8 powerful ways to get clients as a travel agent in 2025

So you want to learn how to get clients as a travel agent?

Maybe you’ve heard the typical advice of “tell your friends and family,” or go and create flyers to pass around.

But let’s be honest, you already know that. And what you’re looking for some something that will really kickstart your travel agency (and bring you a consistent stream of clients).

Well, this is that article.

I’m going to assume you already have a brand name, social media platforms, and a website where people can book with you. So, we’re going to go beyond just the basics. I’m sure you’ll walk away with a few new client acquisition strategies for your travel agency.

Is it easy to get clients as a travel agent?

Your first year as a travel agent can feel like an uphill battle. But, as your client base grows, getting clients becomes easier and easier.

In the beginning, you’re doing everything — building your online presence, figuring out your niche, learning how to pitch, and trying to get those first few bookings. It can feel slow. But once you help a few people and they have a great experience, word starts to spread. You start getting referrals. Repeat clients. People come to you instead of the other way around.

Like any service business, trust takes time. But if you stay consistent and focus on helping your ideal clients — whether that’s destination weddings, family vacations, or luxury retreats — you’ll build real momentum. And once that momentum kicks in, it gets a whole lot easier.

Now, let’s go over some powerful ways to get more clients for your travel agency.

How to get clients as a travel agent (8 ways)

Here are eight ways you can get clients as a travel agent:

Create an SEO content-driven website
Start a local newsletter
Create a travel YouTube channel
Partner with hotels, travel influencers, or tour operators
Pitch travel bloggers with your affiliate link
Sponsor travel media companies
Run Google PPC ads on high-intent keywords
Incentivize previous clients with a referral bonus

Alright, let’s go deeper with examples of each of these.

You’ve probably heard “make sure you have a website for your business.” But the real question is, what do you do next? How do you get people to visit your website and know you exist?

This is where SEO (search engine optimization) comes into play. You need a way for people to find your website when they’re searching for things related to traveling.

For example, you could write blog posts that target keywords like “what to do in Barcelona,” and then you write out a full itinerary. And at the end of that article, you have a CTA (call to action) to talk to an agent about creating a personalized itinerary for your readers.

This way, your content helps you show up in search results and builds trust by demonstrating your travel expertise.

But don’t stop at just one blog post. Create a whole content library around popular destinations, travel tips, packing guides, and even niche topics like “best honeymoon spots in Europe” or “safest countries for solo travelers.” Each piece of content becomes a long-term traffic source for your website.

And the best part? Unlike ads, this kind of organic traffic doesn’t stop when your budget runs out. It compounds over time. So if you’re serious about getting clients in 2025, start by making your website more than just a digital business card — turn it into a content hub that attracts, helps, and converts travelers.

If you want to learn more about how to create these types of blog posts so they rank high in search engines, check out this guide I wrote.

Next up is something I don’t see a lot of travel agencies take advantage of — newsletters. And I don’t mean just starting a newsletter about travel.

If you’re a local agency that serves clients in a particular city or area, start a newsletter for your city. Think: “What’s going on this weekend in [Your City]?” or “Hidden gems around [Your City] locals love.”

You become the person people look to for recommendations — not just for trips abroad, but for date nights, family events, and cool spots around town. And once they trust you locally, you’ve already built the relationship to pitch a weekend getaway, a honeymoon plan, or a full-on travel package.

It’s all about playing the long game. Stay top of mind, provide value, and every once in a while, throw in a “Planning a trip soon? Let’s chat.”

You can easily start a newsletter for free with a platform like beehiiv or Kit. And once the newsletter is up, you can promote it across Facebook groups in your city. There’s a great article on how to create a local newsletter if you want to check it out here.

3. Create a travel YouTube channel

This one’s for the bold (and the patient). But it works.

Starting a YouTube channel might sound overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be fancy. You don’t need drone shots from Bali or perfectly edited vlogs to start. You can literally record videos on your phone sharing quick travel tips, destination guides, or even breakdowns of current travel deals.

If long form videos are too much work, shart with short-form. Upload them on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok.

The goal is to build an audience and to get people to know you exist. People watch your videos, see your face, hear your voice — and suddenly you’re not just a random travel agent… you’re their travel agent.

YouTube is also the second biggest search engine after Google. So if someone searches “best time to visit Greece” and your video pops up, that’s a potential client right there. Add your contact info or a link to book a consultation in the video description, and boom — passive client acquisition.

And as someone who’s made YouTube videos as a small creator, just remember: consistency beats perfection. One helpful video a week can change your entire business in a year.

4. Partner with hotels, travel influencers, or tour operators

One of the best things you can do as a business, outside of even a travel agency, is to partner with other vendors that share the same (potential) customers as you.

For travel agents, this can mean teaming up with boutique hotels, travel influencers, and local tour operators. These people are already in front of the audience you’re trying to reach, so why not find ways to collaborate?

Maybe a hotel adds your contact info to their welcome packet or recommends you to guests planning their next trip. Maybe a travel creator features your service in their YouTube video or Instagram reel. Or maybe you work directly with a tour company to offer fully curated experiences.

These kinds of partnerships can drive warm leads to your business because you are a recommended source. A client will feel reassured knowing that you were vetted properly and are a trusted recommendation.

If you want a deeper dive on how to make these kinds of deals work, this article on partnership marketing for travel agents is a great read.

5. Pitch travel bloggers with an affiliate link

You’ve probably heard people tell you to reach out to bloggers and try to get them to mention your brand or agency in their content. But what you have to do first, before you do any sort of outreach, is to put yourself in the shoes of a travel blogger.

They have to make a living, too. So they’re naturally incentivized to do deals where there is an upside for them, not just you.

That’s where affiliate marketing comes in.

If you offer a commission for each traveler a blogger sends your way, it becomes a win-win. You get clients, and they get passive income from traffic they already have. This works especially well if you can give them a unique link and custom landing page to send their readers to — something that feels like a curated experience.

Start by searching on Google for keywords you think your potential clients would be searching. Things like “best places to travel in May,” “Italy honeymoon itinerary,” or “family-friendly resorts in Mexico.” Then scroll through the results and look for independent blogs ranking on the first page. These are perfect outreach targets — they’re already getting traffic from people planning trips.

From there, reach out with a short and thoughtful pitch (they probably have a contact page somewhere, but it’s better if you can find the website owner on LinkedIn). Let them know you loved their article, and propose a way to work together that actually helps them monetize the traffic they’re already getting. Keep it personal, make it easy, and don’t overthink it. One great affiliate partnership can bring in clients for months.

The next strategy can be paired up with the one above. If you find a blogger that you really want to work with, you can sweeten the deal by offering them a flat rate sponsorship and their own affiliate link.

This gives them immediate value (a guaranteed payment), plus long-term upside (a commission on any referrals). It also makes the partnership feel more serious, like you're investing in them, not just asking for a favor.

And it doesn’t have to stop at individual bloggers. You can also reach out to travel newsletters, YouTube channels, or Instagram pages that have a dedicated following in your niche. If their content aligns with your ideal customer — think couples planning honeymoons, digital nomads, or families booking group trips — then it’s probably worth testing a small sponsorship to see what kind of leads it brings in.

Just make sure you’re not blindly throwing money around. Ask for metrics. Look at engagement. And set clear terms, like how long your link or mention will stay live. If you have the right offer and get it in front of the people who need it most, these types of sponsorships can bring in hundreds of potential clients really fast.

7. Run Google PPC ads on high-intent keywords

Next up is a strategy that can bring in the right clients to your website, but it can be a hard one to implement if you don’t have any initial capital.

Google PPC (pay-per-click) ads let you show up at the top of search results for keywords like “travel agent for Europe trips,” “best travel planner for honeymoons,” “best places to see in Madrid,” or literally anywhere you can think of. These searches are done by people who are actively searching for help.

The trick is to target high-intent keywords. Skip the broad stuff like “travel tips” and go for the ones that signal action, like “hire a travel agent for Japan” or “luxury travel planner near me.” These might cost more per click, but the leads are warmer and more likely to convert.

If you’re brand new, start small. Set a daily budget, run a few ads, and monitor what’s working. Use landing pages that are simple, clear, and focused on one thing: getting the visitor to book a consultation.

This isn’t a “set it and forget it” kind of thing — but if you dial it in, it can be one of the fastest ways to get in front of people who are actively looking for what you offer.

8. Incentivize previous clients with a referral bonus

There’s no question that the best form of marketing is word of mouth. If someone had a great experience working with you, chances are they’re already telling their friends and family about it.

Now, you just need to give them a reason to keep doing it. This is where incentives come in.

Set up a simple referral program where past clients get a reward for every new person they send your way. It could be a small cash bonus, a gift card, or a discount on their next trip.

You can promote this via email, text, or even a printed card that you hand to them at the end of the trip planning process. The key is to make it feel easy and personal. Something like: “Hey, if you know someone who needs help planning their next trip, send them my way and I’ll send you a $50 gift card if they book.”

A little incentive goes a long way. And because it’s coming from someone who already trusts you, the new client is more likely to book with you.

Scale your travel agency with Copilot

Finding clients for your travel services is the first step. But what happens after that?

Once you start booking trips, whether it’s destination weddings, family vacations, or custom vacation packages, you need a streamlined way to manage everything behind the scenes.

That’s where Copilot comes in.

Copilot is a powerful tool built to help you scale your travel business with ease. Whether you're an independent travel agent or running a small team, Copilot gives you the backend infrastructure to look professional, stay organized, and grow your customer base.

You can use professional templates to create branded client portals, share special offers, manage payments, and communicate with your ideal clients — all in one place.

Want to see what it looks like? Try clicking around the demo portal below to get a feel for how it works in action.

And if you like what you see, go ahead and sign up for a free account — no credit card required.

Scale your travel agency