Travel Agent

Posted by ERUDIO in Travel Agent on Nov 9th, 2009

Travel is your life. You love new. Last summer you toured the Greek isles. Next month you will ride the Orient express from Paris to Istanbul.

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.--- Seneca

You fell in love in Hamburg and honeymooned in Fiji. In New Zealand you stayed free and skied the South Island, networking, thanks to your gratis status.

Your fares are radically discounted or even free perks. You’ve traveled the globe in the past decade.

Many languages have rubbed off on you, and you have found so many friends and more, abroad. It’s a snowball effect that keeps your business growing. And your life choices just keep widening, like your own life horizons.

You are a travel agent.
You rep big corporate travel, and you book individuals. You help travelers sort through vast amounts of information to help them make the best possible travel arrangements.

You offer informed advice on destinations and make amazing arrangements for transportation, hotel accommodations, car rentals, and tours for your clients. That’s why they always come back for more.

You’re also the primary source of bookings for most of the major cruise lines. In addition, resorts and specialty travel groups use you to promote travel packages to their clients.

That’s why so many travel discounts and freebies come your way, not to mention the personal contact list you’ve built up all around the world.

But it took a lot of learning to get there, and your education continues every day.

Travel agents like you are increasingly expected to know about and be able to advise travelers about their destinations, such as the weather conditions, local ordinances and customs, attractions, and exhibitions.

For those traveling internationally, agents like you also provide information on customs regulations, required papers (passports, visas, and certificates of vaccination), travel advisories, and currency exchange rates. In the event of changes in itinerary in the middle of a trip, travel agents intercede on the traveler’s behalf to make alternate booking arrangements.

You stay on top of trends. Travel agents use a variety of published and computer-based sources for information on departure and arrival times, fares, quality of hotel accommodations, and group discounts. You may also visit hotels, resorts, and restaurants themselves to evaluate the comfort, cleanliness, and the quality of specific hotels and restaurants so that they can base recommendations on their own experiences or those of colleagues or clients.

travel agent sitting at a desk

There are so many ways to make it work, being a Travel Agent, if you are well-educated and prepared.

Travel agents who primarily work for tour operators and other travel arrangers may help develop, arrange, and sell the company’s own package tours and travel services. They may promote these services, using telemarketing, direct mail, and the Internet. They make presentations to social and special-interest groups, arrange advertising displays, and suggest company-sponsored trips to business managers.

Advanced computer systems and telecommunications networks make it possible for a growing number of travel agents to work at home; however, some agents feel a need to have an office presence to attract walk-in business.

Many travel agencies prefer applicants who have a college degree and business or travel experience.

A love of travel and knowledge and enthusiasm for advising people about travel destinations and itineraries are important traits for a travel agent to have. Superb communication and computer skills are essential for talking with clients and making travel reservations.

A good degree helps solve all of these issues.

Also, online and on site training—- specific to becoming a travel agent—- is available at the many vocational schools that offer full-time travel agent programs, leading to a postsecondary vocational award.

Travel agent courses also are offered in public adult education programs, online, and in community colleges.

These programs teach students about cruise lines and sales techniques and how to use the reservations systems. They also provide general information about travel destinations.

A few colleges offer bachelor’s or master’s degrees in travel and tourism.

Some employers prefer agents who have backgrounds in computer science, geography, communication, foreign languages, or world history, because these backgrounds suggest an existing interest in travel and culture and help agents develop a rapport with clients.

Courses in accounting and business management also are important, especially for those who expect to manage or start their own travel agencies.

Continuing education is critical— the abundance of travel information readily available (through the Internet and other sources) has resulted in a more informed consumer who wants to deal with an expert when choosing a travel agent.

Personal travel experience is an asset because knowledge about a city or foreign country often helps influence a client’s travel plans. Business experience or training increasingly is important because agents need to know how to run a business profitably.

As the Internet has become an important tool for making travel arrangements, more travel agencies use websites to provide their services to clients. This trend has increased the importance of computer skills in this occupation.

The National Business Travel Association offers three types of designations for corporate travel professionals—Corporate Travel Expert, Certified Corporate Travel Executive, and Global Leadership Professional.

night view of the eiffel tower in paris

Experienced travel agents can take advanced self-study or group-study courses from the Travel Institute, leading to the Certified Travel Counselor designation.

The Travel Institute also offers marketing and sales skills development programs and destination specialist programs, which provide detailed knowledge of regions such as North America, Western Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Rim.

Travel agents held about 101,000 jobs in May 2006 and are found in every part of the country. Nearly two-thirds worked for travel agencies. Another 13 percent were self-employed. The remainder worked for tour operators, visitor’s bureaus, reservation offices, and other travel arrangers.

Employment of Travel agents is expected to change little through 2016. Travel agents who specialize in a travel destination, type of traveler, or mode of transportation will have the best chances for success.

If you love travel, love new sights and sounds and vistas, if you would enjoy many great travel benefits (reduced rates or even free transportation and lodging), you already have the right mindset to become a Travel agent.

Training at a postsecondary vocational school, college, or university is increasingly important.

Get that degree in Travel and Tourism!

(Career tip— while getting your degree, learn at least one foreign language and specialize— shrewd Travel Agents are now building their businesses by increasingly focusing in specific destinations, or by type of travel or traveler. With the trend toward more specialization, destination specialist courses can give you a huge boost.)

For further information on training opportunities, contact: