Travel Agent Training
Anyone planning a career as a travel agent will need to start by taking a training course. Travel agent training can be taken through classroom study at a local college or learning centre, or through a wide variety of distance and online learning programs. Trained travel agents can go on to work in a travel agency or become Outside Sales Agents, who work from home and are sponsored by a travel agency that pays them a commission for their successful bookings. Travel agents are responsible for booking air and ground transport for their clients, reserving hotel rooms, and recommending tourism packages. They also keep clients informed about what will be required for their trip such as passports, insurance or inoculations.
Regardless of the teaching method, basic travel agent training will teach students how to book air and ground travel using a computer reservation system. Courses may focus on a specific systems such as WORLDSPAN, APOLLO, and SABRE or may teach principles that can be applied to any program. Travel agent training also involves learning how to match customers with the right vacation package, understanding travel geography, learning about what is required to travel abroad, and finding out how hotels, resorts and tours are rated and priced. After completing basic training, travel agents can also train to specialize in a particular area such as group travel, family travel, travel for the disabled, ecotourism, or adventure travel.
While you don't need any specific educational background before you start travel agent training, many instructors advise that previous geography, foreign language and computer courses can be an asset. As a travel agent you will be dealing with members of the public everyday. Experience in customer service, speech or drama classes can help to improve your communication skills. In most cases, a travel agent doesn't want to just make one sale. They want to make sure their client has such a positive experience that they'll become a repeat customer. To achieve this a travel agent needs to be a good listener and will benefit from travelling extensively. Customers have more confidence in an agent who describes various parts of the world from first hand experience, than in one who just reads them facts from a brochure.
When choosing travel agent training, the first step must be finding out what the requirements are in your area. Although there is no official certification required to be a working travel agent, many parts of the world do require registration or certification from a qualified organization. Contact your state or province's Consumer Affairs office or try visiting a local travel agency for more information about local requirements.
In some areas, agents are expected to be members of The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) or The Canadian Institute of Travel Councillors (CITC). Membership in these organizations requires a certain level of training and experience and allows agents to be eligible for commission on various bookings they make. Customers are often looking for agents with ASTA or CITC membership because these organizations are known for supporting consumer rights in travel related matters. Therefore, you may want to look for training programs that are ASTA or CITC approved.