Travel Agent Side Hustle Promoted by Influencers Draws Fee Criticism

A travel agent side hustle aggressively promoted by social media influencers and minor celebrities is drawing criticism from participants who say the program generates little to no income while charging recurring fees, according to a report by The Guardian.

The business model involves PlanNet Marketing, a company that recruits independent travel agents to work alongside a separate US-based firm called InteleTravel. Influencers promoting the arrangement have used aspirational language on social platforms, promising followers the ability to earn money while traveling. One content creator, Yasmin Hadlow — who later appeared on the reality series Love Island — urged viewers to message her the word "freedom" to get started, framing the opportunity as financial liberation.

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Former Geordie Shore cast member Vicky Pattison is among the other public figures identified as having promoted the program. Critics of such arrangements argue that the recruitment-focused structure, combined with upfront and ongoing fees paid by participants, raises questions about where the primary revenue actually originates — from travel sales or from signing up new recruits.

Participants interviewed for the investigation described underwhelming financial results. "I was making no money," one person reportedly said, capturing a sentiment echoed by others who had been drawn in by the promise of flexible, travel-adjacent income. The gap between influencer-driven recruitment pitches and the lived experience of participants has intensified scrutiny of how such programs are marketed to younger, social-media-savvy audiences.

The report adds to a broader conversation in the UK and US about the responsibilities influencers bear when endorsing income opportunity schemes to their followers, particularly when fees are involved and earnings are not guaranteed. Continue reading at Business | The Guardian.