Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Education and training
• Part 2 of 3: Skills and Knowledge
• Part 3 of 3: Get to work
• Warnings

Many people are drawn to a career as a travel agent because of the perks: discounted accommodation, travel and the opportunity to explore the world on an assembly line. They advise on travel, put together travel arrangements, research holiday locations and confirm agreements. To work as a travel agent, you need to find out what skills you need, take advantage of training opportunities and professional resources, and consider specializing in a specific type of travel.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Education and training

1. Get a high school diploma. As with most jobs today, a high school diploma is necessary to start. This is the bare minimum to start as a business.
   • Part certificates are fine. Whichever form you choose, it is essential to get good grades and become proficient in computer skills.
2. Take a class in travel planning. If you have extra, specific knowledge, you are a good candidate when you walk into an office (or start your own business).
   • Search schools and training institutes near you for the right classes. Classes should focus on reservation systems, travel regulation (both national and international) and marketing.
3. Get a degree in travel and tourism. Few schools offer specific degrees in this area, but it pays to look for one near you. On the other hand, there are many courses available online. A few (American) examples.
   • University of Southern Mississippi
   • Johnson & Wales University
   • University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management
   • East Carolina University
   • Robert Morris University
   • Strayer University
     • If you plan to start your own travel agency, you will also need to get a tradesman's diploma.
4. Obtain a permit. Depending on where you live and where your business is, you may need a permit to work as a travel agent (if you are working with someone, you may be able to use their permit). Even if you do not live in a place where a permit is required, but you do want to do business with people from places where a permit is required, it pays to find out.
   • Currently, there are 6 states in the US that have travel selling laws:
     • California (the strictest and most complicated)
     • Florida
     • Iowa
     • Washington
     • Hawaii
     • Nevada (suspended until July 2013)
   • Louisiana and Delaware have flexible restrictions on new agencies.
   • All agents and supervisors / managers in Ontario, Canada must pass the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) exam. Today that costs $ 32 CAD.
   • Travel agents in British Columbia, Canada are required by the Insurance Board of British Columbia to pass a travel insurance exam.This is a business license and each agent at the travel agency is required to undergo two hours of training every year.
   • The licensing system in Saskatchewan, Canada is also related to travel insurance and includes an exam required by the Insurance Chamber in Saskatchewan. But unlike in British Columbia, this permit is tied to the travel agent and not the travel agent. Agents are required to undergo three hours of training every year.
5. Provide references. This usually takes two forms; both increase your credibility as a travel agent.
   • Lessons and training and your IATAN (International Airlines Travel Agent Network) ID card.
   • Additional training at schools such as the Travel Institute and the International Airline Transport Association's Training and Development Institute. Both provide training and professional development opportunities for "experienced" travel agents. Exams for different certification levels, depending on the travel agent's experience, are possible.
     • If you have a special area of ​​interest, a certificate from an organization such as the Cruise Lines International Association can never hurt.
   • Beware of card-mills. You can get a "travel agent qualification" through them for little money. It's a scam.

Part 2 of 3: Skills and Knowledge

1. Develop the right personality. To be a successful travel agent, you have to be open to the world, have confidence and be a good networker. Even if you work for a company, you have to convince your customers that you are offering them the best vacation possible.
   • Be adventurous. Part of the job is the willingness to discover and figure out different, sometimes even dangerous or exotic environments.
   • Work on your communication skills. If you're not conducting an on-site investigation, you're sitting at a desk sending emails and making phone calls. Your success stands or falls with how well you can communicate.
   • Zoom in on the details. Everyone has a different, ideal vacation in mind - if you make sure everything from the curtains to the air conditioning on the bus is better than expected, your customers will come back.
   • Organize yourself. You are busy with dozens of travel schedules at the same time. Keeping things straight and sticking to deadlines is essential to success.
   • Hit bridges. You need customers to earn commission, so get going. Make sure you are the one all your friends and family go to when it comes to travel information and planning. Start networking today.
2. Make sure you are well traveled. You cannot sell a product that you do not know yourself. Going out and seeing it with your own eyes puts you in the position of your customers and prepares you for unforeseen problems.
   • It is invaluable to be able to provide first-hand information. Customers prefer to hear suggestions based on first-hand experiences of services, accommodations and geographic areas. It is not for nothing that travel agents often receive a discount when they are traveling.
   • Speak your languages ​​(at least two)!
3. Know what you are talking about. Before starting a career, you need to get to know the market and be aware of what you are getting into.
   • A budding travel agent earns on average about $ 15 per hour or around $ 30,000 per year.
   • In the US, there were 82,000 travel agents in 2010 (an increase of 10% is expected for 2020).
4. Specialize yourself in a destination. To thrive in this job, it helps to specialize in something. Have you wandered around the markets of Istanbul? Collected coconuts in the Mekong Delta? Choose a region that appeals to you.
   • Some specialties may concern a specific geographic location, such as Mexico for example; specific types of travel such as cruises or group travel; price-oriented trips, such as luxury accommodations or affordable vacations; and tour groups based on hobbies, special interests or lifestyles, such as the elderly or vegetarians.
5. Choose your work environment. The number of self-employed travel agents is increasing rapidly. Decide whether you want to work under the care of another company, in a business combination or entirely on your own.
   • YTB, Traverse, and GT Trends all offer you a website that you can call "yours" for little money. They train you, support you and provide your starting income. They all have a parent company; if you want to get rid of the intermediary, you can start working directly with the parent company. Again, find out for yourself what is best for you.

Part 3 of 3: Get to work

1. Apply for a job at a travel agent. If you're in a travel agent training, starting out as a receptionist or assistant can lead to more responsibilities and opportunities to advance.
   • Don't be afraid to get your foot in the door. Some companies, such as Virtuoso, recommend 20 years of experience before you could work with them.
2. Start networking. Whether you work from home or from an office, opening your mouth is the only way to let people know that you are in the process of getting to work. Do your research and start offering your trade.
   • Set up a referral service with (another) travel agent (s) who can refer work to you that belongs to your specialization and for which you can of course do the same. Sometimes it is possible to arrange a mutual referral with another agent in order to collect the referral costs.
3. Join an organization. The fastest way to get better is to see how other professionals in your field are doing. Join an organization to be with people who may be a few years ahead of you.
   • Professional organizations in America such as the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) provide support, further education and training opportunities, resources, networking options, travel resources, access to publications, evaluation services, invitations to seminars, exhibitions and meetings, scholarships and salary calculation tools.
   • These organizations also provide access to job boards and travel agent lists, in case you would like to boost your career.

Warnings

• Beware of travel scammers, who offer "certification" and a website where trips can be sold from, if you pay the start-up costs and recruit new recruits. Often these scam artists offer "certification" from their own company and not from professional travel industry recognized institutions. Most people lose time and money because of this "instant travel agent" scam. It's just a pyramid scheme, that's all.