How to Become a Travel Agent in Queensland, Australia

Becoming a travel agent in Queensland, Australia, involves some years of specific training and development. Queensland is a particularly beautiful province of Australia, with many fantastic tourist destinations based in the region itself. Working as a travel agent you will be helping people piece together their own travelling including their transportation, insurance, accommodation and organizing activities for their trip. To practice as a travel agent in Queensland you will also require a travel agent's licence. There are two different categories of licence based upon whether you plan to sell domestic or international travel.

Instructions

1

Complete your high school education. Strong results in the basics of math, English and sciences will stand you in good stead and give you a foundation upon which you can build your career. Furthermore, carrying out travel agent relevant courses such as business studies, law, economics or geography can help to improve your chances as they will demonstrate that you possess the skills and aptitudes to be successful in a travel agency career in Queensland.

2

Search the various tourism and travel agency qualifications available in Queensland. You can carry out a comprehensive search of the courses available by visiting studyinaustralia.gov.au and using their course search tool. Use this tool to restrict the search to courses in the tourism sector, and limit it to results only in Queensland. There are 42 different institutions in Queensland where you can study tourism courses, and these include diplomas and certificates in tourism offered at levels from one to four (with four being the most advanced.)

3

Complete your chosen course. Most tourism courses offered in Queensland last approximately one year of full-time study, and you will learn both the legislative and foundation theory of working in tourism as a travel agent as well as the skills for the hands-on customer-facing roles you will be expected to perform in. Travel agency involves selling products to customers, and often you will be assessed by a potential employer based on your ability to sell products to customers.

4

Apply for your travel agency licence. If you plan to sell travel for customers to travel internationally, you require a category one licence. If, however, you plan on only selling domestic travel then you will need a category two licence. Furthermore, if you only sell domestic travel and your turnover is less than Australian $50,000 then you do not require a travel agent's licence. You also do not need a licence if you are employed by a travel agency that holds a licence, you only sell day tours that do not involve overnight stays, only sell accommodation and not travel, or if you do not have a permanent address in Queensland.

5

Search and apply for jobs with licenced travel agents in Queensland. Visit australia.gov.au and read their advice for job seekers. There are also links to job search websites which will help you find your first job on your travel agency career path. If you plan to establish your own travel agency, or to work as self-employed, ensure that your business is registered and that you have all of the relevant travel agency licences to practice as a licenced travel agent in Queensland.