MEDIA RELEASE

Host Agency Reviews Launches the 2021 Travel Agent Survey

Minneapolis, June 1st, 2021 – For the first year ever, Host Agency Reviews (HAR) is combining its annual travel agent fee survey and income survey into a single survey. HAR’s Travel Agent Survey launched today and will provide critical data on independent travel agent income, fees, and demographics.

Unique to this year, HAR’s survey will also document COVID’s impact on travel agents in 2020. HAR’s critical data offer suppliers a better understanding of the travel agent distribution channel, help travel advisors benchmark their own progress, and support lobbying efforts on behalf of the travel agent industry.

“ASTA is excited to partner with Host Agency Reviews’ 2021 survey to determine the latest income trends among hosted travel advisors. The findings from this component of the research coupled with a simultaneous assessment of the evolving landscape of travel advisor fees is an excellent opportunity to look at changes and trends on both counts” said Mark Meader, Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs & Education at ASTA. “With the increased complexity of travel resulting from the pandemic, the impact to both income and fees is more critical to understand and assess now than ever before.”

Survey participation will ensure continued advocacy efforts into 2021 and beyond. Nearly 1,000 advisors responded to HAR’s last income survey. This year, HAR is forging partnerships with American Society of Travel Advisors, CCRA, Departure Lounge, Destination Wedding and Honeymoon Specialist Association, Destination Wedding University, Ensemble, Expedia Cruises OVC, Gifted Travel Network, Independent by Liberty Travel, Independent by Flight Centre, KHM, Luxury Travel Group, Nexion Travel Group, Nexion Canada, Outside Agents, Travel Leaders Market Square, Travel Leaders Network, Travel Planners International, Travel Pulse, Travel Quest Network, The Travel Institute, and Uniglobe Travel Center.

Host Agency Reviews will publish reports throughout 2021, offering insights into the latest trends in travel agent income according to education, experience, region, and niche; new agent startup costs and income; travel agent fee trends by type of agent; and the latest travel agent demographics.

According to Steph Lee, founder of Host Agency Reviews, “We are so appreciative of the advisors that take the survey and our partners that help us reach a wide variety of advisors --- from hosted to independently accredited, storefront to home-based, leisure to luxury. We are thrilled to able to give back by providing the survey data to help advisors benchmark their progress, to give suppliers real-world data on the travel agency distribution data, and this year, giving unique, quantifiable insights into how COVID-19 has impacted the travel agent community.”

Adhering to tradition, Host Agency Reviews will award eight participating agents with a $25 gift card via a random drawing.

The annual travel agent survey is currently live and will be available to advisors through July 31st, 2021. If you are interested in collaborating on our current or future surveys, please reach out to Stephanie@HostAgencyReviews.com

###

About Host Agency Reviews:

Host Agency Reviews® is an independent website connecting travel agents to leading industry resources. With over 180+ combined host, franchise, and consortium profiles and 3,300+ reviews, it's the largest directory for agents on the web. Founder and former host agency director, Steph Lee, started Host Agency Reviews in 2012 to provide critical support for travel professionals to start and grow their agencies. Since then, the HAR team has expanded the site to include a robust industry blog, a free weeklong travel agency startup program, the Travel Agent Chatter quarterly podcast, Friday 15 weekly Q&A live stream, and Host Week, an annual virtual industry event to recognize and amplify independent agents and the hosts, franchises and consortia that support them. Oh, and we like to have fun. Lots of fun. :)