Experience, sales ability, and the size and location of the agency determine the salary of a travel agent. Median annual earnings of travel agents were $26,630 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $20,800 and $33,580. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $16,530, while the top 10 percent earned more than $41,660.
Salaried agents usually enjoy standard employer-paid benefits that self-employed agents must provide for themselves. Among agencies, those focusing on corporate sales pay higher salaries and provide more extensive benefits, on average, than do those that focus on leisure sales. When they travel for personal reasons, agents usually get reduced rates for transportation and accommodations. In addition, agents sometimes take "familiarizationÓ trips, at no cost to themselves, to learn about various vacation sites. These benefits attract many people to this occupation.
Earnings of travel agents who own their agencies depend mainly on commissions from travel-related bookings and service fees they charge clients. Often it takes time to acquire a sufficient number of clients to have adequate earnings, so it is not unusual for new self-employed agents to have low earnings. Established agents may have lower earnings during economic downturns.
Constantly changing airfares and schedules, thousands of available vacation packages, and a vast amount of travel information on the Internet can make travel planning frustrating and time-consuming. To sort out the many travel options, tourists and business people often turn to travel agents, who assess their needs and help them make the best possible travel arrangements. Also, many major cruise lines, resorts, and specialty travel groups use travel agents to promote travel packages to millions of people every year.
In general, travel agents give advice on destinations and make arrangements for transportation, hotel accommodations, car rentals, tours, and recreation. They also may advise on weather conditions, restaurants, tourist attractions, and recreation. For international travel, agents also provide information on customs regulations, required papers (passports, visas, and certificates of vaccination), and currency exchange rates.
Travel agents consult a variety of published and computer-based sources for information on departure and arrival times, fares, and hotel ratings and accommodations. They may visit hotels, resorts, and restaurants to evaluate comfort, cleanliness, and quality of food and service so that they can base recommendations on their own travel experiences or those of colleagues or clients.
Travel agents also promote their services, using telemarketing, direct mail, and the Internet. They make presentations to social and special-interest groups, arrange advertising displays, and suggest company-sponsored trips to business managers. Depending on the size of the travel agency, an agent may specialize by type of travel, such as leisure or business, or destination, such as Europe or Africa.
.Employment of travel agents is expected to decline through 2012. Most openings will occur as experienced agents transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force. Because of the projected decline and the fact that a number of people are attracted by the travel benefits associated with this occupation, keen competition for jobs is expected.
An increasing reliance on the Internet to book travel, as well as industry consolidation, will continue to reduce the need for travel agents. The Internet increasingly allows people to access travel information from their personal computers, enabling them to research and plan their own trips, make their own reservations and travel arrangements, and purchase their own tickets. Also, airlines no longer pay commissions to travel agencies, which has reduced revenues and caused some agencies to go out of business. However, many consumers still prefer to use a professional travel agent to ensure reliability, to save time, and, in some cases, to save money.
Moderating the employment decline, however, are projections for increased spending on tourism and travel over the next decade. With rising household incomes, smaller families, and an increasing number of older people who are more likely to travel, more people are expected to travel on vacation—and to do so more frequently—than in the past. Business travel also should bounce back from recession and terrorism related lows as business activity expands. Further, as U.S. businesses open more foreign operations, and businesses, in general, increasingly sell their goods and services worldwide, more business travel is anticipated.
There are other factors spurring demand for travel agents that will moderate any decline. Most notable is the increasing affordability of air travel. Greater competition between airlines, especially from low-cost carriers, has resulted in bringing airfares within the budgets of more people. In addition, American travel agents now organize more tours for the growing number of foreign visitors. Also, travel agents often are able to offer various travel packages at a substantial discount.
The travel business is sensitive to economic downturns and international political crises, when travel plans are likely to be deferred. Therefore, the number of job opportunities for travel agents fluctuates. The best opportunities will be for those travel agents that can utilize the Internet for their own operations to reduce costs and better compete with travel suppliers.
.The minimum requirement for those interested in becoming a travel agent is a high school diploma or equivalent. Technology and computerization are having a profound effect on the work of travel agents, however, and formal or specialized training is increasingly important. Many vocational schools offer full-time travel agent programs that last several months, as well as evening and weekend programs. Travel agent courses also are offered in public adult education programs and in community and 4-year colleges. A few colleges offer bachelorÕs or masterÕs degrees in travel and tourism. Although few college courses relate directly to the travel industry, a college education sometimes is desired by employers to establish a background in fields such as computer science, geography, communication, foreign languages, and world history. Courses in accounting and business management also are important, especially for those who expect to manage or start their own travel agencies.
The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) offers a correspondence course that provides a basic understanding of the travel industry. Travel agencies also provide on-the-job training for their employees, a significant part of which consists of computer instruction. All employers require computer skills of workers whose jobs involve the operation of airline and centralized reservation systems.
Experienced travel agents can take advanced self-study or group-study courses from the Travel Institute that lead to the Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) designation. The Travel Institute also offers marketing and sales skills development programs and destination specialist programs, which provide a detailed knowledge of regions such as North America, Western Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Rim.
Personal travel experience or experience as an airline reservation agent is an asset because knowledge about a city or foreign country often helps to influence a clientÕs travel plans. Patience and the ability to gain the confidence of clients also are useful qualities. Travel agents must be well-organized, accurate, and meticulous to compile information from various sources and plan and organize their clientsÕ travel itineraries. As the Internet has become an important tool for making travel arrangements, more travel agencies are using Web sites to provide their services to clients. This trend has increased the importance of computer skills in this occupation. Other desirable qualifications include good writing, interpersonal, and sales skills.
Some employees start as reservation clerks or receptionists in travel agencies. With experience and some formal training, they can take on greater responsibilities and eventually assume travel agent duties. In agencies with many offices, travel agents may advance to office manager or to other managerial positions.
Those who start their own agencies generally have had experience in an established agency. Before they can receive commissions, these agents usually must gain formal approval from suppliers or corporations, such as airlines, ship lines, or rail lines. The Airlines Reporting Corporation and the International Airlines Travel Agency Network, for example, are the approving bodies for airlines. To gain approval, an agency must be financially sound and employ at least one experienced manager or travel agent.
There are no Federal licensing requirements for travel agents. However, nine States—California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington—require some form of registration or certification of retail sellers of travel services. More information may be obtained by contacting the Office of the Attorney General or Department of Commerce in each State.
.Travel agents organize and schedule business, educational, or recreational travel or activities. Other workers with similar responsibilities include tour and travel guides, and reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks.
For further information on training opportunities, contact:
For information on training and certification qualifications, contact:
Working at home in your own home-based travel agency is one of the most exciting business opportunities available to the home-based entrepreneur. It can be done full-time, part-time, on a regular basis or just occasionally. Becoming a travel agent is actually very easy. Yet it is difficult to get reliable, unbiased information about how to start, operate, and succeed in your home-based travel agency. That's why I set up this site and created my Home Study Course.
Summary of: http://www.hometravelagency.com/
Read on to understand the real reason that the airlines are keen to drive you away from travel agents and to force you to deal directly with them. You get the Agent you deserve. Tell David your opinion. You may freely reproduce or distribute this article as long as you give credit to me as original writer.
Summary of: http://www.thetravelinsider.info/2002/0329.htm
Travel - flights, hotels, car rentals, and destination guides. Acuity Vision Travel - tour packages, airline tickets, and travel information from participating agencies. Asiaflyer - travel management company offering tour packages, hotel reservations, and ticketing. Atrium Eco Travel - specialising in ecotourism, adventure travel, unique resorts, and special interest tours in Asia. Easytickets - offers promotional airfares and tour packages.
Summary of: http://sg.dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Singapore/Business_and_Economy/Shopping_and_Services/Travel_and_Transportation/Agents/
Industry consolidation and increasing use of the Internet to book travel will result in a decline in the employment of travel agents. To sort out the many travel options, tourists and business people often turn to travel agents, who assess their needs and help them make the best possible travel arrangements. Also, many major cruise lines, resorts, and specialty travel groups use travel agents to promote travel packages to millions of people every year. More than 8 out of 10 agents worked for travel agencies. Experienced travel agents can take advanced self-study or group-study courses from the Travel Institute that lead to the Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) designation.
Summary of: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm
A business that attends to the details of transportation, itinerary, and accommodations for travelers. What they do Travel agencies have been organized mostly since the start of commercial aviation although Thomas Cook was an early, pre-flight pioneer. Some travel agent companies operate with a chain of stores, such as Carlson Wagonlit; others are one store operations. Travel agencies do not sell airline tickets only; their services vary, and many of them sell more cruise ship packages than airline tickets. Most travel agencies also arrange car rental deals for their customers, and many concentrate on arranging charter or group trips to different destinations.
Summary of: http://www.answers.com/topic/travel-agency
Industry consolidation and increasing use of the Internet to book travel will result in a decline in the employment of travel agents. Travel Agent Career Overview Advanced schooling, such as an associateÕs or bachelorÕs degree, is becoming more and more important to securing positions in this industry. Travel agents work for both individual tourists and big businesses, and they assess their clientÕs travel needs, look at the possibilities, and make agendas for them. Travel agents might work for other types of clients as well, including cruise lines, resorts, hotels, or travel groups. They also help clients plan for weather conditions, recreational activities, or travel insurance.
Summary of: http://www.careeroverview.com/travel-agent-careers.html
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Summary of: http://www.visitnepal.com/travelagents/
A good travel agent will know when a small change in your schedule can save you a lot of money. If you buy direct from the airline, you may not find out such information, since they will only quote you the rates for the times you ask. So if you're going to use a travel agent, make sure that you find one who is willing (and able) to search through the morass of fares and restrictions to find a good deal for you. If the airlines goes bankrupt within 10 days of the purchase of the ticket, the agency may not have paid the airline yet (they are allowed 10 days to do so), so you can ask them for a refund. Airlines sell heavily discounted tickets only through consolidators, not direct to the passenger.
Summary of: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part2/section-1.html
They are invaluable when it comes to booking domestic and international flights and in finding ground transportation and tours. A good travel agency will make sure all the details of your excursion are taken care of ahead of time and that your journey goes off without a hitch. Nautica Galapagos - offers excellent deals on Galapagos cruises and Galapagos diving. Also offering Ecuador one day tours in Quito and Guayaquil, two days tours including Otavalo market and Cotopaxi volcano, Amazon jungle tours and land tours. Experience all of Ecuador and the Galapagos with Nautica, our staff will ensure that it is the vacation of a lifetime.
Summary of: http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/travel_agencies.html
'I bought my ticket cheaper on the internet' has become a common catch-cry amongst travelers. But, how does a person ever know, for sure, that they truly did pay the lowest price for the itinerary that they wanted. To truly find the very best possible fare, it is necessary to do the same things that a travel agent would do. A travel agent can, should, and, depending on the preferences of their client, usually does evaluate all of these things in only a few short minutes. Different airline for entire itinerary It goes without saying that some airlines (eg United, American) are generally more expensive than other airlines (eg Southwest, Jet Blue).
Summary of: http://www.thetravelinsider.info/2002/0614.htm