Courses to Become a Travel Agent
- A good travel agent course will explain the basic history, help the student match travelers with the right products, learn the airline reservation systems, and learn how to help travelers get proper documentation. Prospective travel agents also will learn how the various transportation systems work, hotel pricing and ratings, cruises, tours, marketing, bookings and making/changing reservations.
- Most agents learn required skills, like using the reservation system, on the job. Higher education is not required, though college training and business or travel experience can be beneficial.
- Many courses offer lessons that discuss different scenarios a tour director may face. An agent, and tour director, must be prepared to help clients with any booking or travel problems, and be able to advise travelers where to obtain assistance in replacing documents, reporting a crime, or getting local assistance at a destination.
- Courses on becoming a travel agent can be found in adult education programs, on-line, at community and some secondary colleges.
- The National Business Travel Association offers training for corporate travel agents at the Expert, Executive and Professional levels. The Travel Institute offers courses for Travel Counselor certification, plus sales, marketing and destination specialist programs.
