January 10, 2023
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Travel blogging and YouTube content creation offer plenty of marketing and sales opportunities because there is so much terrain to cover. For instance, a travel content creator can discuss her experiences, tips, hacks, things to do, visiting places, dining, nightlife, tours, reviews, travel reward cards, and more. In addition, affiliate marketing is a terrific way to monetize travel content, and we’ll review the best travel affiliate programs in this post.
Millions of people travel annually for pleasure and business, which makes the trillion-dollar travel and tourism industry essential. Conversely, sales margins tend to be minor, negatively impacting what advertisers can pay affiliates. Therefore, commission rates tend to be single or low double digits. Also, cookie durations might fall short of the industry standard of 30 days.
Best Travel Affiliate Programs
The Travelpayouts affiliate network features travel and tourism companies exclusively. In addition, FlexOffers and CJ Affiliate offer robust selections of advertisers in various travel niches, whereas Impact, ShareASale, and Rakuten Advertising have over 100 programs each.
| Affiliate Network | Merchant Listings |
| Travelpayouts | 100+ programs |
| FlexOffers | 568 programs |
| CJ Affiliate | 268 programs |
| Impact | 136 programs |
| ShareASale | 116 programs |
| Rakuten Advertising | 116 programs |
Standard travel categories include accessories, accommodations, airfare, attractions, car rentals, cruises, flights, hotels, insurance, luggage, parking, sightseeing, tours, transportation, and vacations. You won’t find many pay-per-lead affiliate programs in the travel sector since most merchants only pay for sales and bookings.
Airfare & Flight Affiliate Programs
Booking.com
Booking customers can purchase accommodations, flights, car rentals, attractions, airport taxis, and more. Users can search by property type, including hotels, apartments, resorts, villas, cabins, guest houses, B&Bs, and cottages. Booking has frequent travel specials starting at 15 percent. Finally, users can chat with other travelers in various communities.
The Booking affiliate program pays a 4 percent commission rate per sale.
- Commission rate: 4%
- Cookie duration: Session-based
- Affiliate software/network: Travelpayouts, CJ Affiliate, and in-house
Expedia
Expedia offers deals on stays, flights, cars, packages, activities, and cruises. They target multiple user profiles and demographics with niche travel categories. Expedia Rewards offers members lower prices on select hotels, points to save on bookings, and more travel benefits. The company began operations in 1996 as a division of Microsoft, which would surprise most people.
The Expedia affiliate program pays a 6 percent commission rate per sale.
- Commission rate: 6%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: Travelpayouts and CJ Affiliate
Momondo
Momondo is a travel search engine and comparison site mainly for flights but extends to stays, car rentals, activities, packages, and train reservations. Unlike standard travel websites, Momondo is mostly click-through that directs users to other websites to complete their purchases. Environmentally conscious users can search by CO2 emissions for more sustainable travel.
The Momondo affiliate program pays a commission rate of up to $0.55 per click.
- Commission rate: Up to $0.55
- Cookie duration: Session-based
- Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate
Orbitz
Orbitz has deals on stays, flights, cars, packages, activities, and cruises. On its homepage, it markets to the LGBTQ+ community. Last-minute deals, all-inclusive resorts, and flights under $199 are standard categories in its featured offers section. In addition, users can earn “Orbucks” on purchases and apply them to hotel bookings (with no blackout dates).
The Orbitz affiliate program pays a 5 percent commission rate per sale.
- Commission rate: Up to 5%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate
Priceline
Priceline offers discounts on hotels, cars, flights, and cruises. Its “Bundle + Save” allows users to combine two travel items for savings, for example, hotel and flight. Additionally, Priceline provides free cancellation on most flights, hotels, and car bookings.
Priceline VIP is a membership program offering exclusive discounts with four membership levels: Member, Blue, Gold, and Platinum. Moreover, the Priceline VIP Rewards Visa Card is a travel points card.
The Priceline affiliate program pays a 3 percent commission rate per sale.
- Commission rate: 3%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is a leading global travel search site providing instant online comparisons for flights, car rentals, and hotels. It checks 1,200 travel companies for data and pricing. Its ‘Greener choice’ label highlights flights that emit less CO2. Skyscanner sells travel insurance separately. Skyscanner pays a 50 percent commission rate.
The Skyscanner affiliate program pays a 50 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: Up to 50%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate
Trip.com
Trip specializes in hotels, flights, trains, cars, tours, tickets, and attractions. Users can earn and redeem “Trip Coins” to save instantly on bookings and access exclusive member-only deals. There are four membership levels: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
The Trip affiliate program pays a 7 percent commission rate per sale.
- Commission rate: Up to 7%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: In-house and Awin
Hotel & Motel Affiliate Programs
Agoda
Agoda is one of the fastest-growing online hotel booking platforms worldwide, listing hundreds of thousands of hotels. Agoda offers great discounts on vacation rentals, flights, and airport transfers.
The Agoda affiliate program pays a 7 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: Up to 7%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: Travelpayouts, ShareASale, and in-house
Best Western
Best Western operates hotels in 95 countries, each keeping an individual charm and local appeal.
The Best Western affiliate program pays a 3 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: 3%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate
Hostelworld
Hostelworld is a leading online travel agent focusing on the hostel market, inspiring adventurers to visit new places, meet new people, and return with extraordinary stories to tell.
The Hostelworld affiliate program pays a 40 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: Up to 40%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: Partnerize & Travelpayouts
Hotels.com
Hotels.com offers more than 1,000,000 properties in 200 countries, from hotels and B&Bs to condos and all-inclusive resorts.
The Hotels.com affiliate program pays a 4 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: Up to 4%
- Cookie duration: 7 days
- Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate
HotelsCombined
HotelsCombined looks for hotels and homes from the best travel sites worldwide in seconds. It gathers all the prices, availabilities, and rooms to enable users to filter and compare the best travel options and deals.
The HotelsCombined affiliate program pays up to a 50 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: Up to 50%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: Kayak Affiliate Network
Motel 6 & Studio 6
Motel 6 offers fantastic room rates at more than 1,100 locations throughout the United States and Canada.
The Motel 6 affiliate program pays up to a 6 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: Up to 6%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate
Sightseeing Affiliate Programs
Go City
Go City offers sightseeing passes for destinations around the globe, giving customers the freedom to do what they want and when they want whilst making incredible savings along the way. Their passes include bucket list attractions, top tours, and plenty of hidden gems, all handpicked by local experts.
The Go City affiliate program pays a 6%+ commission rate.
- Commission rate: 6%+
- Cookie duration: 90 days
- Affiliate software/network: Partnerize
GetYourGuide
GetYourGuide helps travelers find, compare, and book sightseeing tours, attractions, excursions, things to do, and fun activities from around the world.
The GetYourGuide affiliate program pays an 8 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: 8%
- Cookie duration: 31 days
- Affiliate software/network: Travelpayouts and in-house
Contiki
Contiki provides tours for 18-35s. It offers a mix of sightseeing and culture in over 40 countries across six continents.
The Contiki affiliate program pays a 5 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: 5%
- Cookie duration: 45 days
- Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate
Home Rental Affiliate Programs
Plum Guide
Plum Guide is building the definitive collection of the world’s most remarkable holiday homes. It picks only the top 3 percent of properties in any destination to ensure high-quality experiences for guests.
The Plum Guide affiliate program pays a commission rate of 7 percent per booking.
- Commission rate: 7%
- Cookie duration: 90 days
- Affiliate software/network: Partnerize
VBRO
VRBO is an online marketplace for vacation rentals with over 1 million properties in 190 countries.
The VBRO affiliate program pays a commission rate of $20 per booking.
- Commission rate: $20
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate
Car Rental Affiliate Programs
Discover Cars
Discover Cars makes renting a car easy by connecting customers globally with rental vehicles at affordable prices.
The Discover Cars affiliate program pays a 40 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: 40%
- Cookie duration: 365 days
- Affiliate software/network: Travelpayouts and ShareASale
Localrent.com
Localrent.com is an aggregator of car rental companies for Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Montenegro, Thailand, and seven other countries. In addition, it works with local car suppliers to offer unique selections.
The Localrent.com affiliate program pays a 50 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: Up to 50%
- Cookie duration: Up to 60 days
- Affiliate software/network: Travelpayouts and in-house
RentalCars.com
RentalCars.com is the world’s largest platform for making online car rental reservations.
The RentalCars affiliate program pays a 6 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: Up to 6%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: Travelpayouts and CJ Affiliate
Note: Alamo, Avis, Budget, National, and Thrifty have affiliate programs that pay up to 4 percent.
Other Travel Affiliate Programs
Travelpayouts Network
Travelpayouts is the largest travel affiliate network, and affiliates can join travel-related affiliate programs, such as Booking.com, GetYourGuide, Discover Cars, and more. With Travelpayouts, you can manage all your programs from a single dashboard and streamline commission payments.
The Travelpayouts network pays a 50 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: Up to 50%
- Cookie duration: Avg of 30 days
- Programs in the network: 90+
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises allows you to be in awe of the world again. Take a cruise to the Caribbean, Alaska, and Europe, and return refreshed.
The Princess Cruises affiliate program pays a 4 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: 4%
- Cookie duration: 60 days
- Affiliate software/network: Awin
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean International is a leading cruise holiday company with 22 ships sailing to over 240 ports worldwide.
The Royal Caribbean affiliate program pays a 4 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: 4%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: TradeDoubler
SafetyWing
SafetyWing is building the first global safety net for remote-first companies, online freelancers, entrepreneurs, and digital nomads. Also, it offers travel and comprehensive health insurance at affordable prices.
The SafetyWing affiliate programs (Nomad Insurance and Remote Health) pay a 20 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: Up to 20%
- Cookie duration: 364 days
- Affiliate software/network: In-house
Groupon
Groupon features daily deals on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in various cities across the United States and the world.
The Groupon affiliate program pays a 10 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: Up to 10%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: In-house
SeaWorld
SeaWorld is a leading theme park and entertainment company providing experiences that matter and inspire.
The SeaWorld affiliate program pays a 4 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: 4%
- Cookie duration: One day
- Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate
Travel Guard
Travel Guard is America’s leading travel security company providing insurance, assistance, and emergency services for millions of travelers and companies worldwide.
The Travel Guard affiliate program pays a commission rate of $2 per lead.
- Commission rate: $2
- Cookie duration: 45 days
- Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is a leader in user-generated content and price comparisons. TripAdvisor offers online hotel reservations and bookings for transportation, lodging, travel experiences, and restaurants. User reviews are another feature of TripAdvisor, helping travelers plan their itineraries.
The TripAdvisor affiliate program pays a 50 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: 50%
- Cookie duration: 14 days
- Affiliate software/network: Travelpayouts, Awin, and CJ Affiliate
Walt Disney
Walt Disney World is a dream holiday destination for all ages, including families and adults. Walt Disney World features theme parks, rides, attractions, cartoon characters, food, and fun.
The Walt Disney affiliate program pays a 3 percent commission rate.
- Commission rate: 3%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Affiliate software/network: CJ Affiliate
Your Next Move
There are hundreds of travel affiliate programs, from luxury to adventure niches. I’ve done my best to provide you with the top ones based on their earnings per click (EPC) and website rankings. I recommend sifting through what’s available and promoting companies and products/services you use frequently. In my case, that would be Priceline and LATAM Airlines.
Booking Holdings and Expedia Group are two of the most prominent players in the online travel agency (OTA) and booking industry. Booking Holdings brands include Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, Kayak, Cheapflights.com, HotelsCombined.com, Rentalcars, Momondo, and OpenTable.
Expedia Group brands include Expedia, VRBO, Hotels.com, Hotwire, Orbitz, Travelocity, Trivago, and CarRentals. Furthermore, almost all those websites have affiliate programs.
Trip.com is China’s largest online travel company and owns Skyscanner and other Chinese travel websites.
Airbnb is a market leader for accommodations and activities. However, it has since retired its affiliate and referral programs.
You can promote goods in related categories, including books, magazines, courses, dating, relationships, entertainment, food, health, wellness, lifestyle, and personal finance. For instance, a post entitled, How to Send Money to Your Family While Traveling, could include an affiliate link to Wise. Wise helps people hold, save, transfer, and spend currencies at interbank exchange rates and low fees. It’s a product I frequently use as a globetrotter and digital nomad.
