We’ve sold travel products that also fall into other categories. These include beauty, pets, and games. Selling travel products has taught us a lot about the niche.
In this article, we’ll share everything we’ve learned about dropshipping travel products, including the following:
- Are Travel Products a Good Dropshipping Niche?
- What are the Risks of Dropshipping Travel Products?
- Travel Product Recommendations
- Travel Products to Avoid
- Finding the Best Dropshipping Suppliers for Travel Products
- Best Places to Find Suppliers
- Successful Dropshipping Travel Stores
- Dropshipping Travel Products Throughout the World
Continue reading to decide if travel products are the right dropshipping niche for you.
Key Takeaways
- Look for versatile travel products that also sit within other niches or categories due to the seasonal risks.
- Avoid selling any kind of medication, suncream, or other products that might be subject to strict regulations.
- Contact travel influencers to help promote your products.
Are Travel Products a Good Dropshipping Niche?
Yes, Google Trends shows the constant demand for travel products.
It also shows the increase in interest since the beginning of 2022. We assume this directly relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and the relaxation of travel restrictions worldwide.
However, even during the pandemic, Google Trends shows consumers worldwide were still searching for travel products.
This shows the diversity of the niche and suggests that travel products are also purchased for reasons other than travel.
Demand
As we’ve seen, Google Trends shows the demand for travel products.
Marketplaces like Amazon also often have travel-related products in their best-selling lists.
We always look for products in demand for dropshipping. This is because the more people looking for travel products, the more likely you are to sell them.
Product Variety
Travel is a broad niche, and travel-related products often fall into other categories and niches.
For example, the following products:
- Travel Backpack - Yes, this is a travel product, but it’s also a bag. People who aren’t necessarily traveling might still purchase the bag for school, college, work, or any other reason.
- Makeup Bag - A makeup bag can be used for travel, but it can also be used every day and be sold in the beauty niche.
- Eye Mask or Noise Canceling Earbuds - Both of these products are commonly used on planes for travel. However, people also purchase them for day-to-day use.
- Vacuum Pack Bags - These are great for condensing your clothes in your suitcase. But vacuum pack bags have other uses, like storing bedding and seasonal clothes or moving home.
The category overlaps can be great for marketing your products. You can create ads for traveling and also for other categories.
Blogging and Social Media
Travel blogging and travel Instagram and TikToks are incredibly popular. The content has high engagement with millions of views.
This can be great for advertising and getting your products out there.
You can contact influencers and bloggers to see if they are interested in collaborating.
What are the Risks of Dropshipping Travel Products?
Changing airline rules and season products are the main risks of dropshipping travel products.
However, there are ways to avoid these issues. Neither of these risks would make us avoid the niche.
Seasonality
Travel can be seasonal.
Seasonal products only sell at certain times of the year. This means that your sales can fluctuate. It can also be challenging to manage marketing campaigns for seasonal products.
Leisure travel is often dictated by school breaks.
Although, if you’re selling in several countries, you might be able to avoid these issues. E.g. In the US and UK, spring and summer breaks are around June to September, and in Australia and New Zealand, spring and summer breaks are from December to February.
However, as we saw, so many travel products overlap into other categories. We would recommend choosing a travel product that also has other uses.
Airline Rules and Regulations
We all saw the trend of inflatable footrests for flights all over social media.
But many airlines stopped passengers from actually using these due to the safety risks.
Stores that sell this kind of product will risk losing sales. Customers are also likely to request refunds if they can’t use the products. This can lead to financial losses.
This risk also applies to products like carry-on luggage. Airlines can easily change the size of the bags that are accepted as carry-on.
Travel Products to Dropship - Our Top Recommendations
Using the Product Database tool, we’ve found a variety of products we think could be winners in the travel niche.
If you need more help finding travel products, we have an article all about How to Find Winning Products.
1. Travel Size Bottles
Most flights require passengers to carry less than 100ml of liquids.
Travel-size bottles are bottles under 100ml. You can decant your products into them in order to fly.
The small bottles also mean you don’t have to take full-size products on short trips.
You could sell the bottles with stickers to clearly show which each bottle has in it. E.g., Shampoo, Shower Gel, Conditioner, etc.
You could also sell the bottles with a clear TSA-approved toiletries bag. Or create a new kind of bottle. We’ve seen silicone and plastic options, along with pouches and pots.
It's quite a competitive product, and therefore, finding something that sets your product apart from the rest is vital.
2. Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are cases in which travelers can put their clothes.
They condense the clothes and make it easy to pack and organize your case.
You could pair the packing cubes with a laundry bag or shoe case to set your product apart. You could also sell them in a variety of colors or with other travel-related accessories.
As packing cubes are small and light, they’re cheap to ship. This can be good for your profit margin.
3. Folding and Light-Up Mirror
A folding and light-up mirror is exactly what it says it is. It is a small mirror designed to be portable. The folding case protects it during transit. Once open, the case acts as a stand, and the mirror lights up.
These kinds of mirrors provide good lighting for getting ready.
It is perfect for applying makeup and compact enough to travel with.
However, it doesn’t have to just be for travel. They can be used at home as well as taken on the go.
4. Electronic Travel Case
There are tons of gadgets that people travel with. These include laptops, headphones, portable game consoles, phones, cameras, etc.
All of these gadgets also have cases, chargers, batteries, and other accessories.
An electronics travel case is a storage solution for these products. You can sell ones with different compartments and sections to divide up and keep the gadgets safe.
As well as for travel, these cases are perfect for storing gadgets at home. For example, I keep all my electricals and chargers organized in a travel case even when I’m at home.
5. Phone or Tablet Holder
On short-haul or domestic flights, most airlines don’t have in-flight entertainment.
So, if you want to watch your phone or tablet on the plane, it can be difficult to make it stand up or balance in the right place.
You can sell a holder that’s designed to clip to the tray table or headrest compartment. The phone is then at the right height, and you don’t have to hold it during the flight.
You could sell an adjustable one to fit a variety of phones and tablets.
This kind of product is perfect to dropship as it will advertise well on social media.
It should be cheap to source and ship, as it’s small and light.
6. Camping or Travel Pillow
You could sell travel pillows in a variety of shapes. Including the traditional U-shape, a small regular pillow, a full neck pillow, or anything else you can think of.
Selling a travel pillow that can also be used to sleep on, rather than just for neck support, might increase your year-round sales.
A more versatile pillow could be marketed to campers, backpackers, or those who travel frequently and prefer to sleep on their own pillow.
7. Airline Approved Backpack
Some airlines have strict and specific size requirements for their carry-on bag size.
You could sell the perfect bag for a particular airline’s sizing requirements.
The bag could be more of a backpack, with various pockets for travel essentials, laptops, and water bottles. You could sell this not only as an airline bag but also as a regular backpack. This will make it less seasonal.
Or you could sell a tote-style bag that’s cheaper and thinner. Once packed, this bag could be the perfect size for that airline. This type of bag is likely to be more seasonal, but it will be considerably cheaper to source and ship.
Which Travel Products Should I Avoid Dropshipping?
The size, weight, and legal restrictions are the main reason we would avoid selling these particular travel products.
1. Suitcases
Suitcases are often large. The size makes them more expensive to ship, which can reduce your profits.
Larger products are also more prone to breaking in transit. This can result in refunds and returns.
There is also tons of competition from superstores, online marketplaces, and established travel companies.
There are ways around this if you want to sell suitcases.
You could use a trusted print-on-demand company, like Printify, to create custom cases. Custom suitcases often retail at a higher price. A trusted company should also eliminate the risk of damage during shipping.
3. Medical Products
We recommend avoiding any travel medical or beauty products, like medication, bug spray, sun cream, etc.
This is due to the legal requirements, certifications, and restrictions in place. There is also a high risk of injury to potential customers.
Avoid any kind of medical product. It’s not worth it. There are plenty of other travel products you could sell instead.
4. Power Adapter
Electricals and adapters can be complicated to sell. You might require certifications and need to adhere to certain regulations to sell them. The regulations can vary by country.
There are also potential safety risks. For this reason, we would stay away from electricals.
However, with the right professional help, it’s not impossible to dropship electricals.
We have an entire article with more information on Dropshipping Electronics if you want to check it out.
How to Find the Best Dropshipping Suppliers for Travel Products
Online marketplaces are the first place we look for a supplier.
Usually, these marketplaces will have several suppliers offering similar products. However, the quality, price, policies, and communication will vary.
Request samples from these suppliers to compare the quality of the products.
If you need help choosing your perfect supplier, you can ask the following questions:
- What is the cost per piece?
- Where will the products be shipped from?
- Is the supplier also the manufacturer?
- How much is the shipping?
- Which shipping courier do you use, and how long does it take?
- How long does it take between receiving the order and the product shipping?
- What are the return, refund, and warranty policies?
- Do you offer custom packaging?
- Can you provide images and videos of the product?
- Do you facilitate dropshipping? (including integrating with automation tools, not adding invoices, promotions, or other logos in the product packaging)
We’ve also written an entire article on What to Consider When You Choose a Supplier with everything you need to know.
Best Places to Find Travel Dropshipping Suppliers
- Printify
- AliExpress
- Dropship.io
- CJ Dropshipping
- Doba
1. Printify
Printify is the world's largest print-on-demand network.
You can choose a product from their catalog of over 800 items. An entire section of the catalog is dedicated to travel products. The travel section includes the following:
- Suitcases
- Travel Bags
- Pouches
- Travel Mugs
- Makeup Bags
- Passport Covers
- Luggage Covers
- Passport Wallet
- Luggage Tags
You can then add your own design to the products.
Printify integrates with the most popular e-commerce platforms, including Shopify. This means that you can instantly import your product designs to your website.
It also automates the order process. So when you receive an order, it will be sent to Printify, who will print, pack, and send your order directly to the customer.
Printify is perfect for dropshipping, as you only pay as your orders come in.
It is also great for beginners as they offer a free plan. As your store expands, you may need to upgrade your membership to a paid plan.
There are two paid plans available. These are Premium at $29 per month and Enterprise. Enterprise is a custom plan, and you would need to contact Printify directly for a price.
2. AliExpress
AliExpress is the go-to for dropshipping suppliers.
This is because it offers business-to-consumer (B2C) purchases, allowing you to order one piece at a time.
Suppliers will often integrate with dropshipping software, allowing you to import the items you want to sell straight to your store. You can also use tools to automate the fulfillment process. This ensures your customers have a smooth transaction and limits the risk of errors.
None of the suppliers on AliExpress are pre-vetted. This means the quality of the products and policies can vary greatly.
AliExpress has a review system, so you can see what other buyers' thoughts are on the seller.
We would also recommend requesting a sample of the product you want to sell to check the quality.
3. Dropship.io
One of the newest features on Dropship.io is the Suppliers directory.
This is a list of trusted suppliers that Dropship.io members can contact to source and ship their products.
As we pre-vet our suppliers, it ensures you’re working with reliable ones and increases your chance of success.
The supplier directory shows certain details of each supplier. Details include how many orders they ship, their location, how many warehouses they have, and a description of their business.
You can also contact them on Skype. Talking directly with your supplier enables you to make your own deals, negotiate your terms, and use your own secure payment gateway.
If you don’t have a Dropship.io membership, use the 7-day free trial to check it out.
4. CJDropshipping
CJDropshipping is a platform designed for dropshipping.
It is a one-stop solution for dropshippers. You can source your product and add it to your store in one click. Once you make a sale, CJDropshipping handles the fulfillment.
They also offer other services, including custom branding, quality inspection, and photo and video services.
CJDropshipping doesn’t have as many products available compared to AliExpress. So you might struggle to find the exact product you’re looking for. However, there is still a huge range.
The customer service is also rated highly. This can be invaluable if you have any issues.
5. Doba
Doba is a dropshipping platform that connects suppliers and sellers.
It is an easy-to-navigate platform, with new and trending products frequently added.
You can link your store with Doba and easily import new products. Doba then handles the storage, packing, and shipping of products.
Doba is a paid platform, meaning you need a subscription to use the platform. You also can’t view product prices without a subscription.
Subscriptions start at $24.99 per month for the Start-Up plan. With this plan, you have a monthly products export count of 30 and can add 30 products to your storefront.
After you’ve outgrown the limitations of the Start-Up plan, you will need to upgrade to the Business plan at $49.99 a month and then the Enterprise plan at $299.99 per month.
Successful Dropshipping Travel Product Stores
It’s hard to confirm whether a store is really successful as we will never know its exact costs or advertising expenses.
However, with the Sales Tracker tool, you can see the approximate sales of any Shopify travel store.
Click the graph icon on the right-hand side to find specific store metrics. Here, you will be able to see estimated revenue, total products sold, as well as the top-performing products in the store.
You can contact the supplier to determine whether a product is profitable. Once you have the product’s price, you can deduct it from the sales data.
You can also see any active and expired advertising campaigns.
We’ve used the Sales Tracker to investigate the following three travel stores in-depth.
1. TRTL Travel
TRTL Travel specializes in travel pillows. They sell four varieties. These include the original, cool, extra comfort, and one for kids.
The Sales Tracker shows that the best-selling product is the original option.
However, more interestingly, we can see that the product with the second highest number of sales is the passport cover.
This product sold 1630 pieces between March 3rd and April 2nd, 2023.
This isn’t one of their featured or known products. It isn’t listed on their homepage, and using the Sales Tracker, we can see none of their ads focus on it.
However, on the checkout page, they have a list of ‘Featured Items,’ making it easy to add extra products to your cart.
You can use this kind of information to help increase sales in your store.
Simply add a few complimentary products as order bumps to your checkout, and you generate an extra $57,033.70 in a month, as TRTL Travel has.
2. MemoBottle
The memo bottle is a space-saving water bottle.
Its flat design makes it perfect for traveling. It can fit neatly in a bag like a laptop would.
The most popular products are the clear plastic bottles.
The next best-selling products are the bottle sleeves. These sleeves fit over the bottles to protect them and change the look.
They also sell alternative lids, which can easily be added to your basket when you select your bottle.
Adding complementary products to your store can dramatically increase revenue. These types of products can be interchanged, like phone cases, meaning users will often purchase more than one.
3. SlumberPod
SlumberPod sells tent-like products. The pods go over the top of cribs to help block out the light. They also sell a pet variation to go on top of crates.
Their best-selling product is the SlumberPod with Fan. This has made 859 sales and generated $171,791.41 in the last 30 days. We can see that the product was first created in July 2022. It is a bundle of two existing products; the original SlumberPod and a portable fan.
Bundling products is a great way to increase your revenue and offer customers a discount by ordering two or more products at once.
The next best-selling product is Route Package Protection. This package protection costs $4.15 on the SlumberPod.
This is added to the checkout automatically, and customers have to opt out of the protection.
At such a low price, buyers are prone to keep the insurance for guaranteed safe delivery. The Sales Tracker shows that 757 buyers have purchased the insurance with their pods.
This sneaky insurance add-on has generated Slumber Pod an additional $2,693.94 in the last 30 days.
Dropshipping Travel Products Throughout the World
The economy, cultural habits, annual holidays, festivals, and other factors will affect the market you’re selling in.
You can look at market data to find profitable products, estimate sales, and create marketing campaigns.
USA
The US generates the most revenue in the travel and tourism market [1].
Domestic tourism is more popular than international tourism in the US.
2.29 billion trips were taken domestically, compared to 93 million international ones.
Seventy-three percent of those domestic trips were taken for leisure rather than business [2]. Road trips are a common method of domestic travel.
You could use this information to sell travel products designed for road trips and domestic travel.
We have an article on the 18 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in the US if you want to start a dropshipping travel store in the US.
UK
The UK generates the fifth most revenue in suitcase sales worldwide.
The market is estimated to grow annually by 2.53 percent between 2023 and 2026 [3].
Online sales are also estimated to continue rising to overtake in-store sales.
This data suggests you could create a profitable dropshipping luggage store in the UK.
We have an article on the 20 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in the UK if you want to start a dropshipping travel store in the UK.
Europe
London, Paris, Frankfurt, Oslo, and other European cities are top global business travel destinations [4].
It is also estimated that business travel will make a strong recovery following the pandemic in Europe, with the travel market in 2023 rising 25.3 percent.
If you’re selling in Europe, you could consider creating a travel products brand with a focus on business travel.
We have an article on the 13 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in Europe if you want to start a dropshipping travel store in Europe.
Australia
Recent studies showed that over 54 percent of Australians are planning at least one domestic travel trip [5].
You could look at destinations within Australia that are likely to be visited and how consumers travel there. For example, domestic flights within Australia are affordable. Therefore, you could consider selling travel products suitable for short-haul and domestic travel.
We have an article on the 13 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in Australia if you want to start a dropshipping travel store in Australia.
Malaysia
Statistics show that the travel and tourism market in Malaysia is expected to increase at an annual growth rate of 7.11 percent [6].
It also shows that the average length of stay is reducing year on year, but the majority of trips are still for leisure.
This market growth suggests you could create a profitable dropshipping store in Malaysia. You could also use the nightly stays data to create products designed for short trips, e.g., overnight bags rather than suitcases, etc.
We have an article on the 11 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in Malaysia if you want to start a dropshipping travel store in Malaysia.
South Africa
Seventy-nine percent of South Africans spend their holidays in South Africa on domestic trips. Sixty-one percent of those who travel, travel with their family.
You can use this market data to create a dropshipping store with family-related travel products for South Africa. The products you sell could be focused on domestic travel rather than international.
We have an article on the 10 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in South Africa if you want to start a dropshipping travel store in South Africa.
India
Goa was one of the most visited domestic holiday destinations for Indians to travel to [7].
You can look at the most common destinations and create a store that caters to products that would suit that region. For example, as Goa is a beach destination, you could sell beach-oriented travel products.
We have an article on the 15 Best Dropshipping Suppliers in India if you want to start a dropshipping travel store in India.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Choose a Travel Product to Dropship?
Look for products with high demand and low competition.
You can also use the Sales Tracker tool to track the performance of other stores and products.
Is the Travel Niche Good for Beginners to Dropshipping?
Yes. Most products within the niche can be used outside of travel, meaning beginners can create a versatile store and test a variety of products.
It's really the products you find to sell within the niche that will determine whether it’s good.
Is It Legal to Dropship Travel Products?
It depends on the products you sell. Generally speaking, yes, most travel products will be legal to sell.
But avoid selling medication or any products that might be subject to strict regulations.
You can always contact a professional if you’re unsure.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, the list of benefits and risks helped you decide if the travel niche is right for you.
If it is, you can use our list of product recommendations for inspiration for your store.
You can also use the Product Database tool to search for more travel product ideas.
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