Best Host Travel Agencies of 2024 | HAR's Luminary Awards!
It's the time-honored Host Week tradition of naming the best host agencies of 2024! When it comes to celebrating the best host agencies, we like to ramp up the fanfare. If you're newer to Host Agency Reviews, here's a little bit of what you can expect: Last year the Luminary Awards featured space helmets. How do you go up from there? Well, 2024 marks the first year that we've ever cleaned out a store of their entire stock of disco ball planters for the Luminary Awards.
But let me back up. What are the Luminary Awards and who can get them?
Steph Lee, HAR mastermind and schemer of fun times, started the Luminary awards in 2019 to celebrate host agencies, recognizing them for their transparency, advisor support, and engagement on HAR's site in an epic way.
We offer awards for high ratings, volume of new reviews, engagement with advisors on the site, and participation in HAR's annual Travel Agent Survey.
Any host listed on the site can qualify! That's right. It's not pay to play. We have different qualifying thresholds depending on a hosts size, since hosts listed on our site may anywhere between 2 and 8K ICs.
So who were the standout host agencies in 2024? Drumroll please.
The Best Host Agencies in 2024
Finding the perfect host is subjective. Your forever host agency may not even make a good first date for another travel advisor. Our Luminary Awards recognize host agencies that engage with the growing advisor community and support people like you to find the best host out there for you.
The 5 Best Host Travel Agency Award Categories
Now, onto our award categories! HAR Luminary Awards recognize hosts in four different ways:
- Supernova Award: Recognizes the hosts that received at least one new review the previous year and have an average star rating of 4+
- Nebula Award: Recognizes the hosts with a certain number of new reviews
- Constellation Award: Recognizes the host agencies that engage with readers on their Host Agency Reviews' profile (responding to questions and reviews)
- Data Scientist Award: Recognizes the host agencies with the most participation in our surveys.
- The Galaxy Award!!!!: To receive a galaxy award, a host agency needs to win in all four other categories. To be frank, it's really hard to nab this award. Sure, hosts can win some of the Luminary Awards just by being their amazing selves, but the Galaxy Award is the pinnacle of Luminary achievement.
Note: All the award data is from the host's aggregate info of the previous year (2023). To keep things super democratic, we're not going to separate them by host size (just in old school ABC order)
Is the suspense unbearable?! I know! Me too! Who are the best host agencies in 2024?!? Here they are in each category, listed in alphabetical order.
The 2024 Host Agency Reviews Supernova Award Winners
Sometimes a star gets so big and so bright that it's about to explode. That sums up our supernova awards. Its criteria recognize the best host agencies in 2024 that have a 4.0 or higher average star rating, and have received at least one new review the previous year. Here are the hosts that burned brightly!
The 2024 Host Agency Reviews Nebula Award Winners
What is that faraway cloud of light brightening in the distance? They are the best host agencies of all sizes that have accumulated the most new reviews.
Who are these hosts attracting the attention of new travel agent ICs? Drumroll please . . .
The 2024 Host Agency Reviews Constellation Award Winners
Sure. Stars are bright and fun when they fly solo, but they're a lot more interesting to look at when they gather in groups and hangout in the sky in the shape of a horse, dog, or a mythical Greek hunter with a fancy belt and bow and arrows. The HAR Constellation Award is for best travel host agencies who engage on their profiles. They answer your questions. They respond to your reviews. They want you to be as informed as possible!
The 2024 Host Agency Reviews Data Scientist Award Winners
We like data A LOT. You probably know by now that we proudly consider ourselves nerds, geeks, data-dorks, eggheads, dweebs . . . you get the idea. Every year we publish delectable data through our income survey and fee survey.
But guess what?! That great data doesn't come from thin air. Not even close. We partner with host agencies and franchises, who do a lot of legwork in reaching out to their ICs to participate! The Data Scientist award recognizes the best host travel agencies and franchises who make these sometimes-Herculean efforts so our data is all the more stunning in our infographics. Who are these hosts this year?
The 2024 Host Agency Reviews Galaxy Award Winners are . . .
The Galaxy Award, is for hosts who've gone the extra mile and received an award in EVERY category. We get so excited about the Galaxy Award, that we reveal the winner with a video!
Drumroll PLEASE!!!
See Past Luminary Award Winners!
This isn't our first rodeo! You can find past Luminary Award winners here:
- 2023 Luminary Awards
- 2022 Luminary Awards
- 2021 Luminary Awards
- 2020 Luminary Awards
- 2019 Luminary Awards
That's a Wrap (for Now)
*High five* to all the best travel host agencies and franchises in 2024 that were recognized with Host Agency Reviews' industry awards!! We know they'll keep shining on, providing stellar (get it, stellar) resources and support to burgeoning and established agents alike.
And stay tuned for next January to see which hosts will return to claim their prize, and which one will be newbies on the HAR award circuit!
Want to Win a 2025 Luminary Award? Here's how!
So you're chomping at the bit to win a Luminary Award? This year, we expanded the host size categories to make sure Luminary Awards were an even playing field regardless of a host's size! (Previously we had 3 categories, now we have 5.)
With the exception of the Suprernova award (which awards a high average star rating), we tally up our data from the previous year to determine our award winners. Here's the deets:
- Supernova Criteria: All hosts must have a 4+ star rating and at least one new review from the previous year. Additionally, hosts need:
- X-Small (≤24): ≥ 2 total reviews
- Small (25 - 99): ≥ 7 total reviews
- Medium (100 - 499): ≥ 12 total reviews
- Large (500 - 999): ≥ 50 total reviews
- X-Large (1,000+): ≥ 100 total reviews
- Nebula Criteria: Nebula rewards hosts for new reviews:
- X-Small (≤24): ≥1 new review
- Small (25 - 99): ≥ 3 new reviews
- Medium (100 - 499): ≥5 new reviews
- Large (500 - 999): ≥10 new reviews
- X-Large (1,000+): ≥15 new reviews
- Constellation Criteria: This award tracks a host's number of interactions (via onsite Q&A) and/or responses to reviews.
- X-Small (≤24): ≥ 1
- Small (25 - 99): ≥ 3 interactions
- Medium (100 - 499): ≥5 interactions
- Large (500 - 999): ≥10 interactions
- X-Large (1,000+): ≥15 interactions
- Data Scientist Criteria: This award is for the number of host's ICs who take our surveys. The number of respondents needed are:
- X-Small (≤24): ≥ 2 respondents
- Small (25 - 99): ≥ 7 respondents
- Medium (100 - 499): ≥ 12 respondents
- Large (500 - 999): ≥ 50 respondents
- X-Large (1,000+): ≥ 100 respondents
- Galaxy Criteria: Galaxy Award winners are "the sweepers." These are the hosts who've won an award in every other category.
About the Author
Mary Stein
Mary Stein has been working as a writer and editor for Host Agency Reviews since 2016. She loves supporting travel advisors on their entrepreneurial journey and is inspired by their passion, tenacity, and creativity. Mary is also a mom, dog lover, fiction writer, hiker, and a Great British Bake Off superfan.
