2020 marks the first year that the majority of hosted travel agents, 52%, reported charging a fee.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The results of Host Agency Reviews’ (HAR) 2020 Service Fee Survey indicate that charging fees is becoming an industry standard among hosted agents. For the first year ever, the majority of hosted agents, 52%, reported charging a fee.
These preliminary findings were recently published in HAR’s annual report, “The Hosted Agent Fee Report, 2020,” which also highlights how factors such as booking type, niche, experience, and location influenced fees.
Here’s a few survey takeaways from the hosted agent segment:
- Advisors who specialized in FIT travel were most likely to charge a fee
- Domestic Air was the most common type of service fee
- Flat fee was the most common type of consultation fee
- 42% reported they will consider charging a fee in the next 12 months
HAR’s founder, Stephanie Lee mentioned, “It’s important to note, this is pre-pandemic data. HAR will be monitoring how the COVID-19 crisis affects agencies’ fee charging practices. Will the pandemic encourage more agencies to diversify their income through fees? It’s certainly a way to add some income stability.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.