Do you have the travel bug and spend your days counting down until your next big trip abroad? Do you dream of not having to work so you can cross countries and see what different cultures have to offer?
If you’re sat there nodding your head in agreement, there’s finally a way to combine your love of travel with a fulfilling career without saying ‘goodbye’ to your globetrotting days.
These 13 companies below have the best travel perks in the world, with some going as far as giving you money for your holidays and extra leave allowance.
So, what are you waiting for you? Get your CV ready, your passports dusted and your bags packed!
1. Airbnb
HQ location: San Francisco, USA
Industry: Hospitality
Airbnb not only has cool offices, great benefits and an awesome company culture but also offers its employees an annual stipend of $2,000 (£1,530) gift every year to stay at one of the accommodation site’s listings anywhere in the world. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re software engineers or customer service representatives – all employees receive the same travel perks!
2. Booking.com
HQ location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Industry: Hospitality
Working for a travel site like Booking.com sure has its perks. Aside from having a flexible work schedule and many more cool benefits, Booking.com offers its employees a 25% refund on any booking for up to the amount of €1,000 (£890) a year. What’s more is that employees get to share this discount with family and friends, without any additional restrictions.
3. Expedia
HQ location: Washington, USA
Industry: Travel
Depending on their length of employment, some employees at Expedia receive free travel, while others can use a staff booking system as many times as they want and receive discounted rates. This also extends to an additional two rooms at the time of booking for friends and family, as long as the employee is part of the reservation. The travel gurus also encourage going on holiday and offer an annual reimbursement of eligible travel expenses of up to $750 (£580) per year.
In addition, many staff members are eligible to receive an IATAN card, professional travel credentials that unlock concessionary incentives from hotels, airlines, cruise lines, car rental companies and tourist attractions.
4. TripAdvisor
HQ location: Needham, USA
Industry: Hospitality
Like any other travel or hospitality company listed in this article, all employees get to take full advantage of TripAdvisor's travel discount, with experienced staff members receiving reimbursement of up to $750 (£580), based on years of service. Staff members also get to experience some really cool trips exploring the globe, as well as discounts on TripAdvisor’s sister sites, including hotels on Tingo and sightseeing tours on Viator.
5. TourRadar
HQ location: Vienna, Austria
Industry: Travel
As with other tour agencies, TourRadar is keen for its employees to get in on the travel act, too; the Vienna-based booking firm offers yearly travel credits of up to $1,800 to its staff. The really cool part, though, is that these credits are not just available to the company's full-time employees, but to its part-time workers and freelancers, as well.
It's also possible (in fact, it's actively encouraged) to travel on the company's time, with TourRadar running a 2-4 week exchange programme between its Vienna, New York, Toronto and Brisbane offices; perfect for getting to know your colleagues, as well as picking up a bit of the local culture abroad.
6. Moz
HQ location: Seattle, USA
Industry: Digital marketing
Moz is serious about paid time off – so much so that they offer every employee up to four weeks off and reimburse them up to $3,000 (£2,300) as a holiday fund per year. Angela Cherry, Moz’s director of communications, says: ‘We find that “paid” vacation is a big motivator for getting employees to take time away from the office to go on fun adventures and spend time with loved ones’.
7. G Adventures
HQ location: Toronto, Canada
Industry: Travel
Tour operator G Adventures doesn’t differentiate between long-term and short-term employees – they offer the same equal benefits for all full-time workers, including free group tours across any available packages worth up to $3,000 (£2,300), which can be booked every 10 months. This also includes airfare, depending on the style of tour that you choose, such as geographic, adventure-based or classic tours.
8. United Airlines
HQ location: Chicago, USA
Industry: Travel
United Airlines employees tend to travel a lot for work, anyway, but they also get to travel for free and for fun. Unlike the rest of us booking domestic flights, airline employees, including cabin crew and ground employees, only have to pay taxes. They also get a discount pass for friends and family to use on any trips.
9. Afar Media
HQ location: San Francisco, USA
Industry: Media
The online and print travel magazine Afar offers all staff members a whopping $2,000 (£1,530) to spend on travel for each calendar year. The only term is that they must choose a country or city that they haven’t visited before, in order to expand their knowledge and depth of experience for the publication. Once they return from the trip, they are required to share their experience on the company website for colleagues to see.
10. REI
HQ Location: Kent, United States
Industry: Retail
Outdoor retail specialist REI not only offers its employees two extra days off (called ‘Yay Days’) but also the opportunity to apply for an REI challenge grant which covers the cost for bucket list challenges like hikes and cycling trips. It’s not necessarily the most luxurious of travel perks, but employees that work there will most likely be into outdoor activities and energetic trips.
11. Travelzoo
HQ location: New York City, USA
Industry: Travel
If the discounted prices across the entire eCommerce site Travelzoo wasn’t enough, all full-time employees also receive $1,500 (£1,150) a year for booking hotel stay, holiday packages, cruises or flights, as well as an extra three paid days off work when they cash in their stipend to use towards their trip.
12. Delta Air Lines
HQ location: Atlanta, USA
Industry: Travel
All airlines will give their employees discounted rates but what’s different about Delta Air Lines is that they extend free or reduced rate tickets to friends and family of the employees, too. What’s more is that Delta is one of the largest airlines with the most amount of flights travelling to different destinations, making your jet-setting a lot easier and cheaper than ever before!
13. The Walt Disney Company
HQ location: Burbank, USA
Industry: Film and entertainment
As a Disney employee, you’ll receive a ton of perks, from free entrance passes to discounted rates at restaurants, outside attraction tickets and merchandise. But what’s really special for most employees is the chance to travel to other Disney locations and buy discounted tickets on the cruise lines.
As you can see from this list, these top companies offer their employees the best opportunities to globetrot. So, if travelling is an integral part of your life, you should consider finding your ideal role in one of the organisations listed above.
Which company would you want to work for from the list above? Join in on the conversation below to let us know your thoughts.
All figures are listed in USD unless otherwise stated. Currency conversions are based on rates supplied by XE.com on 11 September 2018.