I have always loved travel and before retiring as a high school AP History teacher in 2016, I frequently took student groups to Europe and have always enjoyed arranging my family’s own travel experiences as well as helping other friends and acquaintances with theirs. After retiring, I decided to enter the travel profession on a part-time basis and initially enrolled with one of the industry’s largest Host Agencies in 2017. I worked with this host for over a year and was beginning to gain traction in building my home-based business, but very soon I began to feel tacit pressure from them to up my sales even though I was still laying groundwork for my future business model. This is not what I had expected when I had agreed to join them, so we parted ways amicably prior to the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic. Afterwards, the travel bug bit again and I continued to book travel on my own and for others but without the support and commissions afforded through a host agency.
Finally, I decided in 2023 to try again. This time, after researching various host agencies through Host Agency Review, I found Dream Vacations (DV) and am so glad I did. The onboarding process was seamless, and I have been with Dream Vacations and its parent company World Travel Holdings (WTH) for well over a year now and the difference has been night and day. First, the associate training was exceptional and allowed me to move quickly at my own pace. If I wanted or needed more training, there was an array of resources available. Within a month of joining the DV family I was ready to go.
Secondly, the monthly fees are much more reasonable with Dream Vacations than with my previous experience and include much more in the way of incentives and support. Finally, and most importantly, I have felt no pressure to meet quotas as before. I was given the time I needed to launch my business and started booking within a few weeks. All the while, I was able to keep expanding my training and adding specialized travel certifications through an extensive training center and through individual vendor training. I have outstanding resources at my fingertips with my franchise owner; and training, marketing, and support materials available to all Dream Vacations travel advisors through our parent company’s World Travel Holdings (WTH) Business Center. The support for Dream Vacation advisors is superb. My every request has been met with prompt, reliable and courteous service. As a result, I have been able to rebuild my travel business at my pace. Since my start, I already have multiple bookings well into 2026.
As previously mentioned, I do this part time but still have plenty of time to do other things that I enjoy, especially travel. The greatest thing I enjoy about this relationship with Dream Vacations is that I can take my business on the road with me and conduct my business virtually. All I need is a good Internet connection. I feel absolutely no pressure from my agency to accelerate my business beyond my desire. This has enabled me to build at the pace I desire and has resulted in a much more solid model client centered business and considerably more bookings than previously. This is resulting in repeat customers eager to use our services again. WTH has a tremendous marketing department with outstanding resources enabling each travel advisor to proceed in building their business at their own pace. If I were a bit younger and desired to build my business into a large full-time model, I have no doubt that I could do so. I highly recommend Dream Vacations to anyone wanting to begin their own travel career and looking for an exceptional Host Agency. I believe that you will be happy and successful.
I am so excited to return to the travel industry. I am thankful for the opportunity to work as an advisor under a 20+ year franchise owner. As I near retirement, this allows me to begin to build clientele in hopes this decision affords me the opportunity I am seeking to continue to share my love for travel with others and to experience new destinations. I look forward to continuing this journey. The Dream Vacations team are very informative and responsive to my questions and show such an incredible willingness to assist myself as a new advisor with the company. I see our relationship lasting for quite a long while.
As a way to ensure I could retire when I wanted in June 2028, I decided to look for ways to start a parttime business that I could grow so that it would supplement my retirement – preferably while doing what my wife and I love to do most: traveling! The thought crossed my mind that, if I became a travel agent, I could make money even in the middle of the ocean.
I began researching options for training, which then lead me to a listing of trusted host companies. As I investigated those companies, Dream Vacations rose to the top of my list. The monthly fee was very reasonable and included Errors and Omissions insurance – which seemed like a great and important deal to me. The further I looked at Dream Vacations, the more quality I saw – from the extensive training center, their business practices and support systems, ability to book just about any kind of travel one could imagine, regional and national trainings, etc., etc.
In addition to all these resources offered by Dream Vacations, the franchise owner to whom I was assigned, Ellen Overcast, has been a terrific source of support and information. She has been able to answer most of my questions, and for the few things she did not know she knew whom within Dream Vacations or their parent company, World Travel Holdings, to go for answers; even contacting business development managers with suppliers for answers, too. I could not have chosen a better mentor!
I would not want to start a business with such vast offerings without a strong and distributed support system. While I had helped some friends and family plan their travel on my own, I did not have the negotiating power to offer promotional pricing and other incentives that we have through Dream Vacations and World Travel Holdings. To have these companies and my mentor, Ellen, as partners – who succeed when I succeed – I truly believe I can develop this venture as deep and wide as I dream to go.
I would strongly recommend you investigate all that World Travel Holdings provides through Dream Vacations. I believe you will find what I did – a well-organized, deeply resourced, highly motivated group of individuals all under this huge umbrella who are committed to seeing you succeed in any travel venture you wish to take on. I dare you to take the plunge! As the world begins traveling again, there are millions of people eager to find trusted guides who will partner with them as they explore the globe. Using Dream Vacations as your host agency will be the best business decision you will ever make!