BLOG POST

How to start a thriving travel business with Expedia Group

From travel advisors to vacation rental hosts, learn how our solutions help entrepreneurs get started in the industry and build a successful career. 


People turn their passion for travel into businesses every day, finding value in a better work/life balance and the ability to set their own schedules. And with new technologies making it easier, starting a career in this industry is more accessible than you think.  

 

From travel advisors to vacation rental hosts to niche travel marketing companies, entrepreneurial travel businesses of all types find and achieve success with our platform. Our intuitive tools, self-service options, and dedicated support help make it easier for businesses to launch and operate smoothly. With access to valuable data and insights, entrepreneurs can make informed decisions about their businesses and grow at their own pace, all while delivering top-notch experiences to their customers. 

 

Looking for inspiration to start your travel business? Here are three success stories about Expedia Group partners across the industry. 



BECOMING A TRAVEL ADVISOR

Turn a knack for travel planning into profit


Travel advisors come from all different backgrounds and working experiences, many dabbling in it for fun, the love of travel, or some extra income. College students, new parents, non-profit workers, corporate employees, and more are all discovering the benefits of transitioning into a full-time travel advisor career: Financial opportunities, flexible work schedules, and the chance to explore the world while helping others do the same.

 

Travel advisors apply their entrepreneurial spirit and love of travel to provide people with personal and curated trip experiences. Expedia Group’s Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP) helps travel advisors deliver on this promise through a booking platform that is user-friendly and efficient and offers an extensive inventory with exclusive rates. With dedicated support to provide their clients with the best possible experience, advisors can independently grow their business at scale.


Year to date, travel advisors joining Expedia TAAP increased by 16% compared to the previous year.¹

10 million+ searches are made on Expedia TAAP every month,² driving billions in net booking value³ for 150,000 suppliers. 


Trading in the 9-to-5 grind


Kentucky-based travel advisor Rebecca Smiley realized soon after college that she wasn’t fulfilled with her work as a counselor in higher education and wanted to turn her passion for travel into a career. Smiley established and grew her travel business quickly with the help of social media marketing, word-of-mouth referrals, and the Expedia TAAP booking platform. 
 

With an expansive clientele of younger travelers who crave bespoke experiences, Smiley uses the Expedia TAAP platform to curate personal trips for each of her clients. Expedia TAAP’s multiple filters allow her to cultivate unique options specific to her clients’ needs. 

 

Smiley booked over $500,000 in travel sales in 2023 and is tracking at 81% growth in 2024. Expedia TAAP continues to be a proven partner, and she has more bookings with Expedia Group than other booking platforms.

“Expedia TAAP has been part of my success story from the very beginning because I’ve been using the platform since day one.”

Rebecca Smiley

Owner, Smiley Travel

Rebecca Smiley, owner of Smiley Travel, pictured with a group of travel clients after finishing a guided hike.

Start a travel agency business

Learn more about becoming a travel advisor. 


STARTING IN VACATION RENTALS

From side hustle to main gig 


For a growing number of people, renting out a second home often begins as a side hustle but is quickly evolving into something more as they find themselves reinvesting those profits to grow their property portfolio. And, as their expertise deepens, some hosts begin managing properties for other hosts, turning what began as a part-time endeavor into a thriving, full-time gig.  

 

Vrbo® hosts are taking their vacation rental businesses full-time by reaching the more than 10 million average daily visitors on Expedia Group sites — a whole world of valuable travelers who spend more and stay longer.⁴

 


Vrbo travelers spend 58% more on vacation rental bookings and 47% more on vacation rental bookings per night than other OTA travelers.⁵ 

Vrbo travelers stay 14% longer — more than one day longer — in vacation rentals compared to other OTA travelers.⁶ 



Hosts with one or two properties need tools and technology to manage their businesses, while property managers who oversee multiple properties also require supply management and technology support. We make it easy with APIs to manage their businesses with their connecting connectivity partner of choice.

Finding financial freedom and personal fulfillment with Vrbo 


Portland, Oregon Vrbo host Michelle Ruber leveraged her background in design and love for travel to launch Shift Vacation Rentals. The flexible lifestyle and ability to share her unique city with others made a career as a vacation rental host appealing.

 

She recognizes that Portland is “brimming with people that have turned their passion into their business,” and successfully tapped into that entrepreneurial spirit. Her vacation rental business is the “absolute best career choice I could have made.” 

 

Over 10 years later, Ruber’s business is thriving. She credits Vrbo as one of her best promotional tools: over 50% of her bookings come from the Vrbo platform. The longstanding relationship with her account manager as well as the available host tools, including the Vrbo app and MarketMaker pricing tool, support her business’ continued growth and success. 

“Vrbo for our business has been the most reliable, easiest to access, and dependable partner. They also connect us with travelers that are a great fit for our rentals — travelers that are kind and considerate people.”

Michelle Ruber 

Owner, Shift Vacation Rentals

Michelle Ruber, owner of Shift Vacation Rentals, poses with a large bouquet of bright fuchsia flowers.


Start your vacation rental business

Explore what it takes to start hosting and make your property a top choice for travelers. 




LAUNCHING A TRAVEL STARTUP

Variety and visual inspiration drive bookings 


As entrepreneurs break into online travel, they can be faced with challenges building supply, maintaining supplier relationships, and managing customer service. A seamless platform and technology integration that fits into your business without the hassle of a massive tech overhaul is key. 

Partners turn to our Rapid API solution to deliver choice and trust to their travelers. We offer travelers access to: 


750K+

properties around the world, across 35+ different categories⁷

24M+

detailed property images with captions across 40 different languages⁸

103M+

traveler ratings and 68M+ reviews that help travelers book with confidence⁹




Achieve results with Rapid API 


Tripbtoz, an online travel agency and social information hub, boosted its sales by offering access to more than 750,000 hotels worldwide. With competitive pricing and easy international booking, Rapid API helped Tripbtoz become the third-largest accommodation OTA in South Korea.


A travel booking business born from a conversation at a shopping mall


Inspiration can strike anywhere — and at any time. This was the case for four friends and entrepreneurs from Cattolica, Italy, who established Salabam Solutions. Years after launch, the team wanted to evolve what started off as a gift box startup into a travel tech company specializing in online travel booking solutions and services. With the right technology and tools, that idea turned into a reality. 

 

Since they started specializing in travel, Salabam Solutions has worked with Expedia Group as a strategic partner because of our breadth of inventory, data, and technology, including the Rapid API solution that led to their significant early growth.

“Thanks to this technology, we have almost doubled our production every year.”

Diego Furlani

COO, Salabam Solutions


After the first year of partnering with Expedia Group, Salabam Solutions’ global booking value increased by 258% year over year (YoY) in 2019. And since then, they’ve seen continued growth, with 79% YoY growth in 2023. According to the team, it’s thanks to our people and technology that they’ve been among the Financial Times’ top 500 fastest-growing companies for two years running.  


How to build a travel startup

Take the next step in creating a world-class travel booking experience.


Ready to be your own boss?


The travel industry is full of entrepreneurial energy as more people look to translate their passion into flexible, self-driven careers. We’re your co-pilot in travel, here to help you stay ahead of the curve and grow your travel business with the right technology, tools, and support.



Tap into a world of opportunity 

Learn how to get started as a travel entrepreneur with Expedia Group.

Keep up to date

Sign up to let us know you'd like to be notified of future blog content.



Was this page helpful?

Tell us how we did so we can improve our site.