How to Start a Travel Products Business: Lessons From 12 Shark Tank Pitches

Why a travel products business works now

Travel is full of small, repeated frustrations: bags that do not stay on the suitcase handle, toiletries that leak, kids who will not walk another step through the terminal, no comfortable way to nap in a middle seat. People feel these pain points every trip, and many will pay a premium for a product that removes one. Travel gear is also very visual and easy to demonstrate, which helps on social media, crowdfunding platforms and marketplaces.

The challenge is that travel products are easy to copy and often compete on Amazon against cheap lookalikes. Airline rules, carry-on size limits and security screening also constrain what you can design. The brands that last solve a specific problem well, build a recognizable name and keep improving the product.

What Shark Tank pitches teach us

Travel products are a steady presence on Shark Tank, and many of the deals went to simple products that demonstrate in a few seconds.

• Ride-On Carry-On (Season 2), a fold-out seat that lets a small child ride on a rolling carry-on, got a deal with Barbara Corcoran and is listed as active. Lesson: products for traveling parents tap a group that is highly motivated to buy.
• Hoodie Pillow (Season 4), a travel neck pillow with an attached hood, got a deal with Robert Herjavec and is listed as active. Lesson: a fresh twist on a familiar product can be enough to stand out.
• Biaggi (Season 6), luggage that folds down for storage, got a deal with Lori Greiner, and Trunkster (Season 7), a zipperless carry-on with a roll-top door, got a deal with Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner. Luggage itself is crowded, so both pitched a clear structural difference.
• Cincha (Season 14), a travel belt that straps a bag to a suitcase handle, got a deal with Barbara Corcoran, and Stealth Bros (Season 14), toiletry bags for men, got a deal with Barbara Corcoran and Mark Cuban. Low-cost accessories can be strong gift and impulse buys.
• GOBIE H2O (Season 4), filtered water bottles for travelers and hikers, got a deal with Daymond John, and PeeSport (Season 17), a collapsible portable urinal for road trips, got a deal with Kevin O'Leary. Both are listed as active.
• Several travel founders left without deals and are listed as active: SCOTTeVEST (travel clothing with hidden pockets), LugLess (luggage shipping), FlyWithWine (luggage for carrying wine bottles) and Pack'd (prepaid bags to mail clothes home mid-trip).

The lesson: the Sharks respond to travel products that fix an obvious problem, carry a healthy markup and have room for a product line.

Startup costs breakdown

Typical estimates for a small brand that designs its own products and outsources manufacturing:

Sewn soft goods such as straps, pouches and pillows usually start at the low end. Luggage, electronics and filtration products sit at the high end.

Product ideas worth exploring

• Family travel: ride-on seats, car seat carriers, sleep solutions and snack organizers for kids.
• Organization: packing cubes, compression bags, leak-proof toiletry kits and cable organizers.
• Comfort: neck support, foot rests, eye masks and in-flight blankets that pack small.
• Security: theft-resistant bags, hidden pockets and luggage trackers.
• Services: luggage shipping, gear rental and packing logistics for travelers.

Step-by-step: how to start

1. Pick one frustration. Read reviews of best-selling travel gear and travel forums. Repeated complaints point to opportunities.
2. Prototype and test on real trips. Take your prototype through airports, train stations and road trips, and give samples to frequent flyers for honest feedback.
3. Design around the rules. Check common airline carry-on size limits and TSA screening rules. Products with batteries, liquids or tools need extra care. If you sell to children, check consumer product safety requirements for children's products.
4. Source carefully. Get quotes from several factories, order pre-production samples and agree on quality standards in writing. Zippers, wheels and seams fail first.
5. Protect your brand. File a trademark. Consider a provisional patent for a genuinely new mechanism, but plan to beat copycats with brand and speed.
6. Launch on one channel. Crowdfunding, your own site or Amazon can validate demand before you commit to large orders.
7. Collect reviews early. Travel shoppers rely heavily on reviews and real-world photos.
8. Expand into a line. Add sizes, colors and complementary items once the hero product sells steadily.

How to make money

Travel accessories often sell at three to five times landed cost, as a typical estimate. A strap or pouch that costs $5 to make and ship might retail for $20-$30. Typical channels:

• Direct to consumer: best margins and customer data, ideal for bundles and gift sets.
• Amazon: strong for search-driven items, but expect fees, price pressure and copycats.
• Travel and luggage retailers: wholesale at roughly half of retail, with expectations for reliable supply.
• Airport and gift shops: good for impulse items, though placement can be hard to win.
• Corporate gifts: branded travel kits for companies and conferences.

Travel is seasonal, with spikes around summer and the holidays, so plan inventory and cash flow around peak buying periods.

Questions the Sharks would ask you

• What is your landed cost, wholesale price and retail price?
• How many units have you sold, and through which channels?
• What stops a big luggage brand or an overseas seller from copying it?
• Does it meet airline size limits and security rules?
• What is your return rate, and why do people return it?
• What is the second and third product in the line?

Red flags that sink pitches in this category

• Easy to copy: a simple product with no brand, patent or retail relationships behind it.
• Too niche: a solution for a rare situation that few travelers face.
• Bulky or heavy: travelers resist adding weight and size to their bags.
• Quality problems: broken zippers and wheels lead to returns and bad reviews.
• Service models with thin margins: shipping and logistics costs can eat most of the price.
• High valuation on low sales: a common reason travel founders leave without a deal.

Solve one travel headache clearly, prove people buy it again as gifts and upgrades, and build a brand travelers recognize at the gate.