How to become a Travel Agent

How to become a Travel Agent Spend most of your time at work searching for holidays? Fancy getting paid for it? You should be a Travel Agent…Travel Agents book holidays on behalf of their customers, helping them plan every aspect of their trip to ensure that they’re getting the most of their time away. Whether it’s a two-week holiday of a lifetime, or a long weekend away, a good Travel Agent will do their best to meet your needs.Typical duties for a Travel Agent could include:Consulting with customers to determine their budget, and what type of trip they’re looking forChecking availability for flights, cruises and accommodationBooking holidays, and any additional tickets, transfers or excursionsDiscussing travel arrangements with customers and advising them on passports, visas, vehicle hire, travel insurance and any vaccinations or inoculations neededFilling out any supplementary forms and keeping customers advised of any changesIs it right for me?Becoming a Travel Agent is about much more than browsing holidays. It takes excellent communication skills, as well as great organisational ability, not to mention a good knowledge of a range of different destinations.You’ll also need excellent negotiation skills to get the most out of your deals, both when working with members of the public and with the travel companies themselves. Fluency in other languages is not essential, but may be a distinct advantage for a Travel Agent.Other key skills include:A passion for travelThe ability to stay calm under pressureComputer literacySales skillsPatienceAn excellent telephone mannerCareer Progression? Travel AgentUp to 25,000 Branch ManagerUp to 30,000 Tour ManagerUp to 35,000What's it really like? For me, being a Travel Agent is a dream job. I get to help people book their trips from start to finish, and the enthusiasm and energy they bring with them really rubs off on you. The hours can be long, but seeing the look on someone’s face when you get them a great deal feels amazing. And the di scount you get on holidays feels pretty good too. I've even got to travel all across the world in the name of work. Not bad going for someone who just looks at holidays all day… Get qualifiedA degree is not essential for those looking to become a Travel Agent. However, there will be a good amount of on the job training, and taking a professional qualification can be a great way to break into the industry.