Mobile Travel Agents

What Mobile Travel Agents does

Mobile Travel Agents (MTA – Mobile Travel Agents Pty Ltd) is an Australian travel agency network founded in 2000 by Karen and Roy Merricks and headquartered in Robina, Queensland. The company operates a distributed, home-based model in which more than 400 independent travel advisors run their own businesses under the MTA umbrella, serving individual travellers across Australia in categories spanning leisure, luxury, cruise, expedition, and small-group adventure travel. The central product is the MTA Travel Advisory Network, supported by an online advisor locator, an internal training and accreditation program (MTA Professional Plus), a backup "Assistance Team" that maintains client servicing when advisors are unavailable, and an Executive Assistant pairing service for Platinum Elite advisors. The platform is also licensed to distribute travel insurance through Covermore, NIB Travel Services, and Go Insurance.

MTA monetises primarily through supplier commissions on bookings, service fees, and insurance distribution royalties. Its technology stack is a conventional travel booking and deal-management platform: there is no public API or developer SDK and no disclosed AI/ML capability. The company's differentiators are network- and accreditation-based rather than technology-based, including invited membership in the Virtuoso luxury travel network, ATIA and IATA accreditation, PCI DSS compliance, and three-time NTIA "Most Outstanding Mobile Travel Network" recognition (2018, 2023, 2025).

The go-to-market runs on two parallel funnels: a direct-to-consumer front end that funnels customers to local advisors via the website, and a community-led recruitment funnel targeting experienced travel professionals who want to start a home-based business. Customers are predominantly individual travellers and families booking high-touch itineraries, with a notable concentration in cruise and experiential/luxury segments. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Mobile Travel Agents

Legal name

MTA – Mobile Travel Agents Pty Ltd (65 603 064 044)

Website

https://mtatravel.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

MTA – Mobile Travel Agents is an Australian, home-based travel advisor network of 400+ independent operators serving individual travellers across leisure, luxury, cruise, and expedition categories, monetising through supplier commissions, service fees, and insurance distribution, with Virtuoso, ATIA, and IATA accreditation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510), All Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (561599)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAKABAA

Leisure & Generalist Retail Travel Agencies

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Traditional/Retail Travel Agencies

SECONDARYTHAKABAF

Cruise Retail Travel Agencies

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Traditional/Retail Travel Agencies

SECONDARYTHAKAFAA

Luxury Travel Agencies

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Specialty/Niche Travel Agencies (Luxury, Adventure, Honeymoon, etc.)

Keywords

• Travel agency services
• Travel advisory network
• Holiday booking services
• Cruise travel services
• Travel insurance distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Gold Coast

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Travel Booking Commissions: MTA acts as an agent for travel service providers and earns commissions on bookings made for customers. Advisors run their own businesses and earn commission income.
2. Service Fees: MTA charges service fees for booking and advisory services. Credit card processing fees apply: 1.45% for Mastercard/Visa, 1.95% for American Express, 3.8% for international cards.
3. Travel Insurance Distribution: MTA is an authorised representative of Covermore, NIB Travel Services, and Go Unlimited, earning financial benefits when customers purchase travel insurance through them.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MTA – Mobile Travel Agents operates a nationwide Australian network of 400+ independent mobile travel advisors who plan, book, and support leisure, cruise, luxury, and adventure travel for individual consumers. The company earns commissions on bookings placed through its advisor network, charges service and credit card processing fees, and distributes travel insurance under authorised representative arrangements with Covermore, NIB Travel Services, and Go Insurance.

Product overview

MTA – Mobile Travel Agents is a travel advisory network operating as a single unified platform consisting of a nationwide network of 400+ independent mobile travel advisors. The core offering centers on the MTA Travel Advisory Network, which connects travelers with independent advisors who provide personalized travel planning services. The network leverages collective buying power for special travel deals and offers exclusive Virtuoso membership benefits. Support services include the Assistance Team (providing business continuity), Executive Assistant pairing for top performers, and the MTA Professional Plus accreditation program for advisor development. The company also offers travel insurance products through partner providers and operates an independent advisor recruitment program. Advisors operate their own businesses but benefit from corporate support infrastructure, training resources, and marketing tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MTA Travel Advisory Network A nationwide network of 400+ independent, mobile travel advisors who operate their own businesses under the MTA umbrella, providing personalised travel planning services across all travel categories including leisure, cruise, luxury, expedition, and corporate travel for individual consumers in Australia.
• MTA Special Travel Deals Curated holiday packages and special travel offers leveraging MTA's big-agency buying power to provide competitive pricing on destinations such as Grand Swiss Mountains and Italian Lakes, Canadian Rockies, Scandinavia, Alaska, and Galápagos Islands for Australian travellers.
• Virtuoso Travel Network Membership Benefits Exclusive membership benefits passed through to MTA clients via advisors, providing insider access, hotel credits, complimentary room upgrades, and authentic luxury and experiential travel perks that are not available when booking online.
• MTA Travel Insurance Travel insurance products arranged by MTA advisors as authorised representatives of Covermore, NIB Travel Services, and Go Insurance, allowing customers to obtain quotes and coverage alongside their travel bookings.
• MTA Join / Independent Advisor Program A program for experienced travel advisors in Australia to start and run their own home-based travel business, providing access to MTA's technology platform, training (including MTA Professional Plus), marketing resources, business admin support, and a built-in community of 400+ independent advisors.

Quantifiable outcome

• NTIA Most Outstanding Mobile Travel Network winner 2025, 2023, 2018
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered preferred and core.

• Explore WorldwidepreferredChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 31 October 2023Preferred partnership with specialist tour operator Explore Worldwide to promote their 350+ small group adventures through the MTA network. Explore targets the over-50 market with sustainable experiential travel, particularly walking and cycling trips in Europe, with a 60% repeat customer rate.
• VirtuosocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMTA is an invited member of the Virtuoso travel network, a leading global network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. This membership provides advisors with exclusive access to insider benefits, extras, hotel credits, complimentary upgrades, and authentic experiences not available through online booking.
• Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA)coreOthersMTA is an accredited member of ATIA, meeting strict financial criteria required for membership. This accreditation provides customers with financial peace of mind.
• IATAcoreOthersMTA is an accredited IATA member, meeting industry standards and financial requirements for ticketing and travel services.
• HX ExpeditionspreferredChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecial partnership featuring HX Expeditions (130th anniversary) with exclusive offers for Galapagos Islands and Antarctica itineraries.
• Viking CruisespreferredChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured cruise partner offering river cruise experiences including Rhine Getaway itineraries.
• Avalon WaterwayspreferredChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRiver cruise partner offering itineraries such as the Romantic Rhine on Avalon Envision.
• Quark ExpeditionspreferredChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExpedition cruise operator partner for polar travel expertise.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/mtatravel
• Xx.com/MTATravel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mobile-travel-agents---mta

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Mobile Travel Agents