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The Work at Home Wife

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Work-From-Home Travel Agent: 30 Work-at-Home Travel Jobs to Consider

December 21, 2021

Here’s my theory: there are two types of people. One type loves going on vacation and derives the most enjoyment from being on vacation. The other type loves the planning part as much as — if not more than — the vacation itself.

If you’re one of the vacation planning enthusiasts, you might have thought about being a travel agent. Travel agents are one of the more “old school” at-home workers, and it’s a proven industry that just gets more and better suited to remote work as time goes on, internet tools get developed, and even the most remote parts of the world begin to get online.

So, if you’re the person in your family who just revels in putting together the perfect itinerary for your upcoming trip, if you know all the deal sites, travel hacks, and best ways to see the world, then maybe being an at-home travel agent is the perfect job for you! Let’s take a closer look at this gig.

Why Be an At-Home Travel Agent

In addition, the overall industry of at-home travel agent work has a lot of options. You can choose to work for a company in a more traditional employment arrangement, or pick something that’s much more entrepreneurial in nature and take on a lot of the benefits and responsibilities of freelancing.

When I spoke with Andrea Joyce, an independent vacation specialist with Cruises Inc ., I asked her why she wanted to be an at-home travel agent. Here’s what she told me:

My motivation was 15 years ago when I wanted to find a way to help provide for my family and be a stay at home mother. This job has provided me with flexibility to be there for my children when they need me, to travel, to help people put together their dream vacation, as well as providing me with the income I need.”

She really hit the nail on the head for why this type of work-at-home arrangement is so fantastic. You’re making a huge difference in the lives of your clients and customers to help them plan their ideal vacations, and you’re making a huge difference for yourself and your family by bringing in extra income from home.

As you think about becoming an work-from home travel agent, think about how much flexibility you want for your “time on” and how much you’re willing to do your own marketing — greater flexibility often comes with the need for greater marketing efforts. Just remember — marketing is something that can be learned, and most organizations that set you up to be your own independent business will also offer marketing training and resources.

If you’re an enthusiast of a particular type of vacation, or a specific location, you can put your enthusiasm and expertise to work for you. It truly is what you make of it.

Do I Work for Myself or for a Company?

As a travel agent, you can work with an agency, create your own agency, or “go big” and work for a corporation. Many travel agent jobs with major corporations will look a bit more like customer service, with set schedules and whatnot. They might not be as flexible as you’d like, but you also have the benefit of joining a well-established company.

For example, if you want to be a travel planner for a cruise line, you may need to be available by phone for customer service operations. On the other hand, if you’re part of a boutique cruise-planning agency, you might be able to have extreme flexibility as long as you’re able to be response (and take the occasional daytime call when necessary).

You can learn more about host agencies and get a feel for the right approach to you by visiting Host Agency Reviews . This site really gives you a good overview of “the lay of the land” so you can understand a bit more about how travel agencies are structured, and get a feel for where you think you might fit best.

Types of Companies That Hire Remote Agents

If you want to work from home as a travel agent, you’ve got all kinds of options. Quite a few companies and industries are hiring work-at-home travel agents, so with a bit of patience, you can find something absolutely perfect for you. You can also try a few different types of remote travel agent positions over time, once you know the lay of the land a little better.

Some of the most commonly known ways to work from home as a travel agent are with these companies:

• Cruises — Companies like Cruise.com and Cruises Inc. hire at-home agents to help customers book their dream cruises, shore activities, and more.
• American Express Travel Counselors — One of the concierge services that American Express offers its customers is the travel counselor. These at-home agents are available 24/7 to help with booking travel arrangements, event tickets, and more. It’s a high-end service and does require some background in travel agency.
• Red Butler — This opportunity is particularly interesting. Red Butler offers all kinds of virtual services for their customers, and it isn’t a travel-specific agency but it does have a travel-specific arm.
• Various Disney-oriented organizations like Travel with the Magic . Many of these are commission-based, and you receive a portion of the booking fee for every booking you make. If you’re a Disney enthusiast, helping other people plan their dream Disney vacation is a great way to make money online!
• Carnival Cruise Lines
• Working Solutions
• World Travel Holdings
• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Holland America Line
• Norwegian Cruise Lines
• Princess Cruises
• Shanty Creek Resorts
• Travel Leaders Group
• Best Western
• Hotel Tonight
• Omni Hotels
• Starwood Hotels & Resorts
• ACTIVE Network
• Carlson Wagonlit

How Flexible Are the Hours?

The flexibility you have comes down to which company you join and what type of role you’re taking on. There are two basic approaches to working from home as a travel agent. One is to take a role with a set payment of some sort, like a salary or an hourly rate. These will be a traditional employment model, except you’d be working from home instead of at the office.

The other way to be a travel agent is to look for an agency that hires agents on commission. As a commissioned travel agent, you’ll be able to take charge of your work to a much larger extent. You’ll be set up as a contractor and given access to the company’s resources, including things like software and leads.

As a commission-based contractor, your income would be tied to the amount of work you take on. You can work full-time hours 9-5, you can work evenings while your kids are asleep, or you can just book a trip here and there when you want some extra income.

The approach with this type of work-at-home setup looks more like running your own business, which offers you a lot more flexibility but also requires a bit more self-direction. (That said, your agency should offer lots of resources available to you to succeed. You won’t truly be on your own!)

What You’ll Need to Get Started

Some remote travel agent jobs — like the one with American Express — will require prior travel agent experience. Others are completely open to entry-level travel agents, which means you’ve got great opportunities no matter what your experience level is.

It’s extremely helpful to have your own travel experience under your belt so you can understand not only what it’s like to plan a vacation like the ones you’re selling, but also what it’s like to be on one. You can make recommendations based on personal experience, which your clients will find very helpful. I’m not saying you need to start taking mega vacations all the time to be successful as a travel agent — just that it’s helpful if you’ve got your own experiences to lean on.

Logistics-wise, you’ll need to have some sort of home office set up . Some positions will require specific technology (like a certain Internet speed or even a separate phone line), while others will let you conduct your working hours whenever and however you want.

What Are the Resume and Experience Requirements for Being a Travel Agent?

You don’t need special education or a degree to be a travel agent. That’s one of the great things about this line of work! The most important thing you need to be a great travel agent is an enthusiasm for helping people plan great vacations. That said, you might come across some job descriptions with specific requirements and such, like any traditional job description might have.

Most travel-related businesses that are hiring travel agents will be looking for experience either as a customer service representative or in the travel industry. It will also benefit you if you can show experience working from home. If you’ve never had the job title of Customer Service but you’ve had a role that involves dealing with the general public, you can certainly position that experience as relevant.

Many travel agent opportunities, however, will be looking more for your enthusiasm and experience planning trips than they will a specific work history. If you’ve never had a job in your life but you go to Walt Disney World three times a year and you live and breathe “the mouse,” you’ll likely interview well with a Disney-oriented travel agency.

No matter what, you’ll need to be able to demonstrate administrative skills like organization, professional interaction with customers, and the ability to work within a budget. You’ll also need to have the skills and attributes that will make you successful working at home. These include things like being self-motivated (instead of having the presence of a boss to keep you accountable) and the ability to stay organized and meet deadlines. You might, depending on the role, also need to be willing to pull some unconventional hours here and there.

Finding Work-from-Home Travel Agent Work

Depending on what type of work you want to do, the way to find it may vary. One sure-fire thing to do is check the careers pages of the organizations you’re interested in joining.

You can also search the job boards — my favorite is FlexJobs — for remote travel agent work. Keep checking these regularly to see what kinds of opportunities come up and jump on them quickly.

Some at-home travel agent opportunities (like most of the Disney-oriented ones) let you join up any time, because instead of filling an opening like a traditional employee, you’re starting your own small company, almost like an affiliate or a franchise of a larger travel company.

One thing to keep in mind with these opportunities is that there is sometimes a cost to get started. If you’re working for a traditional company, with a traditionally structured job, don’t expect to pay startup fees (aside from getting your home office up and running). But some travel agent companies will require a joining fee and/or fees for the mandatory training you’ll need. It’s commonly said that any work-at-home job that requires you to pay money to join is a scam… and while this is typically true and good advice, some of the at-home travel agent jobs you’ll find will be perfectly legitimate. As always, do your own research.

Are There Any Work-at-Home Travel Agency Scams?

As there are in nearly every profession, there is a common scam going around that tries to trap people looking for at-home work as travel agents. It’s a variation of the all-too-common check-cashing scheme.

Avoid being taken in by scammers by looking for any kind of payment arrangement that involves you receiving legitimate money from your clients and then turning around and sending a portion of that money via wire transfer to someone in another country. That’s a clear red flag that you’re being scammed.

That said, there will be time when start-up fees are required and legitimate. If you’re going to be an employment-based travel agent, your employer will most likely cover the costs of starting up your home office. But if you’re joining an agency that’s hiring you as a contract worker (and you’re therefore technically starting your own business,) you might have some start-up fees for things like insurance and special training (which is common for Disney-focused travel agents in particular).

Have you ever thought about working from home as a travel agent? I think it looks exciting, and it’d be fun to learn about all the different destinations and approaches people want with their vacations.

About Angie Nelson

Angie Nelson began working from home in 2007 when she figured out how to take her future into her own hands and escape the corporate cubicle farm. Angie’s goal is sharing her passion for home business, personal finance, telecommuting, and entrepreneurship, and her work has been featured on Recruiter, FlexJobs and Business News Daily.

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10 job opportunities in Russia for foreigners

Back in the good old days (that is, before sanctions hit Russia in 2014), the country welcomed foreign professionals with open hands - offering high wages, big bonuses, and senior positions. Chemical production, metallurgy, and pharmaceutics - opportunities were open in a range of innovative industries with a lack of specialists, explains Maria Ignatova, head of research at HeadHunter, Russia’s leading job-hunting website.

Since 2014 the demand for foreign candidates had considerably fallen (some recruiters say by six times) with businesses becoming more pragmatic and no longer prepared to sustain “expensive” foreigners whose salaries were often tied to the dollar or euro exchange rate.

Foreigners have also started to show less interest in Russia. According to Ignatova, this may be due to the negative impact of sanctions, which has warded off many potential investors from outside the country.

So what is the situation right now? If you look at the job-hunting websites you’ll see many options to choose from. While the majority of offers for foreigners are English teaching jobs, there are some ads from companies in other sectors. Media, corporate business, and IT also occasionally look for foreigners.

In many cases, the salaries are not specified but on average they start from around 40,000 rubles per month ($603) depending on the role. There are full-time and flexible hours options, suitable for those who don’t speak Russian and those who do.

From business managers to English teachers, here are 10 of the latest job ads we’ve found online. 

1.  Business Development Manager

Company : SAP

Location : Moscow 

Date posted : 06.12.18

Salary : Not specified

Description : SAP Innovative Business Solutions is looking for a business development manager (senior or expert level) with focus on digital supply chain solutions leveraging the latest technologies like machine learning, data science, and Internet of Things.

The candidate must have a strong consulting and sales/pre-sales background with proven experience around the SAP product portfolio. The candidate should have a very charismatic personality with superb presentation skills and fluent business Russian and English.

2. Publishing manager

Company : AD.ru

Location : Moscow

Date posted : 11.12.18

Description : International investment fund AD.ru is looking for a Publishing Manager with native Arabic or French language for its key in-house project ADNOW. The main aim of the role would be to establish contacts with relevant decision-makers, webmasters, and agencies to place ADNOW widgets on websites.

Knowledge of Russian isn’t among the requirements, but proficiency in English and outstanding communication skills are necessary. In return, the employer offers career prospects in a fast growing company with a young international team.

3.  Product Owner/Agile Business Analyst

Company : Renault

Date posted : 20.11.18

Description : Renault car manufacturer seeks a support product owner in building of Epics, User Stories, and its Acceptance Criterias with his digital expertise. The candidate should have at least two years of experience in Agile Products (especially Digital Products), be a team player with good communication skills, and have a good level of English.

Among the perks offered by the company are medical insurance, sports activities, car and parts discounts, special conditions on bank loans, and lunch subsidies.

4. Features Editor

Company : the_covert

Location: St. Petersburg

Salary : “Competitive”

Description : If you are an editor with advanced or native English skills this is the position for you. An international media company covering finance and fintech news is looking for an experienced candidate to join their editorial team taking care of liasing with authors, editing and writing articles, and participating in daily brainstorms. Among other things, the employer offers opportunities for career growth and travel and is open to discussing remote work options. 

5.  Translator/Style-editor  

Company : Interfax news agency

Date posted : 10.12.18

Salary : from 90,000 rubles ($1,354) per month

Description : Leading Moscow-based news agency seeks financial and business news translators and style editors as part of an ongoing recruitment campaign. Candidates must be fluent in English and proficient in Russian. All positions are in-house with fixed hours schedule. In return, you’ll be offered full visa support and holiday entitlement.

The majority of offers for foreigners are language teaching jobs.

6.  Online School Coordinator with Spanish

Company : ASD Technologies

Salary : from 70,000 rubles ($1,052) per month

Description : A software developer in the field of virtualization and storage in cloud environments is looking for a Spanish-speaking administrator for its affiliated project Novakidschool.com, an online-school for children six-12-years-old.

The candidate is expected to take charge of launching on the Spanish market and manage existing business activities (client support and promotions). The company offers official employment with flexible working hours (remote work is possible). Knowledge of Russian is not necessary. 

7. Preschool English teacher

Company : Discovery English Preschool

Salary : 130,000-150,000 rubles ($1,956-2,275) per month 

Description : Discovery English Preschool is looking for a talented English-native preschool teacher. This full-time role will entail not only planning and conducting lessons but also leading activities to promote kids’ physical, mental, and social development, evaluating their behavior, and giving feedback to supervisors and parents.

Candidates should have some experience in working with children (from three to six years old), preferably hold a Bachelor degree in psychology or education and/or TESOL, CELTA certificates. In return, the company is ready to assist in finding and arranging accommodation. 

8.  English Teacher  

Company : PILKI

Location : St. Petersburg

Salary : around 60,000-80,000 rubles ($903-1,204) per month 

Description :  PILKI beauty company needs a native English teacher for a four-year old child and/or adult. The list of requirements isn’t long: the candidate should have advanced communication and interpersonal skills, be a friendly, and hold a passport issued in the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, or New Zealand. The role is part-time with six-18 hours per week. 

9.  Native English Teacher (kindergarten, primary school)

Company : Moscow Economic School

Salary : from 170,000 rubles ($2,562)

Description : The Moscow Economic School seeks an experienced native English teacher to work with students of different levels for the next academic year. Among the requirements - native English, university-level education, some teaching experience, and a good sense of humor. If successful, the company is ready to help with relocation from another country and provide full academic support.

10.  English Teacher

Company : ALIBRA SCHOOL

Date posted : 08.12.2018

Description : ALIBRA SCHOOL offers a full-time position to an experienced native English speaking teacher prepared to give individual and group lessons as well as prepare students for international exams. The company offers work in a friendly and creative team with corporate events and opportunities to learn Russian.

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8 Great Jobs for People Who Like to Travel

Published: Jun 23, 2024 By Kate Johanns

Some of us possess wanderlust, which is a term with German origins. Quite literally, it means to have a lust for wandering. If you’re looking for a job that allows you to “see the world,” these career paths might be just the ticket.

1. Event planner

The hospitality industry—while rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic—is back, and someone has to plan those in-person conferences and events! An event planner helps companies design experiences that achieve strategic goals. For instance, they might plan training conferences, fundraising galas, or large meetings. The event planner needs to be able to translate a client’s ideas into a seamless, cost-effective event where attendees don’t have to think about logistics—and the planner likely will travel to do so, both for site visits and the actual events.

2. Tour guide

A wide range of tour guide jobs exist—but if you work for a company that arranges group tours, you’ll get to travel. Of course, being a tour guide means you’ll be facilitating others’ travel (which means dealing with their foibles), but you’ll likely enjoy special access to tourist sites, as well as make useful connections throughout the industry. You might be able to tack a few days on to the end of a trip.

3. Professor

Earning tenure as a professor is a highly stressful endeavor, but along the way you may be able to spend time in some interesting locations. Tenure-track professors attend many academic conferences, some of which take place abroad. They also have opportunities to teach in study abroad programs, particularly summer study abroad programs in which American professors travel with a group of students for short-term expat experiences.

4. ESL teacher

Almost 1.5 billion people speak English worldwide, and many opportunities exist for English as a second language (ESL) teachers to work in other countries. You’ll need a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate to secure a position teaching English to non-native speakers in other countries.

5. Travel nurse

Working as a travel nurse is one way to ensure you never get bored. As a travel nurse, you’ll work for a staffing agency as opposed to a specific physician or medical facility, and you’ll be placed based on need. You may find yourself securing licensure in a new state or even a new country. The good news is, if you don’t like one area of nursing, you’ll soon be on to new adventures. Travel nurses often have higher salaries than traditional RNs, but the costs of temporary housing may be greater, and your available benefits, such as health insurance, will vary by assignment and the time you take off in between.

6. Sales representative

A sales representative can expect to put in long hours on the road as they travel to visit clients, but if you like to meet new people, pursue competitive goals, and enjoy a high level of autonomy in your job, then it could be the right job for you. Typically, you’ll be assigned a territory or region to cover, so while you might not see the world, you’ll have the chance to get to know a particular area well.

7. Business consultant

If you have an MBA and work at a big consulting firm, it’s likely you’ll have the opportunity to travel and spend time meeting with clients to make presentations and do research. Of course, some of this travel has been curtailed with the ease of remote work, but you’ll still find opportunities to travel in search of client facetime.

A buyer is responsible for deciding what customers will want to purchase and securing that inventory. It’s a high-stress field—if you’re not on target with your trend-watching and can’t negotiate a good profit margin, you might not be long for the industry. But if you are successful, you’ll have the opportunity to go to market, meet with suppliers, and visit manufacturing facilities.

Now, if you really like traveling and want to go a step farther, you could consider finding a job as an expat.

Search for your next job now:

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Wealth of Geeks

9 Jobs That Can Be Done While Traveling

Posted: December 24, 2023 | Last updated: December 24, 2023

In a world of high-speed living and remote jobs, earning money anywhere is possible. Travel isn’t cheap. It costs a lot of money, and working in an office does not leave much time for leisure. If you are on vacation and have seen all there is to be seen, you may look for something else to pass the time.

Remote jobs don’t have to be boring. In fact, many of them are great options for earning free or discounted travel. You just have to know how to choose which of these travel jobs is right for you.

1. Blogging

Blogging while traveling is a great way to earn some money. Your office is wherever your laptop is, so you are never tied down to one place. This can help you travel the world with just a laptop and a bit of data, which you can always find in local cafes or restaurants . It’s even better if you do travel writing, so you can combine firsthand experience with creative writing that helps others plan their travels.

2. Vlogging

Similar to blogging, video blogging, also called “ vlogging ,” is a visual form of content. You can write blogs for your website but also work as a freelancer for other people’s websites. When it comes to vlogging, however, people usually vlog for their own channels. It takes more time to succeed but can also be more rewarding monetarily. All you need is a smartphone with a nice camera, or if you want to be fancy, a laptop with some video editing software like Adobe PremierePro or DaVinci Resolve.

3. Video Commercials

This one is both fun and rewarding. If you have a smartphone with a decent camera and invest in an excellent DJI drone, you can earn some nice money on your travels. Combine this with an investment in a decent laptop and a video editing course, and you have a recipe for success. When I was on vacation in Corfu , I discovered an opportunity with their beautiful beachfront Tavernas. I packed my drone, visited a few of them on foot, and offered them my services. I scored two jobs for filming a video ad and one logo redesign job, which made me a nice profit for less than a full day of work.

4. Singing and Playing an Instrument

Singing or playing an instrument is another excellent way to earn some surprisingly good money. If you are a good singer and can play an instrument, you can always play in the city center or other popular spots. Many great talents have been discovered performing in public this way. You can also offer your skills to local restaurants or lounges if they are in need of live music or other entertainment.

5. Haircuts for Tips

If you know how to cut hair, another great way to earn money is to offer free haircuts and keep profits from their tips if they decide to give you one. You only need hair clippers for this one, so you can be flexible and earn well in countries where haircuts are expensive. Pro tip : You can combine this with vlogging and use this as your content on your vlog to increase exposure.

6. Exposure for Businesses

This travel job is for those with a well-developed online business. If you already have a travel blog , you can always ask restaurant owners, bar owners, hotels, and others who provide services in tourism if they would like to collaborate on a promotion on your website. The business will get exposure to your audience, and you can negotiate payment or exchanges for that promotion, like a one-night hotel stay or a free meal.

7. Bartending

A good barista is always a much-needed part of the crew. If you know how to mix drinks or make a killer espresso, you can always offer your services to nightclubs or cafes and earn a decent wage, plus tips.

8. Temporary Tattoos or Hair Styling

Unlike the classic tattoo industry, where laws and regulations can tie up employment approval, temporary tattoos can be done anytime, anywhere, and do not fall under any laws and regulations. There is a low risk of infection with temporary tattoos or paints, unlike classic tattoos that are created by piercing the skin. Hair braiding or wrapping is popular at beach destinations and can also be done anytime, anywhere.

9. Working on a Cruise Ship

Working on a cruise ship is more permanent, but it still fits within the scope of travel jobs. There are numerous jobs that you can do on a cruise ship, and each of those offers some nice wages. Understandably, a captain makes much more than a cabin steward, but all employees receive benefits and gratuity. You can use the time between shifts to discover beautiful cities wherever you stop. 

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Money blog: Bar charges holidaymakers £690 for two drinks; savers have a rare opportunity - but it might be the last hurrah

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Leave a comment on any of the stories we're covering below.

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John Lewis is keeping its school uniform prices frozen for the fourth year running.

The department store chain also offers parents an online school uniform checklist to help prepare for the start of the new year.

It also offers a free shoe-fitting service, while some of its newer school uniform products released in the last three years have not seen a price rise.

John Lewis school uniform buyer Cydney Ball said: "Our customers trust us as the one-stop-shop for all things back to school."

Cineworld is drawing up plans to axe dozens of British cinemas as part of a radical restructuring that would also include extensive rent cuts.

Sky News has learned that the company, which until last year was listed on the London Stock Exchange, is considering closing about a quarter of its roughly-100 British multiplexes.

Cineworld also wants to renegotiate rent agreements at a further 50 sites, with the remaining 25 untouched by the restructuring.

Sources said the proposals were expected to be formally outlined to creditors including landlords in the coming weeks.

Read the full story here...

A safety charity has warned England fans against buying cheap electronics online amid a "blitz" of advertising.

Electrical Safety First is urging fans bombarded with ads for discounted goods "don't bring it home" in a new campaign to raise awareness of unregulated online marketplaces.

The charity have previously uncovered substandard and dangerous electrical products across major online marketplaces.

Examples of such include portable heaters posing a serious risk of electrocution, hair straighteners and hair dryers featuring illegal UK plugs and e-bike chargers that pose a fire risk.

"Football, and other global sporting events, are experiencing advertising blitzes by major online marketplaces across the globe, and at a time when millions of people are struggling with finances, we understand how appealing low-cost deals will be," said Electrical Safety First's chief executive Lesley Rudd.

"But it's important for fans to remember that they risk scoring an own goal if the deal they bag turns out to be a substandard or dangerous product.

"Substandard electronics can have serious consequences for your safety and an innocent purchase could put you and your family at risk."

The charity makes the following suggestions to consumers selecting electronics from online marketplaces:

• Pay attention to the plug - if a product is listed with a foreign plug and travel adaptor, do not buy it.
• Do not buy on price alone - not all bargains are worth it
• Make sure you do your homework if you decide to buy products below high street retail prices.
• Beware of a product with solely glowing reviews, especially if the reviewers are not verified.
• Make sure you know where the supplier is based - a "co.uk" URL doesn't guarantee the website is UK-based.
• If there is no address supplied, or there is just a PO Box, be wary; many dodgy electrical goods are manufactured overseas.
• Look for websites that allow you to pay safely – these have a padlock symbol in the address bar of the website you are visiting. If you cannot see it, do not enter your payment details.

Consumer spending on car purchases has risen three times faster than for public transport journeys, new figures show.

Around £57.4bn was spent in the UK on new and used cars in 2023, up 6% on five years earlier, according to AA analysis of Office for National Statistics data.

By comparison, consumer spending on public transport - including rail, buses, flights and taxis - was £60.9bn, representing a 2% increase on five years ago.

AA head of roads policy Jack Cousens claimed the figures highlight how vital motoring was for people in the UK, as well as the country's finances.

He said: "These latest ONS figures underline the UK's reliance on cars and the huge amounts of money they generate for the economy - not to mention VAT on that spending, and other tax.

"Cars are not just necessary but essential on so many levels. Even if a significant amount of car use was transformed into take-up of public transport, the impact on the economy and other income generation would be dramatic.

"Just think how much councils would lose if a high percentage of cars stopped turning up to their car parks or needing parking permits, and getting fined.

"The key question is whether what consumers spend on cars would translate into income for public transport and cover the cost of infrastructure investment to enable that.

"It seems that getting travelling consumers to fork out for their own transport and its maintenance, and then tax the heck out of them, is a pretty good deal for the public purse."

Running a car also accounted for a large chunk of the £78.6bn spent on what is described as the operation of personal transport, with spending on fuel and lubricants up 20% since 2018 to £41.7bn.

New car purchases down

But despite the fact more consumers are spending money on cars than on public transport, the number of purchases of new cars by private buyers has declined for nine months in a row, new figures show.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said 67,625 new cars were registered by private consumers in June, down 15.3% from 79,798 during the same month last year.

Ian Plummer, commercial director at Auto Trader, said: "With average new car prices rising almost 40% over the last five years, it's clear cost is the culprit.

"Manufacturers are responding with discounts but they're failing to keep pace, which is forcing many buyers to opt for a used alternative.

"Whoever forms the next government needs to address electric car affordability and provide long-term stability for the market."

Environmental impact

Despite comments from the AA, the billions of pounds spent by consumers every year on cars is having a clear effect on UK roads - where overall traffic levels in 2023 were 2.2% higher than the previous year.

More cars on the roads means more air pollution, which is among the biggest environmental health risks facing people in the UK.

Burning petrol and diesel fuel creates harmful by products like nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, while vehicles emit carbon dioxide, the most common human-caused greenhouse gas.

Even electric vehicles produce particulate matter from the friction between their tyres and the road.

Researchers from University College London estimated that 48,625 adults die prematurely each year in the UK due to particulate matter pollution. 

Presently, 79% of the UK exceeds the World Health Organization's (WHO) annual mean guideline for safe fine particulate matter levels. 

A Greek restaurant has faced criticism for its "rip off" prices.

Holidaymakers have been warned to stay away from DK Oyster on the popular holiday island of Mykonos, which has received swathes of bad reviews on  Tripadvisor .

The restaurant, which describes itself as being an "oasis of ultimate luxury and extravagance", has an average star rating of two on the website - although, in the interests of balance, it has 4.8 on Google reviews.  

Angry punters say they were lured into buying a drink at DK Oyster after being told the sunbeds were free, only for the prices for those drinks to be sky-high.

Among the latest to complain is Lori E, who said she returned home from her Greek holiday to see a charge of $876 (£690) for two drinks.

She wrote: "Total rip off! Make sure you get a receipt before leaving and check your credit card because they over charge. 

"Was told beds were free to sit it if we order food or drink. No problem....ordered 2 drinks which we afterwards saw were 51 euros each. 

"If that wasn't crazy enough we returned to the states and had a $876 charge on our account. FOR 2 DRINKS!!!"

The tourists are now trying to dispute the charge with their credit card company after never receiving a paper copy of a receipt.

Responding to the Tripadvisor review, DK Oyser said: "Our sunbeds come with minimum consumption, so we encourage all visitors to check the menus, before placing their orders. 

"I would like to note that our menus are displayed on blackboards near the entrance, showing the prices of our food and drinks to keep our guests informed."

Other reviews claim DK Oyser charged them £253 for sea bass and £100 for a jumbo shrimp that "wasn't cooked properly".

DK Oyster has been contacted for comment.

Iceland is set to partner with parenting website Mumsnet to launch a range of children's products.

Mumsnet CEO Justine Roberts, and the brand's partnership director Sarah Murray-Muncila, met with members of Iceland's innovation team last week to work on the products.

According to The Grocer , the new products will hit the stores in early 2025.

"We've been working on something truly special in partnership with Iceland Foods," Mumsnet said.

"Big things are happening for little ones."

Iceland has launched several new collaborations in recent months, including exclusive products with brands such as Slimming World, MyProtein and boxer Tyson Fury's Furocity.

It's not just a big day in the UK with voters heading to the polls but also in the US with 4 July celebrations taking place.

And there's plenty to celebrate for those with a stake in US stocks. 

Last night, there was another record high for the S&P 500 index that tracks the share price performance of the 500 largest companies listed on US stock exchanges.

The performance of companies on the tech firm-heavy New York-based NASDAQ too reached a new high.

It came as Elon Musk's Tesla saw its share price reaching a six-month high, along with the rise and rise of trillion-dollar AI microchip maker Nvidia.

Today and tomorrow will likely be quieter as the US markets close. 

In the UK, both the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100 and 250 indexes are up - 0.76% in the list of 100 most valuable companies and 0.42% in the 101st to 250th most valued firms. 

While the pound does by buy less euro than it did earlier this month, with £1 equal to €1.18 it's still buying more than during most of the last year.

Against the dollar, sterling has held the gains of the last few weeks and a pound will get you $1.2749. 

There is no let up for motorists as the oil price is sticking around the two-month high mark. A barrel of the benchmark Brent crude oil costs $86.59.

As house prices continue to rise, so too does the age at which young people can expect to own their own home. 

Unfortunately, even the ceiling of the term "young people" isn't far off from being challenged - with fresh research suggesting that the average age of a first-time buyer in the UK is 33 years and 8 months old, according to Mojo Mortgages . 

In comparison, in 1960, the average first-time buyer was 23 years old, according to separate research by Keepmoat Homes. 

Comparatively, however, the average age of a first-time buyer in 2014 was 32 years, 6 months old, according to the Office for National Statistics. 

During the same period, the average price of a house in the UK rose from around £188,000 (January 2014) to £282,000  ( January this year). 

Back to today's figures - and those in Wales are able to buy their homes the youngest, with the data suggesting the average first-time buyer there is 31 years old. 

Naturally, the older you buy a home, the later in life you'll pay off a mortgage. 

With an average mortgage length of 30 years, it seems the average UK first-time buyer isn't expected to be mortgage-free until they are 63 years and 8 months old.

And if you live in the capital, you'll surpass the current retirement age at 66 years, 8 months. 

Here's a full breakdown of how old first-time buyers are, the average mortgage length and age they can expect to be mortgage-free by region... 

A lot of people have had to renegotiate or extend their mortgages thanks to soaring interest rates in recent years - and the data from Mojo tells us a little about that too.

The study found extending your mortgage term by 10 years (to 35 years) will cost today's average first-time buyer an extra £110,640, which may impact later life planning and their pension.

Barclaycard is cutting the minimum amount its customers have to repay each month.

While the move may sound like good news on the surface, it could well mean you're in debt for longer and end up paying more interest. 

At the moment, most Barclaycard customers have a minimum repayment of 3.75% of their balance, 2.5% of their balance plus interest, or £5. 

But, from 22 July, that will change to the highest amount out of: 

• 1% of their balance
• 1% of their balance plus interest

This means if you are currently only paying the minimum on your card, you'll likely repay less each month. 

But, minimum amounts are designed to keep people in debt for as long as possible, and lowering them just makes this period even longer.

MoneySavingExpert says the change means it could now take a customer with a £1,000 debt an extra decade to pay it off, if they only pay the minimum amount.

On average, it says it will take 19 years and three months to clear and the interest will total £1,655. 

Founder of MoneySavingExpert Martin Lewis says the change is "worryingly under the radar" and urged customers to check if their repayments are set to the minimum amount.

"Minimum repayments have always been credit card firms' secret weapon. Letting people repay little looks appealing – hence why Barclaycard says this is about 'flexibility'. Yet it takes flexibility to kick your own backside, and this will hurt some just as much," he said.

A Barclays spokesperson told Sky News: "We regularly review our products and from July, some Barclaycard customers will see changes to their minimum monthly payments, alongside adjustments to the APR.

"Customers will benefit from a reduction in their minimum monthly repayment and the vast majority have no change to APR, while some will receive a decrease.

"We have made these changes to increase flexibility for our customers and have been clear in our communications that paying more than the minimum can help customers clear their balance sooner and pay less interest." 

Marks and Spencer is to launch a clothing repair service next month.

The retail giant has teamed up with clothing repair and alterations experts SOJO, which was founded in 2021 by Josephine Philips, to give clothes "another life".

From August, M&S customers will be able to book a bespoke repair service through a new online hub, "M&S Fixed by SOJO".

Repairs will start from £5 and be carried out by SOJO's in-house repair team.

The items will then be returned directly to the customer's doorstep within seven to 10 days.  

Richard Price, managing director of clothing and home at M&S, said: "Through the launch of our repair service, we're making it even easier for customers to give their clothes another life, whether they are using our new repair service or long-standing clothes recycling scheme."

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