- MLM schemes have targeted young, vulnerable women in Ireland as online travel agents.
- Recruits have paid a joining fee and a monthly subscription for platform access.
- The focus has shifted from booking trips to recruiting a downline team.
- Studies have shown only 0.5pc to 1pc of people profit from MLM schemes.
- Monthly fees have outweighed commissions for the vast majority of recruits.
A new warning has been issue don multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes which have aggressively targeted young, vulnerable women in Ireland by promising lucrative side hustles as independent online travel agents.
Máire O’Sullivan the Department of Marketing and International Business at Munster Technological University in Cork is a leading academic and lecturer in advertising and marketing who issues prominent warnings about multi-level marketing (MLM) travel schemes targeting young women. She has published research and provided expert commentary highlighting how these schemes operate like predatory, quasi-cultlike businesses.
Schemes often present themselves as exciting opportunities to become “independent travel agents” working from home. MLMs specifically prey on vulnerable demographics, including stay-at-home mothers and young women unable to work traditional hours.
In her investigations, published in major outlets like The Conversation, O’Sullivan points out that up to 99% of recruited representatives not only fail to make money but actually lose their investments. She notes that these businesses leverage “alarmingly cult-like” practices, such as “love bombing,” and encourage recruits to cut ties with friends or family who raise concerns
Recruiters have targeted women on social media who possess good communication skills or decent followings, enticing them with visions of financial freedom and a luxury travel lifestyle. The cost-of-living crisis has driven many people to seek flexible ways to earn money from home, making them prime targets for these predatory recruitment tactics.
New recruits have been required to pay a joining fee and an ongoing monthly subscription to access an online travel booking platform. After brief online training modules, the focus has shifted from booking actual trips to recruiting others, with the priority becoming building a downline team to make money. Recruits have been encouraged to bombard their inner circles with messages, which has alienated friends and fractured family relationships.
Data and consumer advocates have highlighted a grim financial reality for those who sign up. Studies have shown that only 0.5pc to 1pc of people ever turn a profit in an MLM scheme. The mandatory monthly subscriptions and setup fees have heavily outweighed any commissions for the vast majority. While a select few high-profile influencers have made money, they have primarily sold an aspirational lifestyle to recruit more paying members, rather than running a viable travel business.
Boss babe
The warnings focus on marketing travel schemes that utilise highly tailored social media strategies focused on community, financial independence, and lifestyle.
Marketing travel schemes to young women often utilizes highly tailored social media strategies focused on community, financial independence, and lifestyle. While legitimate agencies and networks use these platforms to promote adventure or wellness tours, they frequently overlap with travel-based Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) structures that leverage similar themes.
Strategies commonly used to target this demographic include:
- Empowerment and “Boss Babe” Messaging: Many of these programs rebrand traditional work-from-home travel sales by using feminist language. They promote the idea of being your own boss, working from anywhere, and finding “financial freedom” through online communities.
- Lifestyle and Aesthetic Marketing: Campaigns heavily rely on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, leaning into aesthetics associated with being an “independent travel adviser”. They showcase highly curated lifestyles centered on travel, luxury, and social outings.
- Community-Led Sales: Recruiters often frame the business opportunity as a “sisterhood,” heavily leaning on personal networks, direct messaging, and WhatsApp groups to coach new members.
Market research and independent investigations highlight that while these “independent travel agent” schemes are popular on social media, the vast majority are structured as MLMs. According to investigations reported by the Irish Independent, these schemes tend to emphasize recruitment (building a team) over actual travel bookings, with members paying recurring monthly subscription fees that often outstrip their commissions. Furthermore, community discussions on Reddit reveal that the practice often alienates friends and family due to aggressive direct-selling tactics
