Travel Advisor Startup Checklist
Setting up as a travel advisor has a lot of moving parts, and they have to happen in a particular order. This checklist puts every launch task in sequence so you can go from idea to first booked client without discovering a missing step halfway through.
See the coursesEverything on this page is yours to copy and adapt. The courses cover the decisions behind it: what to charge, what to promise, and what to put in writing.
What yours needs to cover
- ✓ A pre-launch section: business name, structure, registration and bank account
- ✓ The host agency decision, with what to compare before you sign
- ✓ Credentials and accreditation, including what a seller-of-travel registration requires where you operate
- ✓ Errors and omissions cover, and why a general liability policy is not a substitute
- ✓ Tools: booking platform, CRM, calendar and the client-facing paperwork on this site
- ✓ Your fee model, decided before you quote anyone
- ✓ A first-clients section to turn the setup into bookings
How to use it
- Work top to bottom. The order matters, because your host agency decision changes your accreditation, your commission and your tooling.
- Settle the legal and insurance items before you advise anybody, since the exposure starts with the first piece of advice rather than the first booking.
- Decide your planning fee before your first inquiry. Introducing a fee to a client who has already been quoted without one is far harder than starting with it.
- Use the first-clients section as a weekly to-do until your calendar fills.
Travel Advisor Startup Checklist FAQs
What do I actually need to start as a travel advisor?
At a minimum: a registered business, errors and omissions cover, a way to book (usually a host agency at the start), a fee model, and a way to invoice. Where you operate may also require a seller-of-travel registration. The checklist walks through each in order.
Do I need to join a host agency?
Not permanently, but most new advisors do. A host gives you supplier access, commission rates and accreditation you would not qualify for alone, in exchange for a share of commission. Unit 4 covers how to compare hosts and consortia.
How long does it take to launch?
Many people work through the checklist in a few weeks part-time. Being set up is not the same as being booked, and the first-clients section is usually the longest part.
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