With the rise of Internet, many people can comparison shop on travel deals with ease and make travel arrangements directly. Many others, however, still want professional help with the intricate airfare rules, and many need guidance making complicated trips.
Cash-strapped airlines, however, have been putting a squeeze on the commission they've traditionally paid travel agents. Some are experimenting with eliminating it. As a result, many agents add a fee to the price of an air ticket for their service.
To survive and make up for lost revenue, some travel agents are specializing in areas of the industry that can be more profitable, such as business travel, cruises, packaged tours and all-inclusive vacations.
How to Become a Travel Agent
Travel is still an attractive career field for many. As a travel agent, you'll know how to find travel bargains, and many agents manage to get away frequently. From time to time, a destination might wine and dine agents on a "fam" or familiarization trip, letting them travel free or at a substantial discount so they can get to know the destination and sell it to their clients.Because a travel agent job is attractive, it's competitive. In addition, nine states require some form of registration or certification. A travel agent school or online travel agent training can get you prepared for a career and show you how to work the airline and centralized reservation systems that run the industry.
Tourism Grows Worldwide
As the American population gets older and retires, travel is predicted to increase further. People may use travel agents less, but as they travel more, the tourism job field should expand. An online travel and tourism degree can be useful entree for getting other travel related jobs, such as a concierge, tour leader or tour packager.Sources
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Travel Agent Job <http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm>
