ITI & LTA Central New Agent and Agency Owner Class

Some host agencies charge registration fees and have ongoing monthly fees. Monthly fees can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars annually. Other hosts, like LTA Central, are less interested in collecting fees and more interested in growing member sales and commission numbers. LTA CENTRAL WILL WAIVE YOUR FIRST YEAR MEMBERSHIP DUES IF YOU JOIN LTA CENTRAL AFTER COURSE COMPLETION. If you choose to renew with LTA Central, your second-year dues will be $100-$200 based on your sales production. We don’t charge monthly fees.

No. You will be in business for yourself. We will provide you with booking access using our travel industry credentials. We also will provide booking administration support, other tools and other support functions, but you will set your own work hours and work location (which is typically your home).

Because you will be an independent contractor, by rule you will need your own business assets and office supplies. As a minimum you will need a desktop or laptop computer setup, a phone and internet access. You will also need a plan to manage and track client transactions. Many of our agents use spreadsheets or word processing software to track client activity. Others maintain traditional paper files. Others purchase or subscribe to CRM software. LTA Central offers an optional subscription for a well-established travel industry product that includes CRM, invoicing, itinerary and reporting functionality.

You will earn commissions on the travel supplier products you sell to family, friends, clients and yourself. Products include ocean cruises, river cruises, tours, hotel bookings, all-inclusive resort packages, travel insurance and other travel products. You will also have the option of charging clients service fees for non-commissionable and low-commission products.

For most travel products, the standard gross commission we collect from travel suppliers is 10% of commissionable components. Because of our high volume, we earn up to 15% with some key suppliers. When we receive the gross supplier commissions for your product sales, we pay you 70% of the gross. As you reach higher production levels, we will increase your split of commissions earned.

Technically speaking, there is no limit to the number of suppliers you can book. LTA Central is registered with hundreds of suppliers and we will add reputable suppliers as needed to place agent bookings. In addition, we have more than 50 “Preferred Suppliers” including major cruise lines and tour operators.

See our list below.

There are no federal licensing requirements for travel agents. However, four states have strict Seller of Travel laws that require registration. The four states are CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON, HAWAII and FLORIDA. Registration in these four states requires lengthy documentation and may require financial guarantees. If you live in one of these states, please review their requirements. A handful of other states have less stringent registration requirements, and some state and local governments require travel agents to apply for general business licenses. You should check with your state and local governments to see what, if any, business registration requirements apply.

It is possible, but it’s a difficult and high-risk path to take for new entrants. Managing client bookings, establishing supplier relationships, following supplier procedures and managing payment transactions is a complex undertaking. Attempting to operate a travel business without prior experience and support is not recommended. Host travel agencies have the required assets and established relationships in place to simplify the processes and reduce the workload.