Dear willardmo,
Travel Agent could be a great and fun profession - it does not only
involves giving service to people with a smile (after all they are
going for a holiday), but also - trying out many resorts yourself!
The American Society of Travel Agents has most of the information
you're looking for. They have a brochure on becoming a travel agent,
with addresses of schools, correspondence courses ("Becoming an Agent
Information Packet" <http://www.astanet.com/education/pdf_education/Becoming%20an%20Agent%20Info%20Packet.pdf>
PDF - requires "Acrobat Reader").
To be a travel agent you require education. A beginning travel agent
usually has a certificate ("Certified Travel Associate"). However,
this doesn't have to be inbound education, and can also be
correspondence course. You later take the Travel Agent Proficiency
Test (TAP).
As for the courses, I refer you to a very good list at this site
<"Choosing a Travel School"
http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/1896/Travelagent.html#Choosing>
(I don't copy it for copyright reasons). There's also a very good list
of schools by state in Exclusive Travel Net
<http://www.exclusivetvlnet.com/marketing/schools/schools_by_state.htm>
. When choosing a school, beware of scams (see also
ttp://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/1896/Travelagent.html#Choosing)
In some US States, you also must be licensed; California, Delaware,
Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Mass., NY, Ohio, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington.
You basically have three possibilities: You can choose to work from
home or from a travel agency, as an employee, or as the owner of the
agency.
A travel agency must be appointed by a service provider (for example:
an airline, a hotel chain) to sell their products. You can be also
appointed (and that is the case in many agencies) by a body that
organizes several such businesses together, such as the ARC (airline
Reporting Corporation). The minimum amount to get an ARC appointment
is $20,000. You also need licence in some states, as well as
specialised computer programs. You can find more information in
another brochure, "Opening a Travel Agency "
<http://www.astanet.com/education/pdf_education/Agency%20Info%20Packet.pdf>
Further Information
===================
American Society of Travel Agents, "Becoming a Travel Agent"
www.astanet.com/education/edu_becoming.asp
A highly recommended page is
<http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/1896/Travelagent.html#faq>
with answers to your questions.
So...You Want to Be a Travel Agent : An Introduction to Domestic
Travel
Douglas A. Payette, Douglass A. Payette
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0133260003/ltc-political
Travel Agent Wilma Boyd
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0139300589/ltc-political
How to Become a Spare Time Travel Agent
Stan Volin http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0960092226/ltc-political
Exclusive Travel Net, "Becoming a Travel Agent"
<http://www.exclusivetvlnet.com/marketing/schools/becoming.htm">
Sites in this Google Directory:
http://directory.google.com/Top/Business/Industries/Hospitality/Travel/Training/
Discussion on the subject in google groups:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&th=e51bebc75dfe8e6a&rnum=4
(group: rec.travel.misc:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&group=rec.travel.misc).
Also try my search, for "how to become a travel agent"
<://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22how+to+become+a+travel+agent%22>
I think that answered your question. However, if you feel you need
clarifications, don't hesitate to ask. I'd be pleased to answer every
clarification before you rate the question! Good luck with the new
profession! |
