How to Become a Travel Agent in Illinois

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Home to a top-five busiest airports in the U.S. — and one of the top 10 busiest in the world — Illinois sees its fair share of jetsetters. Chicago’s O’Hare Airport offers direct flights to more than 250 destinations, going anywhere from Denver and Dallas to Dublin and Dubai. Whether you’re from the Chicago area or downstate, as an Illinois resident, you’re lucky to live in a state so easily connected to the rest of America and the world. If you want to learn how to become a travel agent in Illinois, read on. Starting a travel agency is an incredible opportunity – one of the most lucrative ways to become an entrepreneur! 

Why Starting a Travel Agency Is an Exciting Career Move 

The last few years have seen a huge boom for travel. If you’ve flown through O’Hare lately — and fought the crowds — you already know this! This means that the demand for professionals to help travelers plan their dream trips is higher than ever, so if you’ve wondered how to become a travel agent in Illinois, start with the confidence that these services are more in demand than ever. 

Starting a travel agency is an excellent opportunity to start a new career path — on your terms. You’ll be your own boss, set your own schedule and work from wherever you want – whether it’s at home or while traveling the globe. All you’ll need is an internet connection!  

Whether you want to work from your home in Illinois or from a cruise ship balcony, you’ll have that freedom. Plus, you’ll gain the immeasurable career satisfaction that comes from being a travel agency franchise owner. You’ll help orchestrate once-in-a-lifetime vacations for your customers, and seeing your clients’ photos from their dream trips and hearing their glowing reviews will be positively priceless. 

How to Start a Travel Agency From Home 

Launching your travel agency can be a rewarding process, and you’re guided at every step of the way. When you become a Dream Vacations Franchise Owner and partner with a well-known, established franchise (the #1 travel franchise in 2025 per Entrepreneur Magazine), you’ll be supported throughout your journey to “travelpreneurship.” You’ll have everything you need to thrive, and even if you’re brand new to the travel industry, we’ll provide expert training to ensure you can hit the ground running with your business.  

Dream Vacations is one of the best franchises to own because it combines:  

  • Low Startup Costs. Starting a travel agency with Dream Vacations could cost as low as $3,500 with extra discounts available for certain groups, including veterans and expert travel professionals. When it comes to low cost franchises, Dream Vacations offers a huge opportunity. 
  • High Earning Potential. Earn a commission on everything you sell, from cruises to resort stays to travel insurance. As part of an industry powerhouse, you’ll earn the highest tier commission from every major travel supplier. 
  • Strong Training: You’ll join for an intensive week-long initial training course and then gain access to a huge library of continuing education opportunities (featuring more than 1,500 on-demand courses), which allow you to stay on top of the latest trends and learn about everything from marketing your business to generating new customer leads.  

As a Dream Vacations Franchise Owner, you’ll get access to fun perks, like discounted — or even free — travel. For those Midwestern travel lovers who have wondered how to become a travel agent in Illinois, this is music to your ears!  

Join the Dream Vacations Family Today 

Your dreams — and your next adventures — are right at your fingertips.  

If you have more questions about how to become a travel agent in Illinois, discover how Dream Vacations franchise entrepreneurship might be the right choice for you – give us a call today at 800-892-3928, or register for our free webinar