How to Become a Travel Agent
Traveling is an experience that people consider a goal. Some want to go to Europe, while others wish to visit Asia. People earn because they want to travel. However, there are also people who want to bridge that gap between the traveler and traveling. If you are one of them, then you can be a travel agent to help these people fulfill their dreams.
Being a travel agent is about having the passion for travel. You have to know much about vacation destinations and tourist spots. You should be enthusiastic enough to set up itineraries for people. You will also have to talk to your clients about reservations, so possessing computer skills and excellent communication skills are important.
Travel Agent Requirements
There is a minimum requirement for people who want to be a travel agent. You should at least have a high school diploma. A lot of travel agencies these days house travel agents who have travel experience, though. If not that, the applicants who have a degree are chosen over those with only a high school diploma.
Training as a travel agent is not something you will have to go through before you apply. You just have to have passion or experience in travel, or the right degree, to be employed. After you are hired, that is when the training comes in. Before applicants become travel agents, they will first be trained to use reservation systems. Using this system is the most significant part of being a travel agent.
If you want to be sure you’ll be hired, then advance learning is recommended. You can train at vocational schools to gain a certificate to show to your prospective employers. Sometimes, if you excel in this field while taking a vocational course, you can even get a postsecondary vocation award, which is a plus for an applicant like you.
Courses for future travel agents can be taken in community colleges and through online programs. There are also public adult education programs that offer them. Aside from using reservation systems, you also have to be taught sales techniques and about cruise lines. Of course, it’s expected that you’ll learn about travel destinations. You’ll study a lot of general information about different tourist spots and vacation destinations. It will be easier for you to finish the whole program or course if you have a background on world history, foreign languages, geography or computer science, because these fields of studies are touched on when you travel, or when you arrange a trip for other people.
If you have a background in business management and accounting, your experience as an applicant will be smoother, too, since your employers know that you are well-versed in the operations of the business. With such background, you can even start a travel agency of your own. Continuing education is critical because with all the information people can get online, and from other easily-accessed sources, consumers are now more informed. They know who to talk to, and they want an expert. You have to train because your clients would like to hear and see something new.
Additional Qualifications
As a travel agent, you have to be detail-oriented, accurate and well-organized all the time. You need these traits because you will be compiling a lot of information from different sources, while organizing the itineraries of your clients. You have to observe courtesy and professionalism in this field, because you will deal with clients and travel representatives. Sales abilities, interpersonal skills and excellent writing skills will make you a more effective travel agent.
Personal travel experience is a major plus. Consider this your asset because it means that you know a lot about other countries, or about the different cities you have already visited. Your opinions become credible because what you share is from your own experience. You can a be big help to your clients especially while you plan their itinerary.
Your business experience is also essential in being a travel agent because you need to know how to make the business effective and profitable. Today, the Internet is a big part of a client’s travel planning process, so you have to learn how to provide service to clients, too, using the Internet. That is exactly where the need for your computer skills comes in.
It is not every day that you afford the time to go to places like Amsterdam, Thailand or Pennsylvania. Traveling is what you look forward to. It is a goal and an achievement. If you help your clients reach their goals by being an effective travel agent, you will definitely feel like you have traveled the world, even without stepping foot out your office.