10 best online travel business ideas you can start right away. Almost all of these businesses can be started right away, without needing any initial investment or special equipment.
Yes, for some of these you’ll either need the technical knowledge or would need to hire someone. But, for most of these all you need is the internet and a phone.
Let’s not waste time and get your online business in the travel industry started eh?
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1. Travel vlogs
Videos still pay. In fact, you don’t even need a Youtube channel. Instagram recently launched monetization for reels!
If you travel a lot, all you need is a camera. You can make videos of your travel and post them on Youtube, Instagram or any other platform.
I’ll be honest. This is a highly saturated niche and every person in every block seems to be doing this. However, if your reels are unique and can engage viewers, you get paid. Simple as that.
Once you start getting views, you can monetize those views in more than one ways. Keep reading and you’ll know how.
2. Package curator
Another lucrative business is creating tour packages. If you’ve travelled a lot, or have access to people who do, this is something else you can do. In fact, all you need is a computer and the ability to read reviews to get started.
Your job will be to curate the best destinations, hotels and flight routes for your clients. Obviously, the cheaper you make it for them, the more sales you’re likely to make.
Simply head over to Google, read a few reviews from real people and curate that into your package.
You can use specific cards, frequent customer discounts or other ways to get your discounts.
3. Travel blog
I’ll obviously recommend starting a blog/website. You can use your blog to post reviews about cafes, restaurants, hotels etc.
You can also use it to review travel destinations, safety tips, expected problems etc.
Point is, if your blog offers information, travel enthusiasts will come to you. You can get paid by cafes/restaurants for mentioning them. You may also get sponsored by bigger companies (e.g. travel equipment company) once you gain a bit of traffic.
4. Sell your own products
Again, this isn’t something as easy as starting a B(v)log. You’ll need to create your own product. It can be something as simple as an e-book or as complex as a full-fledged hiking shoe company.
Travel pillows, earplugs, custom (or even hand-drawn maps if you’re artistic) are just some of the examples.
Not sure you can create your own product just yet? The next of these online travel business ideas is for you.
5. Affiliate marketing
If you’re new, let me explain Affiliate Marketing to you. It’s the act of selling someone else’s products and receiving a commission for the sale.
You can do this for nearly everything. Flight tickets, hotels, cab bookings, or travel products.
Yes, you do not necessarily need to create your own product. You can even sell literally any Amazon product for a commission.
Obviously, you’ll need to have an audience-base first who you’ll sell to. That’s where your B(v)log, Instagram or Youtube audiences factor in.
6. Adventure travel Company
This is the same as being a tour package curator but in the “adventure” niche. That’s something people like to spend money on. The problem? Tourists do not know which are the best spots/services they should go for.
You and your company can offer exactly that. You can offer pickup/drop services from hotels/airports. You can then take them to the best adventure sports in their area such as rafting, paragliding, ziplining etc.
In return, you get paid from the adventure company a small commission for your efforts. Of course, you can also offer these adventure sports on your own if you set it up for even more profits.
7. Offer services: Tour guides/ cultural experiences
This may not be the best cash-magnet on this list but it sure is an option. You can offer tour guides through your company.
Get in touch with guides and get yourself a special discount. This shouldn’t be hard as you’ll be getting them customers more frequently.
You can also offer cultural experiences. Maybe folk dances/songs? Local theater? Or just an evening that showcases the place in a more raw, realistic manner than what the internet shows.
You can then bring in customers using your website/Instagram/Youtube or any other platform.
8. Price comparison website
Again, setting this up isn’t exactly the easiest. However, it’s a robust business model. You’ll certainly need some technical knowledge to get this done. You can always hire someone to code you a website/app. There’s some initial investment involved but it probably will pay off in the near future.
The website/app will basically let people enter sources & destinations and then give them multiple options. These options can be for hotels, flights, experiences or all of these.
9. Mix & Match
None of these online travel business ideas have to be solo. You can easily combine multiple ideas from this list to build your funnel.
For starters, you can use your website to sell your e-book, or redirect users to plane tickets and hotels for affiliate commissions.
Or you can sell your own products to your Instagram audience. Point being, there are no hard and fast rules or restrictions.
You can even do the exact same thing on multiple platforms. E.g. you can write a café review on your website, and post a review video on Instagram!
10. Start an online travel agencies
Online travel agencies are just platforms which let people book hotels/flights/trains etc. The agency earns a commission in the process.
I’m sure you’ve seen companies like Kayak, MakeMyTrip, EasyTrip and so on. These are some of the most successful online travel agencies on the planet today.
I’ll be honest, this is one of the most complex online travel business ideas on this list. It also will need the most funding and technical know-how, but is also the most profitable.
You’ll need a website for starters. You’ll then need someone who can connect your website to ticket and hotel booking services. Obviously, you’ll also need to figure out how to make your commissions when a booking goes through you.
Yes, not as easy as taking a camera and saying –“Hey guys welcome to my blog”, I get it. That is why it’s last on this list! If you do this right, there’s a slight chance you could make the Forbes list in a few years.
Final words- Best online travel business ideas
So that’s it folks. That’s over 10 businesses you can start right away if wish to break into the travel space.
Of course, this list isn’t definite. There’s so much more you can and come up with on your own.
In fact, I’ll suggest start with the easiest options (Instagram travel vlog). Business opportunities present themselves with time as your views/followers grow.