The Truth About Becoming a Travel Advisor

It’s tempting: sign up today, travel for free, and make easy money sharing vacation deals with your friends. That’s the pitch many instant travel agent programs make.  But is it really that easy? 

If you're serious about turning your passion for travel into a business, you need to ask the right questions. That’s why we created a 1-page checklist of 10 essential questions you should ask before joining ANY host agency or travel network. 

Because not all travel programs are created equal. 

While some companies focus on fast sign-ups and unrealistic promises, others invest in your long-term growth, offering real business training, advanced tools, and expert coaching. 

"10 Must-Ask Questions Before You Join Any Travel Agency Program" 

1. Do you offer both onboarding training and ongoing education after I start booking?

Why ask this?  Because many programs focus on initial sign-up and leave you on your own. A serious host agency will have structured onboarding and continued education, business coaching, and refreshers as the industry changes. 

• Cruise Planners provides STAR University (a 6-day immersive onboarding), webinars, regional boot camps, seminars at sea, and access to an extensive on-demand training library. 

2. Will I have a dedicated coach or mentor to help me grow my business?

Why ask this?  Because many companies just use a general support inbox or hotline model. A dedicated coach provides personalized, long-term guidance tailored to the advisor’s business, helping with planning, marketing, tech, and sales strategies.

• With Cruise Planners, you'll have a dedicated Business Development Coach and Care Team guiding you on everything from tech tools to marketing strategy and problem-solving. This never stops for the life of your franchise. 

3. Do you provide built-in marketing tools and campaigns to help me promote my business, or am I expected to do it all myself?

Why ask this?  Because many programs leave agents to handle their own marketing from scratch, offering only logos or templates.   A follow-up might even be to ask for specifics — “What kind of marketing do you provide for me, and how much do I have to do myself?

• Cruise Planners offers turnkey marketing with automated touchpoints. We handle weekly email campaigns, direct mail campaigns, niche targeting like luxury or group travel, print magazines, and postcards, and more. We can even help run your social media channels. 

4. Will I have my own website and client apps that are built, maintained, and updated for me?

Why ask this?  Because some companies offer only a shared subpage or expect agents to build their own site. 

• Cruise Planners provides a branded website (not a DIY site) personalized for you and your niche, maintained and updated centrally. It also includes a mobile app for both the agent and clients and tools like LivePlanner that simplify selling and connect to back-office systems. No manual updates are required. 

5. Do you offer booking and CRM tools designed specifically for travel advisors?

Why ask this?  Because many competitors use generic or third-party platforms that aren’t integrated or built for travel sales.

• Cruise Planners offers CP Maxx's proprietary platform, which combines CRM, booking tools, AI features, automated marketing, and back-office functionality. 

6. Will I be able to sell more than just hotels—like cruises, tours, theme parks, insurance and more? 

Why ask this?  Because “instant travel agent” programs are limited to basic hotel or online travel portal bookings.

• Cruise Planners gives advisors access to the full spectrum: cruises, escorted tours, luxury resorts, Disney and Universal, travel insurance, and more. This sets you up to be a true full-service travel advisor, not just a booking agent. 

7. Do your supplier relationships give my clients access to exclusive perks or upgrades?

Why ask this?  Because some programs only offer your clients pricing that is available to the public pricing with no added value.

• Cruise Planners’ preferred supplier relationships unlock extras, like onboard credits, VIP amenities, bonus commissions, group space access, and priority support. These not only help you close more bookings but also build client loyalty. 

8. Will I be part of a supportive community with real connection and culture?

Why ask this?  Because many host agencies operate with a "you're on your own" model, with just a portal and a commission split. If a company says, “We have a Facebook group,” dig deeper—what else?

• Cruise Planners is built on connection and community. Our culture is not just fluff; it’s a core brand value. We call it Cruisitude^®, our trademarked expression of positivity, support, and doing good while doing well. It’s the driving force behind everything we do, from regional meetups and online groups to peer mentorship, in-person events, advisor recognition, and philanthropic missions. Our culture keeps franchise owners—and the Home Office Team that supports them—engaged for the long term. 

9. Is this a real business I can grow, or is it more of a discount travel club or MLM model?

Why ask this?  Because some companies emphasize recruiting over selling travel.  That’s a hallmark of multi-level marketing (MLM).   

Other “instant travel agent” companies market the fantasy of free travel but offer little in terms of true business infrastructure.

• Cruise Planners is NOT an MLM. You don’t earn by signing people up—you earn by building a real travel business. Cruise Planners is a real business opportunity you can scale.  It can be a flexible side hustle, but it's built to support full-time careers, specialization, and real income. 

10. Does your company sell travel directly to the public, like through a website or call center, or exclusively through its agents?

Why ask this?  Because some host agencies or travel brands sell directly to consumers, effectively competing with their own agents.

• Cruise Planners does NOT sell travel to the public—we exist solely to support our advisors. From ongoing training and tech innovation to performance coaching and marketing campaigns, our investments go into your growth, not into building a competing sales team. 

Ready to Be a Real Travel Business Owner?

Start smart—with a proven system and a program that treats you like a professional from Day 1.

📋 Download our free checklist: 10 Must-Ask Questions Before You Join Any Travel Agency Program

Compare your options, spot red flags, and make a confident decision.

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