Several influencers and celebrities, including former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison and content creator Yasmin Hadlow, have promoted travel agent opportunities through PlanNet Marketing, which recruits agents to work with US-based InteleTravel. The promotions suggest participants can generate substantial income by selling holidays and recruiting others into the business model.
However, interviews with seven people recruited as InteleTravel agents reveal significant financial challenges. Participants report paying initial sign-up fees of around £150 and monthly costs of £30 to £40 for access to booking systems and training. Travel agents earn approximately 70 percent of the roughly 10 percent commission that holiday suppliers pay out. One recruit, Mark, reported making only three bookings and approximately £1,000 in commission over two years while paying £32 monthly in fees plus £100 in sign-up costs. Another participant, Shelley, a 52-year-old nurse from Suffolk who signed up during the pandemic, estimates her total profit over roughly two years at between £500 and £1,000 after accounting for additional spending on business cards, flyers, and a website.
Mark and Shelley both reported being encouraged by their recruiters to join PlanNet Marketing, the recruitment arm, which charges a separate monthly fee of approximately £14. Participants receive roughly £3 per new recruit plus additional bonuses and rank-based payouts as their recruitment network expands. PlanNet Marketing’s income disclosure statement indicates average annual earnings across its representative base of approximately $40.
InteleTravel and PlanNet Marketing deny operating as a multi-level marketing scheme, describing themselves as separate businesses where recruitment participation is optional. InteleTravel states that joining fees cover regulatory licensing, insurance, training, and booking system access required for UK travel regulatory compliance. The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and a “first-year profit guarantee” under specific conditions, including completing one year of valid adviser status, purchasing branded materials, booking at least one quarterly hotel stay, and submitting refund claims within 30 days of the one-year anniversary. A company spokesperson noted that profitability cannot be guaranteed in self-employment ventures.
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