Travel Agency

How Much Money Do Travel Agencies Make? (2024)

Pat Walls

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Updated: June 23rd, 2024

TL;DR:

Based on our data, travel agencies can make between $1,000-$1,500,000 per month.
The average revenue for a successful travel agency is $174K per month.
The highest grossing travel agency in our records makes over $18,000,000 per year.
Travel agency owners salaries can vary wildly depending on industry, niche, and size of the business

So you're thinking about starting a travel agency?

And now you're wondering how much travel agency owners actually make...

Well, let’s dive in!

Here are example of real travel agencies and how much money they make - as reported by the founders themselves:

1. Flight Expert Bangladesh ($18M/year)

Salman Rashid, Founder & CEO of Flight Expert, came up with the idea for his business after realizing the potential of online travel agencies in Bangladesh. Seeing the decline in revenue in his family's offline-based travel agency, Salman suggested starting an OTA to his father. Despite initial skepticism, Salman recognized the need for better technology, service culture, and the value of brand trust in the industry, leading to the launch of Flight Expert in 2017.

How much money it makes: $18M/year

2. Pack Up + Go ($6.6M/year)

Lillian Rafson came up with the idea for Pack Up + Go during her travels in Riga, Latvia, where she met two women on a surprise vacation with a European travel agency. Realizing there was no similar service in the United States, Lillian decided to become a surprise travel agent herself. With a $50 investment in the domain, Pack Up + Go was born and has since sent over 25,000 travelers to 100+ destinations across the US.

How much money it makes: $6.6M/year

3. Rayna Tours ($6M/year)

Manoj Tulsani and Kamlesh Ramchandani, founders of Rayna Tours and Travels, started their business a decade ago with no experience in the travel industry. Despite the challenges, they grew their venture into one of the UAE's leading destination management companies, earning over $40 million per year. Their success is attributed to their focus on exceptional customer experience, strategic investments in their own infrastructure, and the use of advanced technology to provide convenient travel services.

How much money it makes: $6M/year

4. Luxpitality ($4.92M/year)

Patrick Burkhardt and Rigel Bitterman, co-founders of Luxpitality, came up with the idea for their business while working in the hospitality industry. They saw a shift in the market with new-age clients looking for more localized and authentic experiences, and decided to focus on connecting these clients with independent boutique hotels. Since their launch in 2015, they have grown their hotel portfolio to over 650 hotels worldwide and have become one of the top 5 representation companies in the US.

How much money it makes: $4.92M/year

5. CuddlyNest ($2.8M/year)

Ritesh Raj, the co-founder and COO of CuddlyNest, came up with the idea for the accommodation booking platform after years of traveling to over 100 countries and realizing the pain points of finding diverse types of accommodations. Alongside his co-founder, they decided to create a centralized platform that offers all kinds of properties for all types of travelers. Since its launch, CuddlyNest has raised over $14 million in funding and has plans for continued growth and expansion.

How much money it makes: $2.8M/year

6. Solo Female Travelers ($1.8M/year)

Mar Pages, along with her business partner Meg, grew Solo Female Travelers from a small Facebook group in 2015 into a million-euro travel platform by 2023. Despite launching their tours amidst the pandemic, their emphasis on women-led, women-focused travel resonated deeply, propelling them to 300 guests across 14 destinations with unwavering organic growth.

How much money it makes: $1.8M/year

7. Captain Experiences ($1.2M/year)

Jonathan Newar, the Co-Founder and CEO of Captain Experiences, came up with the idea for the business while trying to book a fishing trip in Houston, TX. Frustrated by the lack of an easy, user-friendly platform for booking fishing charters, he decided to create Captain Experiences. Since its launch in March 2020, Captain has become the largest platform for booking fishing guides in the US, with over 1,200 guides partnered, 47,000 hours booked, and an average review score of 4.9/5 stars.

How much money it makes: $1.2M/year

8. The Travel Secret ($1.2M/year)

David Adler, founder of TheTravelSecret, came up with the idea while on vacation in Puerto Vallarta. After attending a timeshare presentation for a $2,000 discount, he realized there must be other hidden travel discounts available and wanted to create a platform that would give people access to these exclusive deals. TheTravelSecret now serves a wide range of demographics and aims to help people travel more for less money.

How much money it makes: $1.2M/year

9. Five Star Thailand Tours ($720K/year)

Nok, the co-founder of Five Star Thailand Tours, came up with the idea for his business after realizing the lack of quality choices for booking boat tours in the popular tourist destination of southern Thailand. He saw a demand for a mid-range boat tour option that focused on providing excellent service at a reasonable price. Starting from a rented beach shack, Five Star Thailand Tours has grown to generate over $750,000 in annual revenue and has welcomed customers from 119 countries worldwide.

How much money it makes: $720K/year

10. The Vacation Hunt ($480K/year)

Roshni and Jeffs' idea for The Vacation Hunt came about after they planned a surprise vacation for a friend who loved the concept. They decided to start a business around it, offering surprise vacation packages where travelers fill out a survey and receive clues to their destination over social media. Since launching in 2017, they have been featured in news outlets like the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, and rely on word-of-mouth and customer referrals to attract new clients.

How much money it makes: $480K/year