How to Become a Travel Agent in Ontario

If you like to work with the public and learn about exotic locations, becoming a travel agent could be a great career for you. This job entails making trip reservations, working within a client's budget and helping to figure out routes. Travel agents have a lot of flexibility for how they would like to work. While you can choose to work at a travel agency, you can also work from home and set your own hours. This makes it a popular job for parents of young children.

Instructions

1

Get your high school diploma or equivalent. Since you will need to get higher education to become a travel agent, you will first need to prove that you've passed high school.

2

Enter school to become a travel agent. This is generally a 2-year program that you can take at a community or technical college. These classes will teach you about the travel industry as well as give you information about running your own business. Humber College, Westervelt College and Cambrian College all have high-rated travel degree programs.

3

Take the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) Education Requirements exam. Ontario requires that you take this exam in order to prove you have the proper knowledge to work in the travel industry. You can find a study guide for the exam on the TICO website.

4

Decide whether you'd like to work from home or at a travel agency. This is a popular field to get into because of the possibility of becoming your own boss. You might want to jump right into having your own business, or you might decide to get your bearings by working for an established agency first.

5

Register with TICO if you have chosen to work as an independent travel agent. As part of the Travel Industry Act, 2002, you must register with TICO if you are operating a travel industry business in Ontario. The Travel Industry Act, 2002 requires full disclosure of pricing and notification to customers if pricing changes. A full description of this law is on the Ontario Ministry of Government Services website.