This annual list of the best travel agency franchises was revised and updated on March 1, 2023.

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Although the internet has made it easy for anyone to book flights and hotel rooms, there is still a large market for travel agencies, mostly focused on booking full vacation packages for people who don’t have the time or inclination to figure out all the details. By taking over the planning for travelers, agencies add value, reduce hassle, and draw in business. This is why cruise and travel agency franchises have a market size of $5.7 billion and employ over 29,000 people in nearly 11,000 businesses.

The Growth in Franchised Travel

Cruises play a large part in the business of travel agency franchises. This fits the model of these agencies, as cruises provide an all-in-one holiday package, the sort of thing that travelers go to agencies for. They’re also relatively high value holidays that can provide a good commission relative to the work involved in arranging them. There are so many options, even within the cruise industry, that it’s often hard for customers to figure out which one is right for them, and an agency can help with this. Travel agencies can obtain discounts on cruise bookings thanks to their relationships with the cruise companies, saving consumers hundreds of dollars per cruise.

These businesses grew an impressive 13.6% per year on average from 2018 to 2023. Some of this growth came from trends that were already in place in the 2010s, as high consumer spending boosted travel and franchise agencies moved in to take a share of the market. Online agencies in particular benefited from lower costs that allowed them to offer better deals and make better profits. Ever since the mid-90s, travel agencies have been shifting toward an online, home-based model, and that’s an approach that really fits current times.

The tourism industry was badly damaged by the Covid pandemic. Strict controls on both international and domestic travel, fears about the virus, and horror stories about outbreaks on cruise ships combined to kill a huge portion of the tourist trade. Cruise ships remained docked in US ports throughout 2020 under a no sail order from the Center for Disease Control. Revenues for travel and cruise franchises fell from over $3.2 billion to under $2.7 billion in 2020, a less dramatic fall than was initially reported, but still a serious blow for an industry that had been rising in value for the whole of the previous decade.

Revenues were initially slow to recover, reaching $3 billion in 2021, still behind where the industry had been pre-pandemic. More than half of American consumers put money away in 2020 to spend on things they’ve missed during the crisis, and tourism was part of that, but health fears and financial insecurities still held some people back. The future of the industry looked uncertain.

Prospects for Travel Franchises

Despite all the uncertainties and challenges, things have now swung the other way. Franchised travel and cruise businesses are seeing the greatest growth they’ve ever experienced, reaching $5.1 billion in value in 2022 and with their market expected to reach $5.7 billion in 2023.

This has clearly been driven in part by people getting out and traveling post-Covid. The economic recovery and the pent-up desire for travel have benefited the industry, and franchises have taken a large part of that. E-commerce sales are also important, as more travel bookings shift online, where the brand reach and marketing power of franchises provide significant benefits. This fits well with a working from home model which has allowed the industry to cut costs, and so to offer more appealing deals.

But while revenues are expected to grow in the next year, profits are expected to decline. Geopolitical tensions and ongoing health concerns still affect customers’ travel plans, while rising competition in the industry is pushing down prices and so profits. The prospect of an economic downturn could further impact the industry, as expensive vacations are something that consumers will cut back on if finances get tight.

Problems in specific parts of the world can affect some travel agents. For example, an agency with a focus on eastern Europe would have seen a lot of business lost in the past year thanks to events in Ukraine. It’s impossible to plan for every eventuality, but offering a diverse range of options can protect a business against events beyond its control.

Travel agencies are surprisingly low-cost franchises to purchase. The cost of entry is low, with little expenditure on equipment and training. This means that there’s also plenty of competition, which can create both challenges and opportunities. In current circumstances, this is an accessible option for a franchise, but one that holds potential for strong long-term profits if the tourism industry continues its current trend. Recent dramatic growth can make the sector seem very appealing, but before jumping on board, it’s important to ask, how sustainable is that growth, and how much of it will turn into profit?

The Top Travel Agency Franchises of 2023

1. Cruise Planners

Cruise Planners is a work-from-home franchise concept in which its Travel Advisors sell all kinds of vacation travel packages, but with a special focus on cruises. Cruise Planners as a company has become a recognized master of micro-targeted email marketing along with its other high-tech, big-data-driven marketing tactics and technologies that give Travel Advisors the edge they need to succeed. In fact, its chief information officer, Brian Shultz, was once named CIO of the Year at South Florida Business Journal’s Annual Technology Awards.

Founded in 1994 by Michelle Fee in Coral Springs, Florida and franchising since 1999, the number of locations expanded rapidly in recent years from 1,172 in 2012 to 3,151 in 2020 but has since dropped back to the current total of 2,585 (down from the previously reported total of 2,659), of which one is company-owned and all are located in the US.

2. Dream Vacations

Dream Vacations is a spin-off from CruiseOne in order to make sure people knew they did more than just book cruises. Both travel franchise concepts are owned and operated by World Travel Holdings. The cost for a new franchisee without travel agent experience is just under $10,000, while those with a medium level of experience get a 67% discount and more experienced travel agents can buy in at a 95% discount.

Franchisees can literally work from anywhere with an Internet connection, and are encouraged to travel as much as possible themselves to keep their own knowledge and travel experiences up-to-date to improve their customer service. And franchisees also get to do their own travel at deeply discounted rates.

Founded in 1991 and franchising since 1992, the number of locations grew steadily from 909 in 2012 to 1,553 in 2020, then dropped to 1,489 in 2021, and has now risen to the current total of 1,618, of which none are company-owned and two are located outside the US.

3. Travel Leaders

Travel Leaders has a long history dating back to the 1800s. Wagonlit Travel was founded in 1872 by Georges Nagelmackers (who created the Orient Express) while Ask Mr. Foster was a travel agency founded in 1888 by Ward G. Foster. In 1979, Carlson Travel Networks acquired Ask Mr. Foster and in 1997 merged with Wagonlit Travel to form Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Then in 2008, a three-way merger with Carlson Wagonlit, Tzell Travel Group, and Travel Leaders resulted in the Travel Leaders franchise.

The company is known for going the extra mile in customer service – not only getting to know customer preferences, but also helping them through any and all issues or challenges that may arise during travel.

Founded in 1888 and franchising since 1984, the number of locations declined for a time and the last known reported total was 367 in 2016, of which 24 were company-owned and three were located outside the US. The company website claims nearly 7,000 “travel agency locations,” but it’s not clear what is being counted – individual agents or agency locations.

4. Expedia Cruises

Expedia Cruises, as its name implies, has a special focus on selling cruises, but also offers a full array of other travel services and vacation packages of all types. This company has the distinct advantage of carrying the well-recognized Expedia brand name. Expedia purchased CruiseShipCenters International in 2007 and eventually decided franchising was the way to expand it.

Franchisees can get involved as individual travel agents (Vacation Consultants) who can work from home or at the nearest retail location, or can select to run a retail location.

Founded in 1987 and franchising since that same year, the number of locations climbed slowly but steadily in recent years from 159 in 2012 to 269 in 2020, but has since fallen to the current total of 246 (down from the previously reported total of 253), of which none are company-owned and 159 are located outside the US.

An Important Note About Our Methodology

The franchises on this list were ranked according to the number of units in the franchise system. If you are a prospective franchisee searching for franchise opportunities that meet or exceed certain performance benchmarks for sales, profits, and return on investment, please check out this list of America’s Most Lucrative Franchises.