator or photographer on a cruise ship and make money as a travel consultant.
Similarly, if you are good at writing and translating foreign languages, and understand different cultures, consider working as a travel consultant.
No, you don’t have to speak Japanese or Portuguese to do this job. You just need a love of travel and some basic language skills. Have a good eye for a good photo opportunity? Help them make a few extra bucks by working as a photographer during port calls.
You may find taking pictures of people having a good time a painless experience, so why not capture memories of those people for a little bit of money?
SEE: Hacks to learn a new language in record time
8. Use Discounts To Bring in Customers
As a travel consultant, you can use discounts to get the attention of potential clients which in turn means you make more money. The discount you give to the client is a promotional tool that you can highlight on different platforms, such as your site or social media.
In addition, it is a very influential technique for bringing in new customers. When the client gets their travel package for a special price, there is a greater chance that they will recommend it to others.
For instance, if you are willing to lead a group of tourists on holiday for a short period, companies often reward you with discounts on other holidays. Another discount scheme is for travel advisors who meet their monthly booking target with companies over a year.
By offering your travel advice and language skills to these companies, you earn discounts that can be used by yourself and your clients.
9. Make Money From Tours and Commissions
Travel consultants can also make money from local tours, rental cars, and transfers. Small tour operators and transfer companies are typically local businesses, so they prefer to deal with travel consultants who refer clients.
Commissions are another way for travel consultants to earn money. Travel agents earn a large percentage of their income through commissions. Essentially, commissions are the profits you get when someone buys something through you. More like affiliate marketing.
The travel consultant earns a commission on everything their clients book and buy. Although some travelers may find this unfair, the travel agent is taking responsibility for the customer’s satisfaction. Fraud and scams are reduced dramatically as a result. The information is verified, and the customers know who is responsible.
Businesses, as well as travel agents, guarantee customer satisfaction. To accomplish this, many travel consultants have contracts and deals with companies.
SEE: How to make money with affiliate marketing
10. Get Insurance If You Work as an Independent Travel Consultant
Working as an independent travel consultant always means you get the freedom to choose your hours and make your schedule. Being a boss is everyone’s dream, but there are also risks involved. They are wrong booking, missing luggage, etc.
Say you botched your client’s itinerary, causing him or her to miss the $5,000-per-seat first-class flight. You’re responsible for such a mistake. A mistake may be costly, but if you have errors and omissions insurance, you do not have to pay for mistakes out of pocket.
If you work as an independent travel consultant, make sure that you buy insurance to cover your liability for loss of baggage or missed flights. Lots of companies offer policies that are specially tailored for this kind of job. For instance, some companies can cover up for missed or delayed flights.
How Much Money Can You Make as a Travel Consultant?
Even though travel consultants do not earn large amounts of money, the job is still a promising one. A travel consultant can expect to make around $44,000 per year.
FAQs
Why would companies pay commissions to travel consultants?
Travel consultants are in essence marketers and influencers for the travel industry. It is possible to channel the business’s customer base through them. Customers and business owners benefit from their services. Travel consultants make money and businesses get customers. This way, all are satisfied.
What qualifications do you need to make money as a travel consultant?
It is not necessary to have a specific qualification to become a professional travel consultant. As a travel consultant, you’ll supply travelers with a service. You must therefore possess strong sales capabilities.
To get the most out of your time, you will need to improve your time management skills. Realize that this is a profession rather than just a hobby.
Final Thoughts
The travel industry is huge, and many people are getting into it now that the economy has started to change. More people are now traveling abroad, and not only that, they’re taking more trips out of state. This is providing a lot of business opportunities for those who know how to make money as a travel consultant.
The information in this article should assist anyone considering to become a travel consultant or a travel consultant looking to make more money. Anyone can earn money in the travel industry, not just travel consultants.
If you’re a person who just enjoys the thrill of traveling, see the best travel jobs that will make you money. In addition, you might want to read the article on tourism business ideas to make money for travel enthusiasts.
For more business ideas and how to make money, please visit the blog. There is something that will catch your attention. Thanks for reading.
