You love traveling and you can convince people to pack their bags and accompany you on a holiday at an unknown destination. Well, then if your infectious passion to travel makes people want to see the world, then this profession is the right choice for you. If you have good communication skills and enjoy working with people, then you should give this career a thought.
A travel agent's job is to help people arrange and plan their vacations. It is his/her responsibility to reserve and book tickets and hotels for the holiday goers. The following article will solve your query on how to become one.
The Required Educational Qualification
In order to take up this profession, you need a high school diploma. Many well-known travel companies want their agents to hold a college degree. You can even opt for vocational schools that offer a specialized course to become an agent.
Many companies prefer travel agents with some college background or prior business experience. If you are an avid traveler yourself or have enough knowledge regarding the various tourist destinations, it adds an extra weightage to your resume. You can opt for a formal education to gain an insight. These professional courses offer programs related to sales, travel destinations, selling a vacation package, identifying best travel deals and everything related to the travel industry.
You can opt for a diploma offered by the vocational schools or a degree from the university. These courses teach you about geography, languages, history, communication, etc., of different regions of the world.
You should never stop learning about the world and Internet is the best source to keep yourself updated. You can always apply for courses such as Certified Travel Associate (CTA) and Certified Travel Councilor (CTC).
Job Description
He/she would be describing the weather condition, the complete dos and don'ts of the destination, traveling schedule, rent a car or cab for the vacationers, book a hotel room, etc. based on the traveling budget.
All the above areas require you to be observant and well-versed with the travel world and the latest developments. You need to be aware of the political developments, passports, visa regulations, exchange rates, etc., of the specific countries. You need to have a working knowledge of computers as an essential requirement.
One needs to be well-educated regarding all the travel destinations and use the computer efficiently to find answers to the various queries of the customers. If the customer is not satisfied with your answers he may opt for another travel agent. An agent may also need to travel and visit hotels, restaurants and resorts to evaluate the service and food quality, before advising your clients to visit them.
A travel agent's job involves giving advice on various destinations. He/she also requires to make recreational arrangements for his/her clients. He/she should be able to give advice on the restaurants, tourist attractions and cultural history of the chosen destination. The agent should be ready with answers regarding passport, custom regulations, visa and currency rates. The agent should be thorough with the flight timings, departure dates, fares and hotel rates as the customer entirely relies on his/her traveling tips. The agent should also be knowledgeable in travel insurance as you may need to answer the queries of the clients.
Career Guide
If you enter a travel company without the relevant educational background or experience, you may first land yourself a job as a receptionist or secretary. You need to be very alert and pick up various tricks to earn a promotion as a travel agent. Once you get the job, with time you may become an expert in specific areas of tourism like international travel, resort vacation, domestic travel, beach vacations, cruise vacations, even honeymoon vacations, etc.
Your work involves a desk job, answering the phone and meeting clients. The normally stress-free job becomes hectic during the peak vacation season. You may also set up your own travel agency and strive to expand your business.
This is a highly satisfying job, if you love helping people plan their dream vacations or organize things for others. In any career, job satisfaction is a must that will help in giving high rewards. A travel agent in America earns $46,000 (as of Aug 19, 2009). So a spark to see the world and an art to convince people is the main requirement in this career.
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