Host Agency Reviews recently published its annual Hosted Travel Advisor, 2023 Report, which includes data from more than 1,700 hosted travel advisors, tracking everything from income levels to emerging trends.
Some key takeaways from the 70-page report include that the average 2022 income for all hosted advisors is $47,179, and that average income increased 42% since 2021. The report also found that nearly half (49%) of hosted advisors charge fees, and one-third (34%) of hosted advisors are new to the industry.
As a result, the expanded report tracks income levels by years of experience, finding a significant jump in income after three to five years in business. Full-time advisors who have six or more years of experience averaged around $60,000 in income, while full-time advisors with 15 years or more of experience had the highest income average of $67,436.
The fragmented nature of the hosted sector makes them underrepresented in conventional third-party sources, such as the Bureau of Labor and Statistics or even traditional industry reports.
Our Analysis: Advisors Need Insight on the Prospects of the Career
In a profession where so many advisors work for themselves or away from their colleagues, data that reports on the industry as a whole, as well as taboo topics such as salary, is always appreciated. This latest report gets into the nitty-gritty parts of being a travel advisor — tracking everything from the most lucrative travel niches to the most popular tech tools — but also provides valuable insight into the sustainability of the career.
Fortunately, the report finds that experienced, full-time advisors are continuing to flourish in their careers.
Fast Facts: New Travel Agents Are Earning More, and Most Advisors Are Making More Than They Did Before the Pandemic
- According to the report, only 23% of hosted advisors say their 2022 sales have not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
- Earnings for the newest advisors are one-quarter of their more experienced peers, which is 14 points higher than last year’s results.
- Ocean cruising is the most popular product sold by hosted advisors.
- The median number of years in the industry for hosted advisors is five, and the median age of these advisors is 54.
- This year, Host Agency Reviews looked at the latest data on technology use and host agency relationships, in addition to examining current incomes, fee structures and demographic trends.
What They Are Saying: Hosted Advisors Are a Poorly Tracked Segment of the Travel Industry
"Hosted advisors are a difficult segment to track,” said Steph Lee, founder of Host Agency Reviews. “The fragmented nature of the hosted sector makes them underrepresented in conventional third-party sources, such as the Bureau of Labor and Statistics or even traditional industry reports. With robust participation and support, we explore uncharted territory when it comes to hosted advisor trends. Advisors are generous in the time they invest in taking our comprehensive survey, and the depth of our report — 70+ pages — is a reflection of their time investment. Professionals from all sectors can benefit from the data, whether they’re a solo advisor, large agency owner, supplier, DMC, DMO, travel tech company or a host agency or consortium.”
"By all accounts, there is more opportunity for advisors right now than I’ve ever seen in my entire 30-plus years in the travel business," said Perry Lungmus, vice president of luxury at Travel Leaders Network. “Travel sales continue to be very strong; supplier pricing and advisor commissions trends are great.”
