Two distinct types of travel agents are “corporate” and “leisure” agents. The former makes arrangements for companies whose personnel who must travel for their work. The latter books personal vacations for individuals. [2] X Research source Leisure agents may specialize in terms of themes (such as adventure or romantic getaways), destinations (with a thorough knowledge and plenty of advice for their customers), or clientele (catering to those traveling on a budget or those with unlimited means). [3] X Research source
If fine wine is on your list of interests, pair it with areas on your list of destinations that include wine countries, such as France, Italy, or California. London would be an area to focus on if you have a passion for English literature. If you are obsessed with great white sharks, think about Australia, Baja, and South Africa.
Contact other travel agents for quotes to get a rough idea of the going price for the sort of dream trips you would like to offer your own clients. Use this price information to determine what sort of income your clients would need to afford these trips. Factor in any age restrictions that may further narrow your potential client list down. A wine-tasting tour, for example, would most likely eliminate families traveling with children, while cage-diving with sharks might appeal more to younger adults than senior citizens.
Training and certification Registering as a business
GT Trends, Traverse, and YTP Travel Network are prominent professional networks in the industry. Trade-specific publications include Agent@Home, Recommend, Travolution, Travel Agent Central, and Travel Trade.
For example, let’s say that you personally share the same name as Donald Trump. Since a Google search will bury any mention of you online under a million other sites regarding the Don, come up with a business name that does not incorporate your own name in any way. Including the core concept of your speciality in your business name can increase its prominence in keyword searches for those terms. For example, “California Wine Tours” is self-explanatory as well as being the exact phrase someone would Google to find more information about that topic. [8] X Research source
Such registrations as DBA’s are often what is meant by a “travel agent license. ” In this sense of the word “license,” you are essentially paying a nominal fee and filling out some paperwork in order to work from a residence, as opposed to taking classes and passing exams in order to earn a driver’s license.
These steps are not strictly necessary to start your business, but will help keep you organized.
Use social media like Facebook and Twitter to link your business to your existing contacts. Increase your visibility. Ask them to like your website and share your posts so others in their network see you in their own feeds. Ask people you know to refer potential customers to you. Encourage them by offering prizes or thank-you gifts for referrals who end up booking trips with you.
Training Community support Lower overhead
What sort of commission they offer and the method of payment. Which software programs you will need and whether they offer a discount if you purchase the tech through them instead of the open market. The amount of training that is required and what amount of continued education is offered after that. What sort of community support is offered between you, other independent contractors, and the agency itself. Exactly how much you will be charged to sign up, as well as any fees that may be required later on.
Would you rather work for a large company with extensive resources, or a smaller one with DIY spirit and more intimate connections between workers? Are you fine working remotely with people you will never meet, or would you rather work for a local business that occasionally gets together? Does the training that they offer seem to cover everything you need to learn, or do you feel that you will still be overwhelmed afterward?
Courses may be designed to be entirely online, by correspondence, or a combination of the two. Certification is not a legal requirement to be a travel agent, so if the host agency does not offer their own certification process, you can still apply and possibly be hired. If you wish to work for this specific company and boast about being certified at the same time, you can seek certification through organizations like the Travel Institute.
