Starting a business has always taken a certain kind of courage. In 2026, with household budgets under pressure and the economic outlook harder to read than it has been in years, it also takes a certain kind of intelligence: choosing a business with real demand behind it, real support around you, and a real way in that doesn't require betting everything on day one.

The travel industry has weathered recessions, a global pandemic and every disruption the world has thrown at it for decades. People will always want to go somewhere. What has changed in 2026 is who is building businesses around that demand, and how they are getting started.

In response to demand from people who want a lower-risk route into the industry, The Travel Franchise has launched the Lite package: an entirely new entry point into one of the most enduring industries in the world, and the most flexible opportunity the company has ever offered.

“The Lite package fills a genuine gap in the market. There are a huge number of people who want to get into travel but are not in a position to go all in straight away. They might have a full-time job, family commitments, or simply want to build their confidence before making a bigger investment. The Lite package gives them a real, legitimate way to do that with proper support behind them from day one.”

Paul Harrison, co-founder, The Travel Franchise

The Travel Franchise has spent fifteen years doing something the travel industry said couldn’t be done: taking people with no travel experience whatsoever and turning them into successful home-based travel business owners. Teachers, nurses, military personnel, corporate professionals, people returning to work after years away. 98 per cent of its franchisees came from outside travel entirely, and many have gone on to build businesses generating six figures a year. The company has been voted best lifestyle franchise in the world by the International Franchise Association for two consecutive years, sits in the top ten franchises in the UK overall, and is the only travel franchise in the country’s top 100.

The reason it works, where other models struggle, is infrastructure. Most travel franchises recruit from within the industry because the operational demands of running a travel business, the supplier relationships, the booking systems, the commercial knowledge, take years to acquire. The Travel Franchise built an alternative: a corporate support team of over 80 people, a training programme refined over hundreds of franchisee journeys, access to over £3 billion in buying power through the Hays Travel Independence Group, and a mentoring structure that means no franchisee ever has to figure it out alone.

The Lite package takes that support a step further. For £3,000, a new franchisee launches a real travel business paired from day one with one of the company’s most experienced operators, who handles the booking complexity while the newcomer focuses on building a client base. It is franchise ownership with the safety net most people wish they’d had from the start.

“The flexibility is a huge factor for me. Joining on the most affordable Lite option enabled me to change career even though I had never worked in the travel industry before.”

Chris Pratt, franchisee, The Travel Franchise

The package is designed to be run alongside an existing job or other commitments, with no pressure to go full time before the franchisee is ready. It is, in Paul Harrison’s words, a way to learn while you earn: building a client base, developing commercial instincts and finding your feet in a new industry, with an expert beside you from the very first enquiry.

For anyone reconsidering what their working life looks like and what they want it to become, the door has never been wider open.

"I've seen this business transform people's lives more times than I can count. The only thing that ever held anyone back was the size of that first step. We've just made it a lot smaller."

Jenny Farenden, head of The Travel Franchise

About The Travel Franchise

The Travel Franchise is the UK’s leading franchise for people new to the travel industry. It enables ambitious people from all walks of life to set up and run their own home-based travel business from scratch, with full training, mentoring, technology and support behind them from day one. Franchisees benefit from access to over £3 billion in buying power through the Hays Travel Independence Group, a corporate support team of over 80 people, and a community of experienced franchisees who have built successful businesses across the UK. The Travel Franchise is one of the top ten franchises in the UK overall and the only travel franchise in the country’s top 100.