Ancillary services in travel have quietly become one of the most effective ways for travel agents to grow revenue without increasing operational complexity. While flights, hotels, and rail bookings remain the foundation of most travel businesses, margins on core products continue to tighten.
This is where travel ancillary services make a real difference, especially for agents looking at how travel agents increase revenue without relying only on core bookings. By offering relevant add-ons, agents can increase the value of every booking while providing more complete solutions to their customers.
Top Ancillary Services You Can Explore
- Visa Assistance Services
Visa assistance services are one of the most practical ancillary services for travel agents, particularly for those exploring additional income opportunities for travel agents. For travelers, visa documentation is often confusing and time-sensitive. For agents, it represents steady demand and reliable ancillary revenue for travel agents. Whether it is a tourist visa, business visa, or transit documentation, travelers prefer working with someone they trust rather than navigating the process alone.
- Car Insurance
Car rental services and ground transportation complete the travel journey. Many travelers book flights and hotels but still struggle with local mobility. Offering car rentals allows travel agents to provide a more seamless experience, especially for families, corporate travelers, and group bookings.
- Airport Lounge Access
Airport lounge access is a smaller ancillary, but one that continues to grow in popularity. With fewer complimentary lounge options available through airlines, travelers are increasingly willing to pay for comfort, Wi-Fi, and quiet spaces during long layovers.
- MICE
MICE travel services and corporate travel solutions remain among the highest-value ancillary offerings. Group travel, conferences, and business trips often involve multiple components including flights, hotels, rail travel booking, and duty of care solutions. Agents who can manage these elements together are better positioned for repeat business and long-term client relationships.
- Travel Insurance
Travel insurance add-ons are another ancillary service that has moved from optional to essential. Insurance protects travelers against medical emergencies, cancellations, and baggage loss, while reinforcing the agent’s role as a trusted travel advisor.
Other High-Potential Ancillary Services to Explore
- Rail Travel Bookings: A strong option for domestic and short-haul routes where trains are often more convenient than flights. Offering rail travel alongside air and hotel bookings helps complete the itinerary and caters to travelers looking for flexible, cost-effective journeys.
- Baggage Protection Services: Designed to cover baggage loss or delays, this service addresses a common traveler concern. It works well as a simple add-on, especially for international trips, while creating a low-effort upsell opportunity for agents.
- Multi-Utility Services: Includes SIM cards like ZetSim, foreign exchange, and basic travel essentials. These services help travelers prepare better before departure and, when bundled together, contribute to a smoother travel experience.
3 Quick Tips for Selling Ancillary Services
- Explain how the service helps the traveler, whether it is convenience, protection, or peace of mind, instead of listing features.
- Introduce ancillaries at multiple touchpoints such as during booking, at payment, or even post-booking when travelers are more receptive.
- Keeping operations simple matters. Using a single platform like Riya Connect to manage ancillary services helps reduce operational overload and ensures a smoother booking process.
Ancillary services are about offering relevant options that improve the travel experience while creating additional income for travel agents. As competition increases, agents who focus only on core bookings may find it harder to grow. Those who gradually introduce ancillary services into their workflow are more likely to build stronger relationships, healthier margins, and sustainable travel agent revenue growth strategies over time.
