Is Becoming a Travel Agent Actually Worth It?
People ask me this all the time. Usually it's someone who plans every family vacation down to the dinner reservation, and three different friends have told them "you should do this for a living."
So here's my honest answer. It depends on what you're expecting.
If you're expecting quick money, no. Don't do it, and I'll respect you more for walking away now. Nobody's first commission check shows up in week two. It shows up months after your first booking, because suppliers pay after the traveler travels. Anyone telling you different is selling you something.
If you're expecting a real business that you build over time, then yes. It might be one of the best decisions you ever make.
Here's what "worth it" actually looks like.
Year one, you learn and you earn a little. You'll book trips for friends and family. You'll mess something up and have to fix it. That's normal. That's the tuition.
Year two is when it gets interesting. The clients from year one come back, and they bring their friends. Your supplier relationships start paying off in better support and better perks. The advisors on our team who stuck with it for 18 months part time are the ones with the good stories now.
The math is simple. You earn commission on what you book. No bookings, no pay. Some months are great. Some months are quiet. If you need a steady paycheck next month to cover rent, keep your job and do this on the side. Most of our Navigators started exactly that way.
So who should not do this? People looking for a hobby that pays. People who don't actually like talking to people. People who want someone to hand them clients on day one. I'll tell you that on a call before you spend a dollar, because I'd rather lose a recruit than gain a miserable advisor.
Who does it work for? Planners. Helpers. The friend everyone already texts before they book a trip. People who can handle a problem at 9pm without panicking, because a client's flight got cancelled and you're the one they call.
And I want to be straight with you about what we ask in return. We ask for 20 hours a week minimum building your business. We ask you to show up, do the training, stay active in the community. Every year we review every Navigator to make sure it's still a good fit in both directions. We will support you like family, and we expect you to show up like you mean it. Supportive doesn't mean hands-off.
What I'd tell my own friend: try it part time. Keep your day job. Give it one year of real effort, twenty hours a week, and then decide. You'll know by month twelve. Most people know by month six.
Worth it? For the right person, absolutely. For the wrong person, it's an expensive lesson. My job is to help you figure out which one you are before you start, not after.
If you want the full picture, fees and all, it's all published on our join page. No sales call required to read it.
Cody Thomas
President, Somewhere Beyond Vacations
