What You Need to Know Before Becoming a Travel Homeworker

Originally published: 31 July 2025 | Last reviewed and updated: 7th August 2026

Becoming a travel homeworker can give you greater flexibility, the opportunity to build your own client base and the chance to create a genuine business within the travel industry.

It can be rewarding, varied and commercially successful.

It is not, however, a salaried travel job, a source of passive income or a simple way to receive discounted holidays.

A travel homeworker is normally a self-employed travel professional. You will be responsible for attracting clients, researching suitable arrangements, completing training, following booking procedures, managing deadlines and providing support before, during and after each trip.

The homeworking company provides the commercial framework behind you. This may include supplier access, booking systems, payment facilities, financial protection processes, training, compliance guidance and operational support.

Understanding where the company’s responsibilities end and yours begin is one of the most important things to establish before becoming a travel homeworker.

This guide explains the questions you should ask, the costs and commitments you should check and the realities you should understand before deciding whether travel homeworking is right for you.

For a broader explanation of the career, start with our complete guide to becoming a travel homeworker.

Before Becoming a Travel Homeworker: Ask Yourself These Questions First

Before becoming a travel homeworker, it is worth asking whether you are ready for the business behind the opportunity, not simply attracted to the flexibility.

A travel homeworker is normally a self-employed travel professional rather than an employee.

The Civil Aviation Authority describes a homeworker as a self-employed travel professional operating their business from home and offering travel-booking services to consumers. Where they do not hold their own ATOL, they must operate within an appropriate permitted arrangement, such as acting as an agent for an ATOL holder. 

Before applying, ask yourself:

• Am I comfortable being self-employed rather than receiving a salary?
• Am I prepared to find and develop my own customers?
• Can I give clients professional service even if I start part-time?
• Am I willing to complete training and follow formal booking processes?
• Can I cope with commission being earned now but paid much later?
• Am I prepared to market myself consistently?
• Can I organise my own working time without a manager setting my diary?
• Am I comfortable handling real customer problems when travel does not go to plan?
• Do I have enough financial breathing room while the business develops?
• Am I genuinely interested in building a travel business rather than simply accessing travel discounts?

If several of those questions make you uncomfortable, that does not automatically mean travel homeworking is wrong for you.

It does mean you should investigate them before signing an agreement, rather than discovering them after you have started.

Travel homeworking can offer genuine flexibility and the chance to build something of your own. But the flexibility sits alongside responsibility for customers, deadlines, training, marketing and business development.

You Are Starting a Self-Employed Business

Most travel homeworkers are self-employed independent consultants rather than employees.

This means you are usually responsible for your own:

• Working hours
• Marketing
• Client development
• Business expenses
• Tax records
• Income planning
• Professional conduct
• Time management
• Personal performance

You may operate as a sole trader, although some people choose another business structure after taking appropriate accounting or legal advice.

HMRC requires sole traders to register for Self Assessment when their trading income exceeds the applicable trading allowance. You should review the current government guidance on registering as a sole trader and obtain professional advice where necessary.

Being self-employed gives you freedom, but it also removes some of the protections and guarantees associated with employment.

You will not normally receive:

• Holiday pay
• Sick pay
• Employer pension contributions
• A guaranteed salary
• Guaranteed working hours
• A guaranteed supply of customers

You should understand this distinction before leaving employment or relying on travel commission to pay essential household costs.

You can also be employed and self-employed at the same time. GOV.UK confirms that somebody can work for an employer while also running their own business, although the income and tax responsibilities are treated separately.

If you are considering starting travel alongside another job, read our guide to building a travel agent side hustle and running a travel business part-time.

You Will Usually Need to Build Your Own Client Base

One of the biggest misconceptions about travel homeworking is that joining a company automatically creates customers.

Access to booking systems does not create enquiries.

Training does not create enquiries.

A supplier list does not create enquiries.

The travel homeworker normally needs to develop their own audience and client relationships.

Your first enquiries may come from:

• Friends
• Family
• Former colleagues
• Local contacts
• Social media followers
• Community groups
• Professional networks

These can provide a helpful start, but they are unlikely to support a growing business indefinitely.

A longer-term client plan may include:

• Personal recommendations
• Repeat bookings
• Email marketing
• Social media
• Local networking
• Business partnerships
• Client events
• Webinars
• Search-friendly website content
• Google Business Profile
• Community involvement
• Specialist travel groups
• Wedding and event suppliers

Before becoming a travel homeworker, ask yourself:

• Who might realistically book with me?
• Why would they choose me?
• How will people discover my business?
• Which marketing channels can I maintain consistently?
• What kind of travel could I become known for?
• What will I do when friends and family are not booking?

You do not need thousands of followers.

You do need a credible plan for developing relationships beyond your immediate circle.

Our guide to finding travel clients from scratch provides practical ideas for building your first audience.

Flexibility Does Not Mean Working Only When You Feel Like It

Travel homeworking offers genuine flexibility.

You can often arrange the work around:

• Another job
• School hours
• Caring responsibilities
• Health needs
• Family commitments
• Other business interests

However, client and supplier deadlines do not always fit neatly into your preferred schedule.

A client may be ready to book while availability is changing. A supplier may require payment by a specific time. A flight schedule change may affect clients travelling the following day.

You therefore need a realistic plan for:

• Responding to enquiries
• Holding client calls
• Researching quotations
• Monitoring urgent messages
• Managing clients who are travelling
• Processing bookings
• Recording payment dates
• Handling time away from the business

Part-time consultants can provide an excellent service, but part-time should not mean unreliable.

Clients need to know:

• When you normally work
• How quickly you respond
• How to contact you
• What happens when you are unavailable
• Where to obtain urgent support

For a detailed look behind the scenes, read about the main travel homeworker daily tasks.

Travel Homeworker Income Is Usually Commission-Based

A travel homeworker normally earns a share of the commission or profit generated by their bookings.

This is not the same as receiving a percentage of the total holiday price.

For example, if a client pays £5,000 for a holiday, the consultant does not receive 80% of £5,000.

The supplier may pay commission on the booking. Relevant costs may then be deducted before the consultant’s agreed share is calculated.

Those costs could include:

• Card-processing charges
• Protection costs
• Booking fees
• Insurance costs
• Approved discounts
• Other costs associated with the booking

The result varies according to the supplier, product and homeworking model.

Before joining, ask for a worked example showing:

1. The client’s total holiday price
2. The supplier cost
3. The gross commission or booking profit
4. Every cost deducted
5. The amount on which your percentage is calculated
6. Your expected final payment

This is far more informative than a headline claiming that you can “keep up to 80%” or “earn up to 90%”.

Commission May Not Be Paid When the Booking Is Made

Commission timing is one of the most important issues to understand before becoming a travel homeworker.

Some companies pay part of the expected commission soon after booking.

Others pay only after:

• The client has travelled
• The supplier has paid
• The ATOL holder has released the commission
• The consultant has completed a commission claim
• All relevant fees and obligations have been satisfied

At The Independent Travel Consultants, commission is generally paid after the client has travelled or the relevant supplier or ATOL holder has paid, subject to the required commission claim process.

This means a booking made today for a holiday departing next year may not produce personal income for many months.

You should therefore consider:

• How you will fund the business initially
• Whether you have other household income
• How long you can operate before commission begins arriving
• How seasonal booking patterns may affect cash flow
• How cancellations could affect expected earnings
• How much you need to reserve for tax

Our realistic guide to travel homeworker earnings explains the difference between booking value, commission and personal income.

Compare the Complete Cost, Not One Headline Fee

Travel homeworking companies use different fee structures.

Potential costs may include:

• Joining fees
• Training fees
• Monthly service fees
• Technology fees
• Website charges
• Marketing packages
• Booking fees
• Card-processing charges
• Supplier fees
• Insurance contributions
• Transaction charges
• Renewal fees
• Exit charges
• Commission deductions

A company with no monthly fee may retain more of the commission.

A company advertising a very high commission percentage may charge separately for systems, administration, marketing or financial protection.

A lower headline percentage could provide better overall value if it includes high-quality systems and responsive support.

Before joining, ask for:

• A full fee schedule
• A worked commission example
• Details of optional and compulsory costs
• Confirmation of when fees begin
• Information about future fee increases
• Details of costs that continue during quiet months
• Information about charges during a notice period

The Independent Travel Consultants currently has:

• No joining fee
• A £50 monthly service fee
• A standard consultant share of 80% of the booking profit remaining after relevant costs
• Training, systems and ongoing support included within the homeworking model

Optional marketing and business expenses may still arise depending on how you choose to develop your brand.

Read our guide to travel homeworking fees and what they should cover before comparing companies.

Read the Agreement Before You Join

A self-employed arrangement can still involve contractual obligations.

Before signing, understand:

• any minimum term;
• the notice arrangements;
• fees payable during notice;
• what happens to active bookings;
• what happens to future commission;
• system and supplier access;
• customer-data responsibilities;
• branding requirements;
• and what each party must do when the relationship ends.

Do not rely on an article - including this one - as a substitute for the agreement you are actually being asked to sign.

Read the current agreement carefully and ask about anything you do not understand before accepting it.

Understand What Happens to Your Clients and Bookings

A travel consultant may build valuable relationships over several years.

Before joining, clarify:

• Who legally owns the customer relationship?
• Can you export your client contact information?
• Can you contact clients if you leave?
• What happens to bookings that have not yet travelled?
• Who provides aftercare for those clients?
• Will you still receive commission?
• What happens to repeat enquiries during your notice period?
• Can your personal brand continue elsewhere?
• Are there restrictions on approaching former clients?

The answer may depend on data-protection law, the homeworking agreement and who is legally responsible for the booking.

Do not assume that using your own trading name automatically means you own every part of the customer relationship.

Ask for the position in writing.

Financial Protection Must Be Clear

A reputable homeworking company should be able to explain how client money and bookings are protected.

Depending on the arrangements sold, this may involve:

• ATOL protection
• A trust account
• Supplier Failure Insurance
• Airline Failure Insurance
• Other appropriate protection arrangements

Not every travel booking is protected in exactly the same way.

The important question is not simply whether a company displays an ATOL logo. A self-employed homeworker without their own ATOL must operate through an appropriate arrangement, such as acting as an agent for an ATOL holder or within another applicable exemption.

A flight-inclusive package may have different protection from accommodation-only arrangements or a booking made for an overseas resident.

The company should train you to identify what applies to each booking and provide the correct information to the client.

At The Independent Travel Consultants:

• Client money is paid through approved central processes
• Client funds are held through the PTS Trust Account
• ATOL protection is provided where applicable
• Supplier and airline failure arrangements are used where relevant
• Consultants receive guidance on the protection that applies to each booking

A consultant should never ask a client to transfer holiday money into their personal bank account.

Before joining any company, ask:

• Who takes the client’s payment?
• Where is the money held?
• Who appears on the client’s booking documents?
• Which company is responsible for the booking?
• Which ATOL is used where applicable?
• How are non-ATOL arrangements protected?
• Who manages refunds?
• What happens if a supplier fails?
• Who supports the client during disruption?

Vague assurances such as “everything is fully protected” are not enough.

Training Should Cover More Than Destinations

Knowing about destinations is valuable, but it is only one part of becoming a professional travel homeworker.

Your training should include:

• Client consultations
• Supplier systems
• Booking platforms
• Quotation preparation
• Pricing
• Commission and margin
• Package travel
• Dynamic packaging
• Booking authorisation
• Client payments
• Passenger information
• Supplier invoices
• ATOL Certificates
• Financial protection
• Data protection
• Marketing compliance
• Client communication
• Amendments and cancellations
• Complaints
• Emergency support
• Business planning
• Lead generation
• Record-keeping

Ask how the training is delivered and whether your progress is checked.

Also establish:

• Whether training is live, recorded or self-paced
• Whether you can practise sample bookings
• Who reviews your first quotations
• Who supports your first live booking
• Whether advanced training continues after launch
• Whether supplier training is included
• How quickly questions are answered
• Whether an operating manual is provided

A short collection of videos is not necessarily a complete professional training programme.

Support Does Not Mean Somebody Else Runs the Business

Good support is extremely valuable.

It can help you:

• Understand an unfamiliar supplier
• Check a booking process
• Solve a system problem
• Review a complex quotation
• Handle a client complaint
• Interpret supplier terms
• Escalate an urgent issue
• Develop your confidence

Support should not be confused with somebody else completing all your work.

The homeworking company is unlikely to:

• Find every client for you
• Create all your marketing
• Complete every quotation
• Chase every enquiry
• Manage your diary
• Build your personal brand
• Guarantee your income
• Make business decisions on your behalf

Before joining, ask how support works in practice.

Questions might include:

• Which channel should I use?
• What are the support hours?
• Is urgent support available when clients are travelling?
• Are questions answered by experienced travel professionals?
• Is one-to-one support included?
• Are there regular meetings or training sessions?
• Is support available after onboarding?
• Who helps with compliance?
• What happens when my usual contact is unavailable?

A community chat can be helpful, but it should not be the only source of operational support.

You Need to Understand the Legal and Administrative Responsibilities

Working through an established travel business provides an important professional framework, but it does not remove all personal responsibilities.

Depending on your circumstances, you may need to manage:

• Self-employment registration
• Business records
• Income and expense records
• Tax returns
• National Insurance
• Business naming
• Data protection
• Insurance
• Marketing consent
• Secure storage of client information

Travel consultants handle personal information such as:

• Full names
• Dates of birth
• Contact details
• Passport information
• Medical or accessibility needs
• Dietary information
• Payment records
• Travel plans

This information must be handled through approved and secure systems.

Depending on how you process personal data, you may also need to complete the ICO data-protection fee self-assessment and pay the appropriate annual fee unless an exemption applies.

Do not store passport copies, payment information or client records casually on personal devices or messaging platforms.

Our guide to the legal responsibilities of a travel homeworker provides a fuller introduction.

Check What Insurance Is Included

Ask whether the homeworking company’s insurance arrangements cover your activities or whether you need separate cover.

Relevant policies could include:

• Professional indemnity insurance
• Public liability insurance
• Cyber or data insurance
• Equipment insurance
• Business-use home insurance
• Travel-industry-specific liability cover

The appropriate cover depends on the relationship between you and the principal travel business.

Do not assume that every risk is covered simply because you are using the company’s systems.

You may also need to tell your home insurer, landlord or mortgage provider that you are operating a business from home.

You Need Appropriate Equipment and a Reliable Workspace

Travel homeworking does not require a high-street shop, but you still need a professional setup.

At a minimum, consider:

• A reliable computer
• Stable internet access
• A suitable telephone
• A professional email address
• A quiet area for client calls
• Secure passwords
• Multi-factor authentication
• Appropriate file storage
• A system for tracking tasks
• A backup plan for technology failure

Clients may share sensitive information with you.

Working permanently from an unsecured shared device or completing bookings over public Wi-Fi can create unnecessary risk.

Your workspace does not need to be large or expensive.

It does need to allow you to concentrate, communicate clearly and protect client information.

Your Friends and Family Are Still Clients

Many new travel homeworkers make their first bookings for people they know.

The same professional process must still be followed.

A friend or relative should receive:

• A proper quotation
• Clear booking conditions
• Accurate pricing
• Formal booking authorisation
• Secure payment instructions
• Correct documentation
• Appropriate financial protection
• Professional aftercare

Informal messages such as “Go ahead and book it” can create problems when important details have not been confirmed.

Personal relationships should never replace booking procedures.

You Will Need to Market Yourself Consistently

People cannot book with a consultant they do not know exists.

Marketing is therefore part of the role, not an optional activity to complete only when enquiries are quiet.

Your marketing might include:

• Helpful social media content
• Carefully checked travel offers
• Destination guides
• Client testimonials
• Email newsletters
• Local networking
• Referral requests
• Travel events
• Specialist partnerships
• Website articles
• Community involvement

You do not need to become an influencer.

You need to communicate regularly enough for potential clients to understand:

• Who you help
• What you know
• What kind of holidays you arrange
• Why personal service matters
• How to contact you
• Why they can trust you

Marketing should demonstrate service and knowledge rather than presenting an endless stream of prices.

A Personal Brand Takes Time to Build

Some homeworking models allow consultants to trade under their own approved business name.

This can help you develop a memorable identity and target a particular market.

A brand involves more than a logo.

It includes:

• Your client experience
• Communication style
• Areas of knowledge
• Visual presentation
• Values
• Reliability
• Reviews
• Reputation

Choose a name and positioning that can grow with you.

A brand that is extremely narrow may become restrictive. A name that sounds too similar to an established business could also cause confusion.

Check business names, website domains and social media availability before investing in design work.

You must also use the required legal and agency wording so clients understand which travel business is responsible for their booking.

You Do Not Need to Choose a Niche Immediately

Specialising can help a travel homeworker stand out, but you do not need to become an instant expert before completing your training.

Potential specialisms include:

• Cruises
• Luxury travel
• Family holidays
• Accessible travel
• Honeymoons
• Group travel
• Adventure holidays
• Touring
• LGBTQ+ travel
• Solo travel
• A particular destination

A niche should be based on:

• Genuine interest
• Client demand
• Product knowledge
• Supplier access
• Commercial potential
• Your ability to communicate credibly

You may begin with a broader service and allow your specialism to develop through training and real enquiries.

Do not claim expertise you have not yet developed.

What Should You Have in Place Before You Apply?

You do not need a finished travel business before applying to become a travel homeworker.

You do not need:

• a huge social-media following;
• hundreds of customers;
• a finished website;
• years of travel experience;
• or detailed knowledge of every destination.

But it helps to have thought about some basics.

Time

When will you actually work on the business?

That might be full-time, school hours, evenings and weekends or another pattern entirely.

The important thing is having genuine capacity for training, enquiries, quotations, bookings and existing customers.

A realistic idea of your first clients

You do not need a database of thousands.

But ask yourself who is realistically going to hear that you have started a travel business.

Friends and family may provide early opportunities, but eventually you need relationships beyond your immediate circle.

Some financial breathing room

Commission-based self-employment should not be treated like receiving a salary at the end of your first month.

Think about how you will cover your normal living costs and business expenses while your future booking and commission pipeline develops.

The willingness to learn

You will not know every supplier, system, booking rule or destination when you start.

That is normal.

What matters is being willing to train, check information, ask questions and avoid pretending you know something when you do not.

A suitable way to work

You will need reliable technology, secure access to systems and somewhere you can communicate professionally with clients.

You do not need an Instagram-perfect home office.

You do need an environment where you can protect customer information and concentrate on important booking details.

Realistic expectations

You might make your first booking quickly.

You might not.

Your first few months are also about learning systems, improving consultations, building visibility, generating enquiries and becoming more confident.

Do not measure whether the business is “working” purely by how much commission has reached your bank account in month one.

Progress Is Usually Gradual

It is possible to make an early booking.

It is not realistic to assume that a complete and reliable income will appear immediately.

In the first few months, much of your time may be spent:

• Completing training
• Learning systems
• Building confidence
• Creating marketing
• Developing client relationships
• Practising quotations
• Understanding suppliers
• Making and correcting mistakes
• Establishing routines

Even after bookings begin, commission may not arrive until clients travel.

A successful first year may therefore be measured through:

• Training completed
• Enquiries generated
• Quotations prepared
• First bookings
• Client reviews
• Referrals
• Repeat enquiries
• A growing future commission pipeline
• Improved conversion
• Greater confidence

Do not compare the beginning of your business with somebody else’s established client base.

Red Flags to Watch for Before Becoming a Travel Homeworker

Be cautious when a company:

• Focuses more on recruitment than selling travel
• Encourages you to build a downline
• Promises guaranteed or effortless income
• Refuses to explain commission calculations
• Hides compulsory fees
• Pressures you to sign immediately
• Will not provide the agreement in advance
• Provides no clear financial-protection explanation
• Expects client money to enter a personal account
• Provides little meaningful training
• Offers no operational support
• Cannot explain who is responsible for the booking
• Encourages misleading prices or marketing
• Suggests that compliance is unnecessary
• Claims you can work without finding clients
• Uses travel discounts as the main reason to join
• Avoids questions about leaving
• Makes vague promises about future leads
• Requires expensive upgrades to access basic support

A legitimate opportunity should withstand careful questions.

Questions to Ask a Travel Homeworking Company

Before signing an agreement, ask:

About status and structure

1. Will I be self-employed or employed?
2. Which legal company will be responsible for my clients’ bookings?
3. Is this a homeworking arrangement, franchise or recruitment-led model?
4. Can I trade under my own approved brand?

About fees

1. Is there a joining fee?
2. What is the monthly fee?
3. Which additional charges are compulsory?
4. When do fees begin?
5. Can fees increase?
6. Do fees continue during quiet periods or notice?

About commission

1. How is booking profit calculated?
2. Which costs are deducted first?
3. What percentage will I receive?
4. When is commission paid?
5. What happens if a client cancels?
6. What happens to future commission if I leave?

About clients

1. Am I expected to generate my own leads?
2. Who owns the client database?
3. Can I continue contacting clients after leaving?
4. What happens to active bookings during notice?

About training and support

1. What does the initial training include?
2. Is there ongoing training?
3. Who helps with my first quotations and bookings?
4. What are the normal support hours?
5. What urgent support exists for travelling clients?

About payments and protection

1. Who receives client money?
2. Where is it held?
3. Which ATOL is used where applicable?
4. How are non-ATOL bookings protected?
5. Who handles refunds, complaints and supplier failures?

About the agreement

1. Is there a minimum term?
2. What notice is required?
3. Can access be suspended?
4. Are there restrictions on competing work?
5. Can I review the complete agreement before deciding?

Record the answers and compare companies on the whole proposition rather than one attractive feature.

What Does Starting with The Independent Travel Consultants Look Like?

The Independent Travel Consultants is the homeworking division of Jamie Wake Travel.

Consultants operate on a self-employed basis and are responsible for developing their own client relationships and travel businesses.

The current standard proposition includes:

• no joining fee;
• £50 monthly membership;
• an 80% starting consultant share of commission after applicable booking costs and payment-processing charges;
• structured training before go-live;
• ongoing training and operational support;
• supplier access through Jamie Wake Travel;
• booking and customer-management systems;
• professional client-payment processes;
• PTS trust-account arrangements;
• ATOL protection where applicable;
• and the opportunity to develop an approved customer-facing travel brand.

The current recruitment page also makes clear what ITC does not promise: guaranteed earnings, an automatic client base, instant bookings, free holidays, passive income or success without consistent work. 

We provide the travel infrastructure, training and support.

You build the business.

If that balance sounds right for you, read Join Our Team for the complete current proposition and application process.

Information for Members of the Public

This guide is primarily written for people researching travel homeworking or considering joining The Independent Travel Consultants.

Members of the public are also welcome to use our website when planning a holiday.

Our public directory makes it easier to find an independent travel agent UK specialist who can provide personal advice, compare suitable options and support you throughout the booking journey.

Frequently Asked Questions Before Becoming a Travel Homeworker

Is Becoming a Travel Homeworker Right for You?

Becoming a travel homeworker can give you flexibility, independence and the opportunity to build a business around your own strengths.

But it is still a business.

You will need to learn.

You will need to find customers.

You will need to follow professional processes.

You will need to look after people long after the initial booking has been made.

And you will need patience while your client base and future commission pipeline develop.

If you've read this guide and those realities still appeal to you, the next step is to explore Join Our Team.

There you can see exactly how The Independent Travel Consultants operates, including our current fees, commission structure, training, systems, support and application process.

There is no need to decide simply because you make an enquiry.

Read. Compare. Ask questions. Then decide whether this is the travel business you actually want to build.

Looking for a Travel Consultant Instead?

If you arrived here because you want help planning a holiday rather than information about becoming a travel homeworker, use our Find a Consultant directory to find an independent travel consultant who can help with your trip.