Travel Agents

Travel agents help tourists sort through huge  amounts of information to help them build the top possible travel planning. They present  suggestion on destinations and build  planning for transportation, hotel accommodations, car rentals, and tours for their clients. They are also the most important source of bookings for most of the major cruise lines. In addition, resorts and specialty travel groups use travel agents to promote travel packages to their clients.

Travel agents are also ever more expected to know about and be capable  to give an opinion travelers about their destinations, such as the weather conditions, local ordinances and customs, attractions, and exhibitions. For those traveling internationally, agents also present information on customs regulations, required papers (passports, visas, and certificates of vaccination), travel advisories, and currency exchange rates. In the event of changes in itinerary in the middle of a trip, travel agents intercede on the traveler’s behalf to make alternate booking arrangements.

Travel agents use a kind of published and computer-based sources for information on variation and arrival times, fares, quality of hotel accommodations, and group discounts. They may also visit hotels, resorts, and restaurants themselves to evaluate the comfort, cleanliness, and the quality of specific hotels and restaurants so that they can base recommendations on their own experiences or those of colleagues or clients.

Travel Agents

  • Nature of the Work
  • Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
  • Employment
  • Job Outlook
  • Projections Data
  • Earnings
  • OES Data
  • Related Occupations
  • Sources of Additional Information
     

Significant Points

  • Travel benefits, such as reduced rates for transportation and lodging, attract people to this occupation.
  • Training at a postsecondary vocational school, college, or university is increasingly important.
  • Travel agents increasingly specialize in specific destinations or by type of travel or traveler