We at Fora are the biggest cheerleaders for hotels and industry partners, and we’re firm believers that the best way to book travel is through an actual person, who provides a personalized, thoughtful, tailored and professional experience.
Our approach is different from the industry standard. We’re focused on building a platform that supports all travel advisors, providing them with ongoing training, an inclusive community and seamless tech tools that makes their job easier and more fulfilling. In fact, we were just featured in Condé Nast’s Bright Ideas in Travel list as one of 56 companies ushering in bold new concepts to move the industry into the future.
We have a deep love and respect for the travel advisor industry — solidified over decades of experiences as travel advisors ourselves — and everything we do is rooted in helping our travel advisors and industry partners succeed. We strongly believe in community over competition. We all have each other’s backs.
Read on for some FAQs about Fora’s travel agency approach, our training program for advisors and our vision for the future of the travel advisory industry.
What type of person can become a Fora Advisor?
Fora Advisors are the go-to people for travel tips. They’re the moonlighting tastemaker of the group, the do-it-all mom with the best hotel recs, the globetrotting co-worker with epic taste in restaurants… We help them transform their travel expertise into a meaningful career by providing them with training, integrative tech tools and support.
Why does the team at Fora hate the word “hobbyist”?
To be frank, we’re a little offended by the term ‘hobbyist.’ Our Fora Advisors are dedicated travel entrepreneurs who are committed to scaling their businesses, whether as a part-time or full-time endeavor. They are passionate and professional.
However, unlike traditional agencies, our training and selection criteria are geared toward meeting advisors where they are in their lives. We don't require our advisors to quit their day jobs and invest upfront in expensive training programs. Instead, we help them build a thriving business they love, on their own terms.
By providing a flexible and accessible approach, we’re diversifying the space, plus introducing new demand to the industry.
What is the process like to become a Fora Advisor?
We provide our community with ongoing training, resources, mentorship and tech tools to help them kickstart & continue their career in travel.
To become a Fora Advisor, sign up for our waitlist, and you’ll be sent an application via email. Candidates share more about their experience and background, and our team reviews and onboards advisors following a screening process (more on that below).
In the meantime, check out our guide on how to turn your passion for travel into $$$
What training do Fora Advisors receive?
Once they join, Fora Advisors are part of an asynchronous training curriculum consisting of hundreds of hours of training resources within our travel advisor Portal, all created by our in-house team and in partnership with suppliers. Within this curriculum, there are also numerous opportunities to attend live webinars, office-hour sessions, workshops and more.
Do Fora Advisors get free stays at hotels?
We explicitly do not allow new advisors to request free or discounted stays at hotels, or to participate in FAMs (familiarization trips). Suppliers run all invites of this nature by our HQ team, so we can assign the advisors we know are a good fit for the properties and have shown excellence in sales. We limit the amount of logins to Virtuoso Travel, Four Seasons Preferred, Dorchester Diamond Club, Rosewood Elite and our other preferred partners to those who have met sales and training goals.
What resources & support do Fora Advisors receive?
Our Fora Advisors gain access to our library of resources & training materials. They attend weekly live training sessions, and get hands-on mentorship from industry leaders.
Additionally, all of our advisors are invited to our community app, Forum, an active and supportive space dedicated to community, collaboration and helpful advice.
We also have business tools that make a travel advisor’s job easier, like marketing assets and templates, as well as in-house commission tracking and invoicing services.
What is Fora’s mission?
Booking travel through a travel advisor is the best way to book travel. We’re building a travel advisor industry that’s a win/win/win for everyone:
For advisors and entrepreneurs, you deserve a modern, fully-integrated platform with business tools that enable you to grow your business and operate in an efficient and rewarding way.
For travel providers, you deserve to rise above a travel meritocracy wherein your business is being undercut by direct-to-consumer marketing or the OTA game. You deserve high-quality customers and insightful data at scale. You deserve cheerleaders for your business.
For consumers, you deserve better trips and better value than what would be possible from a DIY approach: a truly personalized trip, curated by a professional who gets you.
Read more about our mission in our co-founder’s article on A Better Equation in Travel.
