What is commission levels in travel and tourism?

The travel agencies used to make their money by selling airline tickets to a customer... and adding a commission to the price of the ticket. That was paid by the airline or the ticket-buyer. It was their payment for a service rendered to the customer (and a service for the airline since the airline wants to fill the planes).

If the commissions are low, it is cheap to use a travel agent. it might save a flyer 1 hour on the phone to the airline. She just calls the travel agent to do that.

If commissions are high, a buyer will avoid the travel agent. The airline will avoid the travel agent. Unless the agent does enuf extra work to justify the high commission.