Investment from
£2,995
Category
Travel & Leisure
Established
2001
About This Franchise
The Travel Franchise is a multi-award-winning home-based travel agency franchise founded in 2001 and now part of the Hays Independence Group. With more than 700 franchisees, a five-day Academy training programme and a unique Money-Back Challenge on its flagship Elite package, it has been named Britain's Best Home-Based Franchise and the Best Lifestyle Franchise in the World, making it one of the most credible routes into the travel industry.
A detailed look at the The Travel Franchise franchise opportunity, what's involved and what makes it stand out.
The Travel Franchise is one of the most celebrated home-based franchise opportunities in the UK. Founded by Paul Harrison and Steve Witt and refined over 20 years, the franchise trades as Not Just Travel to its customers. Today the network includes more than 700 active franchisees - all earning commission from booking holidays from home.
In 2025 alone, the brand was named World's Best Lifestyle Franchise, Best European Franchise at the International Franchise Association Global Awards, and Britain's Best Home-Based Franchise. High-profile brand ambassadors Eamonn Holmes OBE and Daley Thompson are actively involved, lending serious credibility to the brand.
This is a home-based, commission-driven business. As a franchisee, you book holidays and travel experiences for clients - from family breaks and luxury cruises to honeymoons and group trips. Everything is backed by the full weight of the Travel Franchise head office, so you do not need to be a booking system expert or hold industry qualifications to succeed.
The Travel Franchise offers three distinct packages so you can start at the level that matches your ambition. Prices exclude VAT. Payment plans are available to spread the cost over 12 months.
The Travel Franchise publishes actual earnings achieved by its network. These are not hypothetical figures - they are real commissions earned by franchisees:
The Travel Franchise is known for a training programme that genuinely rivals anything else in the sector. It combines online learning with in-person experiences in locations that mirror the holidays you will eventually be selling.
UK consumers continue to prioritise holidays even through economic uncertainty. Post-pandemic, travel demand has rebounded strongly - particularly for cruises, premium package holidays and bespoke trips that benefit from expert advice. This is exactly the space a Travel Franchise consultant occupies.
No travel experience is required. The brand actively recruits career-changers, parents looking for flexible work, retirees wanting a purposeful next chapter, and ambitious entrepreneurs ready to scale. What matters is confidence dealing with people, willingness to follow a proven system and commercial drive.
The Travel Franchise arm was launched in 2010 to commercialise the home-working model behind the consumer brand Not Just Travel, which co-founders Paul Harrison and Steve Witt had set up in 2001. A pivotal moment came when Not Just Travel became one of the earliest franchise members of the Hays Travel Independence Group, the consortium operated by the UK's largest independent travel agency. That relationship gives franchisees access to Hays Travel's commercial agreements, ATOL cover, financial bonding and back-office strength, without giving up the home-based, low-overhead model the franchise was built around.
Travel is one of the few discretionary categories UK households consistently protect. ABTA's 2025-26 Holiday Habits research found the vast majority of consumers plan to spend the same or more on holidays as the year before, with travel confidence and participation at their highest level since before the pandemic. According to Tourism Economics, UK outbound leisure travel is forecast to grow by around 4% cumulatively over the 2024 to 2026 period. That is a tailwind for trusted human advisors who can package complex trips, particularly cruises, multi-centre tours and group bookings that DIY sites struggle with.
Generating enquiries is the single biggest hurdle for any new travel consultant. The Travel Franchise tackles this on several fronts so franchisees are not left cold-calling.
There is no fixed shape to a franchisee's day, which is the point. A typical week mixes proactive client outreach (birthdays, anniversaries, school holiday reminders), responding to live enquiries, building quotes through the WOW Travel App, taking supplier training sessions and posting holiday inspiration to a personal social channel. Evenings and weekends are often when bookings convert, because that is when families plan together. The trade-off for that flexibility is self-discipline: franchisees who treat it like a hobby tend to earn like a hobby, while those who block out structured weekly time get returns that look like a small business.
Cruise is one of the fastest-growing UK travel categories and the franchise has invested heavily here, including dedicated Seminar at Sea training cruises and a strategic relationship with the Hays cruise programme. Not Just Travel was awarded TTG's Luxury Travel Homeworking Business of the Year (Large) in 2025, with judges singling out the quality of the training given to consultants recruited from outside the travel industry. For franchisees who want to specialise rather than generalise, cruise and luxury are well-supported routes.
Co-founders Paul Harrison and Steve Witt remain hands-on in the business. Both are serial entrepreneurs with backgrounds outside travel, which informs the franchise's strong emphasis on coaching people who have never sold a holiday before. The leadership team is visible at retreats and Academy sessions, not just on a website.
“"To be delivering such impressive results for its agents, most of which are recruited from outside the travel industry, Not Just Travel's training must be second to none." TTG Travel Industry Awards judging panel, 2025”
This is a commission-only model, which means earnings build with effort and time. The five-day Academy gets you launch-ready, but the first six months are typically about building a client base from your personal network before referrals compound. The published earnings figures are real, but they sit at the top of a distribution that also includes part-timers earning a useful side income rather than a full salary. Anyone considering the Elite or Supreme packages should request the prospectus and speak directly to existing franchisees at different stages of their journey before committing.
Request the full Travel Franchise prospectus for package details, training dates and real income examples from current franchisees.
Interested in exploring more opportunities in this sector? Take a look at other Travel & Leisure franchise opportunities available on Franchise Hunt.
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To find out more about the The Travel Franchise franchise opportunity, simply click below to fill out the form to speak with a representative from the brand.
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The minimum investment for a The Travel Franchise franchise starts from £2,995. This typically covers the franchise fee, training, and initial setup. Additional costs such as premises, equipment, and working capital may apply.
Yes, The Travel Franchise provides training for new franchisees. This typically covers operations, business management, marketing, and ongoing support to help you get started and grow your franchise.
The Travel Franchise offers third party financing options to help prospective franchisees fund their investment. Contact the franchise directly for details on available funding support.
The Travel Franchise was established in 2001. With 25 years of experience, the brand has built a track record in the UK franchise market.
The Travel Franchise currently has 700 franchise outlets operating across the UK, demonstrating network coverage and brand presence.
The Travel Franchise franchise opportunities are available across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Contact the franchisor through the enquiry form to confirm specific territory availability in your area.
