Travel agents are specialists who make the best possible travel arrangements to fit the requirements and budgets of individuals or groups traveling anywhere in the world. A travel agent can provide a client with plane tickets and a hotel reservation or can plan a trip down to the last detail—guided tours, rental car, passports and visas, currency exchange rates.
Many services of a travel agency are provided free of charge to the customer with a service fee charged only for complicated travel and lodging arrangements.
Although personal travel experience is part of a successful agent's background, travel agents do not spend most of their time traveling and vacationing. They are usually found behind a desk talking to a customer or completing necessary paperwork or on the phone making airline, ship, or hotel reservations. Agents also speak to social and special interest groups—often presenting slide or movie presentations of vacation tours—or meet with business executives to plan company-sponsored trips and business travel.
Some large companies whose employees do a great deal of traveling employ experienced travel agents in-house to make all the company's travel arrangements.
Places of Employment and Working Conditions
Travel agents work throughout the country, but most job opportunities are in urban areas.
During vacation seasons, travel agents may work under a great deal of pressure. They frequently have to work long hours.
Qualifications, Education, and Training
A travel agent is basically a sales representative and, as such, should have patience and a pleasant personality, like to deal with the public, and be willing to work with the hard-to-please customer as well as the timid or inexperienced traveler.
Travel experience is another important qualification for a travel agent. This is an asset when applying for a job in this field but can also be acquired during the years of training. Being able to speak from personal experience, an agent can provide more comprehensive advice to clients.
Part-time or summer jobs as a receptionist or reservation clerk in a travel agency or working as an airline ticket clerk can provide valuable experience.
Some travel agents receive on-the-job training, but more formal training is becoming important for travel agents. Many vocational schools offer three- to twelve-week full-time programs as well as evening and Saturday programs. Courses for travel agents are sometimes offered in public adult education classes and in community and four-year colleges. A few colleges offer bachelor's and master's degrees in travel and tourism. Home study courses are also available from either the American Society of Travel Agents or the Institute of Certified Travel Agents.
Three states, Ohio, Hawaii, and California, require registration of travel agents, and Rhode Island requires licensing. In California, travel agents not approved by a corporation are required to be licensed.
Potential and Advancement
The travel industry is sensitive to fluctuations in the economy. The price and availability of gasoline also have an effect on the travel industry because rapidly rising fuel costs could make a significant difference in the price of travel. Furthermore, growing numbers of Americans are relying on online resources rather than travel agents to book their trips, and this shows. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for travel agents will drop by 12 percent between 2014 and 2024. Job prospects for those in the field will be bleak.
Income
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for travel agents was $35,660 in 2015.
