Start an agency · US guide
You can start as an independent advisor under a host agency, open your own agency under your own name, or buy into a franchise. The choice decides who holds your accreditation, who takes a share of your commission and whose brand your clients see. This guide walks through that decision and the steps after it.
I
Agencies that name a lane are easier to remember and easier to refer. A lane can be a destination such as the Maldives or Italy, a kind of trip such as honeymoons, family travel, groups or diving, or a kind of client such as luxury or accessible travel. You can add lanes later. Start with the one where you already have knowledge or people who trust you.
II
| Topic | Under a host agency | Your own agency | Franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | You work as an independent contractor under the host's entity and accreditation | You register your own business and hold your own supplier relationships | You pay a franchisor for a brand, a system and training |
| Brand | Usually the host's, sometimes yours within its rules | Yours | The franchisor's |
| Accreditation and supplier access | Through the host | Yours to arrange | Through the franchisor, as its agreement provides |
| Typical costs | A commission split with the host, sometimes a fee | Registration, insurance, software and your own marketing | Franchise fees and ongoing royalties, set out in the disclosure document |
| Control | Lowest | Highest | Set by the franchise agreement |
| Start-up effort | Lowest | Highest | Moderate |
General information. Terms differ between hosts and franchisors, so compare them in writing.
Most people who start part-time or from home begin under a host agency. Host agency or white label: how to choose lists the questions to ask before you sign.
If you are looking at a franchise, the franchisor must give you a Franchise Disclosure Document before you sign or pay anything. Read it with a lawyer.
III
There is no federal travel agent license. The rules sit mostly with your state and your business structure. This is general information, not legal advice.
Register the business. Choose a structure such as sole proprietor or LLC and register it with your state. A tax advisor can tell you which one fits.
Check seller-of-travel rules. A few states, including California, Florida, Hawaii and Washington, require sellers of travel to register or to meet bonding or trust-account rules. Check your own state and the states where your clients live.
Carry errors and omissions insurance. E&O insurance covers claims that you made a mistake in arranging a trip. Hosts and some suppliers ask for it.
Write your terms. Cover deposits, cancellations, supplier policies and what you are and are not responsible for. Have a lawyer review them.
Keep client money separate. Use a business account, and a trust account where your state requires one.
California · Florida · Hawaii · Washington
Every agency starts with one client.
Start small · start named
IV
Suppliers pay commission to agencies they can recognize. Under a host agency you use the host's accreditation numbers. On your own you apply for accreditation such as IATA, CLIA or ARC, join a consortium, or book through destination specialists who sell to the trade.
For the Maldives, a destination management company such as Resortlife holds the resort contracts directly and sells to agencies. Trade partners use our agent portal for net rates, and our white label option puts the catalog under your own brand.
V
Take client payments only through channels you understand: your supplier's, your host's, or a merchant account in your agency's name. Keep a separate business account, record every deposit and confirmation, and keep the supplier confirmation for each client. Under a host agency the host often handles payment processing, so ask how it works before your first booking.
VI
Your name, your lane and one clear way to enquire are enough to start. What a travel agency website needs lists the pages and the launch steps, and a white label travel site is one way to get a Maldives catalog under your name without building it yourself.
VII
A short plan keeps you honest. No figures are printed here because they depend on your structure, your suppliers and your state. Fill in your own.
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My travel agency plan
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Questions
It depends on the structure. Under a host agency the upfront cost is usually lowest, because the host provides the entity and the accreditation, but you give up part of every commission and may pay fees. Opening your own agency costs more upfront in registration, insurance, software and marketing. Ask every host or franchisor for a written list of all fees.
There is no federal license. A few states, including California, Florida, Hawaii and Washington, have seller-of-travel laws. Check your state. This is general information, not legal advice.
Yes. Many advisors work from home, usually under a host agency. Choose the host carefully: the commission split, the fees, who owns your client list, how you get paid and how you can leave all matter.
No formal experience is required, but suppliers and clients respond to knowledge. Start with a destination or trip type you know, take supplier training, and travel when you can.
Through supplier commission, markup on net rates where you book that way, and service or planning fees. Commission varies by supplier and product, so get the terms in writing.
It depends on the fees, the training and the territory, all of which are set out in the franchise disclosure document. Compare it with starting under a host agency and with opening your own agency, and have a lawyer read the agreement.
Yes. Many advisors start part-time while they keep another job. Plan for the time that quoting, supplier follow-up and client care take, which is usually more than people expect.
We are a destination management company based in Malé. If you want to sell the Maldives, our agent portal gives trade partners net rates and our white label option puts the catalog under your own brand. We are not a host agency.
Apply for a white label workspace and we will set up your branded site, or talk to us about how the trade side works first.
Facts checked October 2026 · Resortlife, Malé
