If you are exploring new career options or side hustles in India, then becoming a travel business associate can be a step in the right direction for you. The recent boom in tourism has introduced a lot of opportunities for all individuals and businesses, making this a great time to enter into the travel industry. Find everything you need to know about being a travel business associate for the reputed travel agency franchise, Thomas Cook India, on this page.

What is a travel business associate?

If you are interested in working in the travel industry, then you must have already learned about the process of how to start a travel agency in India or how to become a travel agent in India. As you see, for both these options, one has to meet a set of criteria. But not everyone can fulfil such requirements or invest that much time. This is where the option of being a travel business associate comes in handy.

A travel business associate or TBA is an independent sales associate trained by experts in this field to sell or distribute a variety of products and services offered by a company, which in this case is Thomas Cook. This work role is mainly home-based, meaning you can work from the comfort of your home at flexible hours. In addition to earning a decent commission on the successful closing of a sale, being a travel business associate for Thomas Cook comes with a lot of advantages that we will explain further in this article.

What is the job role of a travel business associate?

To explain it in simple terms, being a travel business associate for Thomas Cook lets one work as work from home travel agent without joining the organisation. So, their main task will be to help their employer acquire new customers. After joining as a TBA, the associate’s task will be to contact sales leads and refer them to their designated specific point of contact (SPOC) at Thomas Cook for all provided services by TCIL. After their referral, the SPOC designated at TCIL will connect with the potential lead themselves, explain the services offered, communicate with them and work on closing the sale of a product or products. During the communication between the SPOC at TCIL and the prospect, a copy will be shared with the travel business associate who successfully referred the lead.

It is a commission-based role that will open up plenty of opportunities for you, allowing you to earn an impressive sum as a work from home travel agent. Once you express interest in the TBA role, the company will share the commission structure with you. After joining as a TBA, you will be given a basic walk-through of the products and services offered so you can reach out to leads and present them properly. There will not be any comprehensive training as the travel business associate is not expected to close the sales actively, as it is the task of the SPOC at TCIL. Also, note that after joining the TBA program, the associate will be given a certificate that will be valid for 2 years. So, if you are looking into how to become a travel agent in India without joining a travel agency franchise, consider being a TBA for Thomas Cook.

What are the products that a travel business associate can sell?

Even though the associates will be given a proper introduction and explanation of the offered products and services, having some sort of prior knowledge can help things go smoothly. Here are some examples of products and services that you can sell;

• Holiday gift card,
• Foreign exchange
• Domestic and international holiday packages
• Hotels and flight tickets, and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE), and school group tours.

While it helps to have prior knowledge in the field of tours and travels business, you should know that these things are easy to learn and understand even if you are new. This is why being a TBA is one of the best-travelling jobs in India.

What are the advantages of being a travel business associate?

Here are some amazing advantages of working as a travel business associate for Thomas Cook;

1. Be your own boss: One of the biggest advantages of working as a travel business associate is that you can be your own boss. You can set your own goals and follow through in a way that works for you.
2. Flexible work hours: The flexible work hours as a TBA allow you to commit to this job role without hindering your other day-to-day activities. As there’s no fixed time schedule, you can work whenever you have time.
3. Be a work from home travel agent: For working as a TBA for Thomas Cook, you don’t have to travel anywhere or visit any office. You can simply work from home, which makes this role more accessible. So, you can aim to become a TBA Bangalore, TBA Kolkata, TBA Gurgaon, and so on.
4. Possibility of good earnings: The job of a TBA is commission-based, hence, for every closed sale, you can get a decent earning. There’s a possibility of earning a total commission of more than INR 25,000 per month. The commissions for closed business will be remitted to your provided banking account within 15 working days from the date of travel. [Note that this job role offers a performance-linked variable income]
5. Easy to get started: To work as a TBA for Thomas Cook, you are not required to provide any sort of investment. Also, there are no enrollment or hidden charges for becoming a TBA that you have to worry about.
6. No minimum business: One of the best parts about working as a TBA for Thomas Cook is that there is no minimum business guarantee that you have to provide. It allows you to venture more freely into this field, improve your skills and gain experience without any hurdles. However, keep in mind that more referrals from you will increase the probability of closures, which will help improve your subsequent earnings.

Who should apply to be a travel business associate?

The job profile of a TBA makes it a desirable option for a lot of individuals. Anyone can apply for this role, and after going through the proper training, they will be ready to work as a TBA. As it allows one to become a work from home travel agent without joining the organisation, anyone who has a few hours to spare every day can consider it, such as;

1. Students pursuing their higher studies and looking for some income on the side can consider this position.
2. Homemakers looking for a work-from-home job that offers opportunities to earn a sizeable income without disrupting their current routine can consider working as a TBA.
3. Salarymen looking for a side hustle outside of their usual work hours can choose to become a TBA for Thomas Cook.
4. Anyone looking into how to start a travel business in India or how to become a travel agent in India can look into this work opportunity.

How to apply for this post on Thomas Cook?

It is very simple to apply for the travel business associate post on Thomas Cook. You can do so by following the steps mentioned below;

1. Visit the official Travel Business Associate page by Thomas Cook
2. Simply enter the required details, such as your name, email address, phone number, city, and zone.
3. Verify your details and click on “submit”.

After you submit your details, you will be contacted directly by a Thomas Cook member, who will further share all the details of the role and guide you through the process. Note that, if you have no prior experience in the field of tours and travels business, instead of searching for “How to open a travel agency in India?”, it is better to start looking at the job profile of a TBA.

Conclusion:

This sums up almost everything you need to know about working as a travel business associate for Thomas Cook. It is an impressive job role, considering you can be your own boss and earn money simply by working from home at flexible hours. It is very easy to apply for the role and start working as a TBA for Thomas Cook. If you have any sort of queries regarding the TBA role at Thomas Cook, make sure to contact us at tba.partner@thomascook.in.