Being a travel agent is one of the interesting professions in the world. You not only get to interact with many people but also make a decent amount of money from the same. Most of the time, this profession allows you to visit many places as well. Therefore, it is one of the few jobs in the world, where you can have your cake and eat it too!
So, if you have been thinking about how to become a travel agent, this article might help you understand some of the fundamentals in this process. This is a highly dynamic job. You can be a full-time travel agent, part-time travel agent, work-from-home travel agent, or online travel agent. Let us proceed to discuss the steps that you have to perform to become a travel agent.
1. Choose your niche carefully
Today, there are lots of travel agents across the globe. So, you need to be different in your job to stand out among your competitors. The best way to do this is to choose your niche carefully. In simpler words, this means you should know the answer to the question, “what type of travel agent do you want to become?”
There are agents who specify in organizing trips for solo travelers, honeymooners, budget-travelers, senior citizens, middle-aged couples, individuals, corporates, and more. So, you need to set your targets on any niche and work towards making it big in that particular area.
The more you learn about this niche, the more information you will get about the expectations of the industry, and what you need to do to equip yourself for the challenges ahead.
2. What is the basic qualification required
In most of the countries, you should have a college degree to proceed with your travel agent career. However, some countries also think that completing your school is enough to become a travel agent. For getting a big break in your career, you can think of specializing in various travel & tourism courses after completing your college degree.
Courses in travel & tourism, business administration, hospitality & customer service, and economics are some of the prime subjects that you can specialize in, to become a travel agent. If you have the time and resources, you can opt for the main 3 or 4-year courses offered by the universities in your country. However, if you have time and budget constraints, you can enroll in one of the many 6-month or one-year certificate courses available in various colleges & universities. It is important for you to possess the relevant qualification that various agencies require to train you as a travel agent.
3. How do you want to progress?
This is an important question that you must ask yourself right at the start of your career to know how you can plan your steps. You can either choose to work in a reputed travel agency or you could start your own agency, if you have the resources and knowledge. Regardless of the option you choose, you should stop learning as you grow in this field.
Keep yourself updated about the latest courses in your field and complete as many certification courses as possible to gain in-depth knowledge in this field. This will give you the confidence to start your own agency in the future, if that is what you are looking at.
4. Be aware of the roles and responsibilities
A good travel agent is one who is aware of his roles and responsibilities. Your job is not just to book tickets for your customers. You should be able to guide them properly by providing value-added services such as the following:
- Choice of vacation
- Best months to travel to certain places
- What they should take care of in every location
- How to contact you in case of an emergency
- What kind of support you can offer them even when you are not physically available in the country that they travel to
- Importance of insurance and how it can protect your clients wherever they go
- Offering great deals on packages, restaurants, sight-seeing attractions of holiday destinations and so on
In short, you should develop a personal relationship with your customers and assure them of their support right from the time they plan their trip until they return to their homes.
5. Be practical
If you want to know how to become a travel agent, the most important step that you need to follow is to be practical. This is a profession that requires you to meet a lot of people and communicate a lot with them. Therefore, you have to have a pleasing personality at all times. You can also enroll in personality development courses to hone your skills and present yourself to your clients in a very professional manner.
If you have the resources, it is highly recommended that you personally travel to various places and document your experiences in each one of them. Every single point that you note down will make you unique when compared to your competitor. Traveling to various places will help you understand the best place to stay in that area, the best area to visit for street foods, local cuisines one must try and other interesting tit-bits like these.
When you put forward your personal experiences as tips for your customers, you have a very high chance of attracting a lot of clients. Being aware of the market rates when it comes to charging commissions from your clients is also a practical approach to be honest in this business and still make decent money out of it.
Summary
In short, being a travel agent requires 100% dedication from you. If you are interested to learn new things every day and if you have a pleasing personality, you can become a successful travel agent in your life. Having the basic educational qualifications is mandatory, but that’s not enough in this competitive field. Complete as many travel-related courses as possible to expand your knowledge and carve a place in the niche that you have chosen.’
Written By Boyan Minchev