The Travel Society, LLC

What The Travel Society, LLC does

The Travel Society, LLC is a privately held host agency for independent travel advisors, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The company provides infrastructure and support services that allow independent travel professionals to operate as business owners without the overhead of agency ownership. Its core offering consists of two membership-based hosting programs: an Elite Plan that allows advisors to retain 100% of commissions in exchange for a flat monthly fee, and a Gold Plan structured as an 80/20 commission split with a $300 monthly minimum. Revenue is generated through recurring monthly membership fees, commission overrides on advisor bookings, and nominal GDS and ticketing fees.

The technology platform is built around TripSuite CRM and Invoicing for client and commission management, with Sabre and SmartPoint providing Global Distribution System access supported by an in-house GDS Help Desk and Air Ticketing Desk that removes the GDS-experience requirement for advisors. The company is a 20+ year member of the Virtuoso luxury travel consortium, providing member advisors with preferred partner access to Ritz-Carlton STARS, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, Mandarin Oriental FanClub, and a portfolio of over 20 airline partner programs. Back-office services include biweekly commission payments, accounting, IT support (TeamViewer), vendor management, and six months of professional mentoring for new advisors.

The Travel Society serves a horizontal segment of independent travel advisors, with the go-to-market motion centered on direct application-based membership enrollment, peer referrals within the advisor community, and an annual Travel Society Summit. Community collaboration is described as the strongest member benefit, and 25% of members have tenures exceeding 20 years. Randy Yaroch serves as CEO and Managing Director, with ownership and management having provided professional solutions for over 35 years. The company is registered as a Seller of Travel in California, Florida, Hawaii, and Washington, and has not raised external funding.

Name

The Travel Society, LLC

Legal name

The Travel Society

Website

https://travelsociety.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Travel Society, LLC is a privately held host agency founded in 1986 that provides infrastructure, technology, vendor relationships, and Virtuoso consortium access to independent travel advisors under subscription and commission-share pricing models.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Host Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510), Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (5615)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury & Premium Leisure Travel Agencies (THAKABAC)

Keywords

• Host travel agency
• Independent travel advisors
• Travel commission programs
• Luxury travel consortium
• Advisor support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenwood Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Host Agency Membership Fees: The Travel Society generates revenue through monthly membership fees charged to independent travel advisors who join as members. The Elite Plan charges a flat monthly fee with no minimum, while the Gold Plan requires a $300 monthly minimum.
2. Commission Sharing: Revenue is generated through commission splits with member advisors. The Gold Plan offers an 80/20 commission split where the company retains 20% of cruise, tour, and hotel commissions. Elite Plan members retain 100% of commissions but pay a flat monthly fee.
3. GDS and Ticketing Fees: Nominal fees charged for Global Distribution System usage and air ticketing services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Travel Society is a boutique host travel agency that provides independent travel advisors with the infrastructure, technology, vendor relationships, and back-office support they need to operate their own travel businesses. Its core offerings are two hosting programs—the Elite Plan (flat monthly fee, 100% commission retention) and the Gold Plan (80/20 commission split, $300 monthly minimum)—supported by a CRM platform, air ticketing desk, GDS access, accounting services, and Virtuoso luxury consortium membership.

Product overview

The Travel Society operates as a boutique luxury-focused host agency providing a platform-plus-modules architecture for independent travel advisors. The core offering consists of two hosting programs (Elite Plan with 100% commission retention and Gold Plan with 80/20 split) that form the foundation of the service. These are supported by integrated technology platforms including TripSuite CRM & Invoicing for client and commission management, Air Ticketing Desk for ticket fulfillment, and GDS Support using Sabre/SmartPoint for booking operations. Additional service modules include Vendor Management with Preferred Partner Programs, Accounting Services for financial operations, Virtuoso Membership for luxury network access, and Professional Development Resources including webinars and video libraries. The Member Intranet Resource Library serves as the central hub for forms, contacts, and management reports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elite Plan Premium hosting program for independent travel advisors that allows them to retain 100% of earned commissions on cruise, tour, hotel, car, insurance, and air bookings, in exchange for a flat monthly fee with no monthly minimum. Virtuoso membership is included.
• Gold Plan Commission split hosting program for independent travel advisors with an 80/20 split, a $300 monthly minimum, and 80% commission payments on cruise, tour, hotel, car, and insurance bookings. Air commission is eligible.
• TripSuite CRM & Invoicing
• Air Ticketing Desk In-house air ticketing service enabling member advisors to fulfill airline ticket requests without requiring GDS experience; includes 24/7 support and helps avoid debit memos.
• Global Distribution System (GDS) Support GDS support help desk using Sabre and SmartPoint providers, including company-owned airline contracts that enable advisors to retain 100% upfront commissions.
• Vendor Management and Preferred Partner Program Internal Preferred Partner Program connecting member advisors with vetted travel providers, including Ritz-Carlton STARS, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, Mandarin Oriental FanClub, and other luxury industry programs.
• Accounting Services Financial accountability services for member advisors, including advisor commission payments every two weeks, accurate tracking and recording of sales and commissions, and accounting support.
• Virtuoso Membership Member advisor access to the Virtuoso luxury travel consortium providing preferred partner programs, online booking tools, training academy, marketing tools, and valued concessions and upgrades.
• Member Intranet Resource Library Internal resource platform for member advisors providing forms, contacts, commission management reports, and company communications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% of members have been with the company for over 20 years; 60% for over 12 years

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VirtuosocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirtuoso is a leading luxury travel consortium providing The Travel Society's member advisors with exclusive access to global luxury hotels, cruise lines, airlines, and tour companies. Benefits include complimentary room upgrades, VIP access, early check-in/late check-out, spa credits, and preferred partner program access including Ritz-Carlton STARS, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, and Mandarin Oriental FanClub. The Travel Society has been a Virtuoso member for over 20 years and participates in multiple committees, communities, and meetings.
• AmaWaterwayscoreOthersAmaWaterways is a premier river cruise line recognized as The Travel Society's Vendor of the Year in 2025. The partnership provides advisors with competitive commission rates and preferred booking access for river cruise products.
• Ritz-Carlton STARScoreOthersExclusive partner program providing VIP status, complimentary upgrades, and preferential treatment for clients booked through The Travel Society advisors.
• Four Seasons Preferred PartnercoreOthersPreferred partner status with Four Seasons Hotels providing enhanced amenities and access for advisor-booked clients.
• Mandarin Oriental FanClubcoreOthersExclusive fan club membership providing preferential rates and amenities for Mandarin Oriental bookings made through The Travel Society network.
• Airline Partners (20+ carriers)coreOthersOver 20 airline partners including United, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and others offering unique amenities such as upgrades, waivers, favors, and top commission earning opportunities. Partners include United, American, Lufthansa, Emirates, Icelandair, LATAM, Aerolineas Argentinas, British Airways, China Southern, EVA Air, Japan Airlines, Finnair, Iberia, Saudia, Air Canada, Swiss, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, and Virgin Atlantic.
• Tour PartnerscoreOthersPartners with leading tour operators including Kensington Tours, Tauck, and various boutique operators offering experiences from Alaskan bear camps to African safaris, with easy booking processes and competitive commissions.
• APTA (American Travel Association)minorOthersIndustry association membership providing networking and professional development resources for travel advisors.
• ASTA (American Society of Travel Advisors)minorOthersMajor industry association representing travel advisors with advocacy, education, and professional development resources.
• ARC (Airline Reporting Corporation)minorOthersIndustry body providing accreditation and reporting services for travel agencies and airlines.
• CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association)minorOthersLeading cruise industry association providing training, certification, and marketing resources for cruise travel advisors.
• IATA (International Air Transport Association)minorOthersGlobal trade association for airline industry providing standards, training, and accreditation for travel agencies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Avoya Travel: Host agency model serving independent travel advisors with proprietary technology, marketing programs, and preferred supplier relationships. Directly competes for the same independent advisor talent pool with overlapping luxury and cruise segment focus.
• International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN)-accredited host agencies (NexusTours / Travel Planners International): Host agencies offering IATA/CLIA sponsorship, GDS access, commission splits, and back-office support to independent travel advisors. Travel Planners International specifically competes in the same mid-sized host agency segment with Virtuoso-style consortium access.
• Dream Vacations / CruiseOne: Home-based travel advisor franchise/host model providing training, marketing, technology, and supplier relationships. Competes for independent advisors, particularly in cruise and leisure segments adjacent to TTS's Gold Plan positioning.
• KHM Travel Group: Host agency for independent travel advisors with similar commission split and subscription models, training programs, and supplier relationships. Direct competitor for entry-to-mid-level independent travel professionals.
• OutsideAgents: Host agency providing back-office support, technology, GDS access, and commission structures to independent travel advisors. Competes on similar plan flexibility and supplier network breadth.
• Lightspan (formerly Gifted Travel Network): Boutique host agency consortium emphasizing luxury advisor support, Virtuoso membership, and premium commission structures. Direct competitor in the high-end independent advisor segment.

Broad incumbents

• World Travel Holdings: Large-scale travel distribution and host agency operator with multiple brands serving independent advisors. Operates at greater scale than TTS with broader consumer-facing capabilities, representing an incumbent in the same host-agency space.
• Internova Travel Group: Large travel services company including a host agency division (Travel Leaders Network). Competes for premium independent advisors through consortium affiliations, proprietary technology, and corporate travel infrastructure at much greater scale.

Emerging players

• Fora Travel: Tech-forward host agency targeting next-generation independent advisors with proprietary booking platform, training, and supplier access. Represents the emerging tech-enabled threat competing for the same advisor demographic TTS serves.

Others

• Virtuoso (consortium): Luxury travel consortium that TTS is a member of for 20+ years. Not a competitor but a key ecosystem partner; comparable in business model context as another way advisors can access the same preferred partner programs TTS offers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/travelsociety1
• Facebookfacebook.com/199429550156158
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-travel-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/ttshostagency

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Travel Society, LLC