Of course, how much money you can make is partly down to you, partly to the business – and the travel industry has suffered of late. However, there are still plenty of consumers hungry for recommendations and deals, which makes these travel affiliate programs well worth investigating.
Best Travel Affiliate Programs: Flights, Cruises, Car Rentals, Hotels
The most lucrative elements of travel for affiliate marketing are likely to be big-ticket items: flights, car rentals, hotels, and cruises. The following travel affiliate programs all offer the chance to make some good money.
1. TripAdvisor
An enormous travel industry platform that allows you to book flights, vehicles, hotels, day trips, restaurants…the works. The commission rate varies, but an affiliate marketer can expect between 4% and 40% on all bookings.
2. Booking.com
A supremely popular hotel booking site that offers a nice commission rate of 4%. The only problem is the session-based cookies, meaning you’ll need your traffic to be willing to book at once.
3. Skyscanner
A commission rate of 20% sounds good, but bear in mind this is only based on what Skyscanner earns from a booking (as a price comparison site, they’re not the direct vendor). Cookie duration is a sweet 45 days, and the big-name gives you a distinct advantage.
4. International Hotel Group
With more than 5,000 hotels across the world to suit any budget, this has the potential to bring you some good earnings. Cookie duration is 14 days and the commission rate a tidy 3%.
5. CruiseDirect
It’s not all flights and hotels. CruiseDirect is a fast-growing platform, and the affiliate program offers a 3% commission over a cookie lifetime of 45 days.
Top Travel Affiliate Programs for Travel Add-ons
Most people assume that you can only make money as a travel affiliate by promoting essential trip components, like those listed above. But there are plenty of other elements that go into making the trip of a lifetime, as shown by these other affiliate programs available in the travel industry:
6. Lonely Planet
The world’s biggest guidebook publishers pay around 15% commission on print and digital books, and 12% on travel guides.
7. World Nomads
Travel insurance is a super-important part of any trip and with a commission of 10%, World Nomads gives you the chance to make some decent money.
8. Trusted Housesitters
One you may not have thought of, but another essential part of the travel industry. House- and pet-sitters are big businesses these days, and this affiliate program offers a commission rate of 20%.
9. Airport Parking Reservation
Airport parking charges can be high, so with 20% commission going to travel affiliates, you may just want to promote this reservations website.
10. Skyroam
A growing side of the travel industry, Skyroam offers customers a virtual SIM card so they don’t get smacked with high roaming charges. Enjoy 15% commission and a 30-day cookie window.
We hope our list of the top travel affiliate programs has shown that it pays to think outside the box, even within your industry. From travel insurance to pet care, plus the usual flights and hotels, there are many lucrative networks for travel affiliates to consider signing up to.
