Travel Agent Careers Information
There is an exotic locale you have always dreamed of visiting and the time is finally right to make the trip. But the flight, hotel, and local transportation options are too numerous to even know where to begin. Lucky for you, travel agents exist to help you plan your dream vacation.
Travel agents can secure your flights, book your hotels, and provide you with the information you need to navigate your destination’s unfamiliar surrounds as smoothly as possible. And because we all know that nothing ever goes quite as planned on a vacation, travel agents are there to tend to any travel problems canceled flights or tours, lost hotel reservations that may arise. Most simply, the travel agent is there to deal with the hassle of details so you may sit back and relax.
Travel agents may specialize in a region of the country or world, like the Southwest or Europe, or with a specific demographic, such as families or senior citizens. Many travel agents work independently and so have relationships with many airlines, hotels, and tour companies. Other agents are employed for a company and only sell their particular vacation packages.
Travel agents are not mere schedulers, however. They also need to have knowledge of the locations to which they send their clients. An agent should be able to recommend sites to visit and offer advice on local customs. The best agents will not only get you to your destination, but will also make sure you know how to get the most out of your trip.
Travel Agent Careers Path
Most travel agents receive training through vocational schools, community colleges, or online courses. These programs teach students about the business aspects particular to the industry as well as geography. A few Bachelor’s and Master’s programs in tourism exist that might be useful to prospective travel agents or those wanted to gain more credibility.
Any extra experience with a foreign language or culture, either by way of education or direct contact, can be very useful for a travel agent. A travel agent should expect to continue her education throughout her career so that she can stay on top of the latest technology and newest travel trends.
Travel Agent Careers Compatible Personality Traits
Highly organized, excellent written and oral communication skills, people person, problem solver, worldly, interest/knowledge of other cultures, willing to work long/odd hours on occasion, works well under pressure,
Travel Agent Careers Salary Expectations
The average salary for a travel agent employed by a company is $30,570 a year, with the middle fifty percent earning between $23,940 and $38,390. While the pay is not as much as other positions that require similar education and skill levels, the obvious benefit that attracts many to the profession is the reduction or elimination of fees for personal travel.
Because travel agents should be knowledgeable of the locations they advertise, many are sent by their company to visit and learn at no cost to themselves.
Those travel agents who are self-employed may earn more or less depending on the commission rates charged and the number of clients. Those with more experience and a larger client base should make more money. Self-employed agents, like their company-employed counterparts, may be able to secure lower rates for personal travel as a benefit.
During economic downturns, however, when fewer people travel, self-employed travel agents may be the hardest hit.
Travel Agent Careers Job Outlook
Because of the internet, potential travelers are able to book their own vacations with ease. Furthermore, they are able to find many of the same deals that only 10-15 years ago they would have needed a travel agent in order to secure, only now without the cost of the agent’s fees. All this means that positions for new travel agents will be fewer in the coming years.
One thing an agent can still offer over the internet, however, is the personal touch. Those agents with better education, who can offer clients their personal and/or in-depth knowledge of a location, and who have excellent people skills should have the best chance of finding steady employment.
Slightly off the Footpath
Source: bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm
