How to Become a Travel Agent in Florida

Your Step-by-Step Guide

While you can sign up with Boardwalk Travel Agency and start booking vacations almost immediately, there are other steps and hurdles you have to overcome to do this job legally in Florida. Depending on who you ask, there are anywhere from 2,500 to over 9,000 registered travel agents within the state. Each one of them has to go through these steps to start booking clients. 

Step One: Do Your Homework

The main document you’ll need to become a travel agent in Florida is the Sellers of Travel License. The state requires this license, and you must renew it every year. To get this license, you’ll have to submit a registration application, proof of a surety bond worth up to $25,000, and pay a non-refundable fee of $300. 

If you’re unfamiliar with surety bonds, we’ll discuss how to do that in a later step. In addition to getting this license, you must also register your business with state. One of the easiest options is to form an individual LLC, which limits your liability and allows you to open merchant accounts and hire employees later on. 

Overall, you want to do as much research and homework as possible before launching your new business as a travel agent. Because you’ll have to pay money upfront, you want to be sure you can start booking clients quickly. Other points to consider include: 

• Resorts – Which resorts are in your area, and what amenities do they offer? 
• Attractions – Are you close to a theme park, beach town, or cruise ship port? 
• Dining – Focus on dining options for your target audience, such as families with small children or single professionals. 
• Transportation – If your client is coming from out of state, which airport is best? How will they get around when they’re in Florida?

Step Two: Calculate Your Costs

Starting an LLC in Florida costs $125 upfront, and you’ll have to file a $138.75 fee annually to keep your business registered. As we mentioned, the Sellers of Travel Permit costs $300 initially and every time you renew. Finally, a surety bond can cost about $100 or more, depending on the size of your bond. 

In addition to these filing costs, you must also pay a one-time membership fee to Boardwalk Travel (with lifetime support and access). Once you’ve paid all of these fees, you may have to invest more money for things like: 

• Equipment – You’ll need a headset to talk with clients, and you’ll want to invest in a separate phone line. If you don’t have a good work-from-home setup right now, you might want to buy a desk and chair so you can work for hours at a time comfortably. 
• Office Space – While you want to start your business from home, it’s helpful to have an office space. You can either rent a shared office space or get a lease for a dedicated office. We advise to wait until you have clients booking first, though. 
• Online Presence – Social media accounts are free, but you’ll want at least a landing page to reach more potential customers. Paying for a domain and website is relatively cheap, but it can take time to set everything up. 
• Marketing – With so many other travel agencies in Florida, you’ll have to promote yourself on different marketing channels, such as SEO, social media, or print media. 

Overall, it’s good to have a budget for upfront costs, ongoing costs, and expansion costs once you start booking clients and making money as an agent. 

Step Three: Sign Up as a Boardwalk Travel Agent

Boardwalk Travel Agency allows you to become an agent with an affordable, one-time signup fee. While other agencies charge monthly or annual fees to access their networks and support teams, Boardwalk gives you lifetime access with a single fee. Once you’re inside, you can start taking tutorials and learn more about what it takes to book trips for your clients. 

Boardwalk Travel works with all the major providers, including Disney, Universal, Expedia, Sheraton, and more. You can focus on only one provider, or you can help your clients with accommodations across the travel spectrum. 

Since you’re considering how to become a travel agent in Florida, you may also want to read about how to become a Disney travel agent and get the details on becoming a Universal Studios travel agent. You can do it all with Boardwalk!

Step Four: Get Your Seller of Travel License

You must register your LLC before submitting the application. Starting an LLC is super easy in Florida, and you can get your documentation in a matter of hours or days. In addition to registering with the state, you must also obtain an Employer ID Number (EIN) from the IRS. This is free and usually gets issued within a few minutes. 

Once that’s all done, fill out the registration application and get a surety bond for at least $10,000. These bonds are designed to help protect consumers from fraud. Although your business is legitimate, too many scammers have made this bond a requirement. 

Generally, bonds cost about 10 percent of their value. So, a $10,000 bond costs $100, while a $20,000 bond costs $200. Florida has many surety bond providers, so you can find one easily. Simply provide your information (e.g., address, name, phone number) and pay the fee, and you’ll receive your bond. Usually, these bonds last one year, so you have to renew them with your Sellers of Travel license. 

Since you won’t be selling vacation certificates through Boardwalk Travel, you can start with a $10,000 bond. If you expand your offerings and start selling certificates, you must get a $50,000 bond and pay an additional $100 documentation fee with the state.

A vacation certificate is when you sell a particular package with no explicit travel date. Basically, the client pays for the certificate upfront, then they have a certain amount of time in which to book their trip. 

Overall, it may take up to 30 days for your license to be approved. You must wait until it’s official before booking any clients. 

Step Five: Start Booking Clients

Once you have your permits and business documentation ready, you can start booking clients! The best option is to book yourself, friends, or family first. This allows you to experiment and learn without the burning need to finalize a sale. Once you have a few bookings under your belt, you can promote your agent services to others. 

Tips and Tricks to Be a Successful Travel Agent in Florida

Filing the paperwork and setting up your work-from-home space is only the beginning. If you want to stand out in the sea of other travel agents and agencies, you’ll have to put more work in. Here are some of our top tips. 

Focus on Tourist-Friendly Areas

Almost all Florida cities cater to tourists, but some are much more attractive than others (e.g., Orlando or Miami). High-demand areas have more business opportunities, so it can often be easier to find prospective clients. You can also focus on specific attractions, including festivals and annual celebrations. 

Pick a Travel Niche (i.e., Disney)

Who is your ideal client? Do you want to focus on families or working professionals? Are you helping people going on vacation or corporate workers going to conferences and other business events? By focusing on a niche, it’s easier to attract more clients, and you’ll become more experienced with how to cater to their specific needs. Over time, you can expand your niche to get more commissions. 

Market Your Travel Services As Much As Possible

While word-of-mouth marketing can be huge for a travel agent, many of your clients will be strangers who found you online. Invest in Google Ads and social media ads to make yourself stand out. 

Also, remember that most people travel to Florida from other states. So, don’t market your services to other Floridians. Instead, focus on areas like Georgia, Alabama, and West Coast states. 

Start Your Career as a Travel Agent in Florida Today!

Boardwalk Travel Agency makes it easy to realize your dream of becoming a travel agent. With flexible scheduling, high commission rates (up to 70 percent in most cases), and lifetime support, you can succeed in no time. Sign up today and start booking clients!