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Lauregan's
Travel
is
considered a
host
travel agency, which
means we
help
other
travel
agencies
run
their
business.
In fact,
working
with us
is kind
of like
a
purchasing
a
franchise.
Everything
is set
up for
you and
included,
systems
are in
place,
logos
and
names
are
established,
licenses
and
certifications
are
covered,
and
training
and
support
comes
standard.
You may
have
noticed
there
are not
as many
storefront
travel
agencies
nowadays.
The
reason
isn't
that
they
have
gone out
of
business,
it is
because
they
have all
moved
home.
In fact,
home
based
agents
comprise
75% of
all
travel
agents
today.
Of this
75%,
approximately
50%
work
through
a
host
agency.
This
enables
them to
maintain
very low
overhead
for
their
business, receive
special
training,
administrative
support,
and
services
to make
their
jobs
much
easier.
What
does a
home
travel
agent
do?
They act
in much
the same
way a
store
front
travel
agent
does, they
take
care of
travel
arrangements
by:
-
Gathering
information
about
the
client's
needs
and
desires
-
Researching
the
destination
-
Finding
the
best
value
for the
client
-
Making
the
reservations
-
Processing
payments
-
Delivering
travel
documents
and
itineraries
-
Being
available
to help
if an
emergency
arises
while
the
client
is away
-
Following-up
with the
client
when
they
return
-
Marketing
themselves
to
attract
new
clients
The
primary
difference
between
home
based
and
store
front is
you
don't
have
walk-in
clients,
so you
need to
go out
and find
them.
However,
you also
don't
have the
high
costs
and
overhead
store
front
agencies
have.
What
does it
take to
be a
successful
home
travel
agent?
There
are
certain
elements
all
travel
agents
need to
be
successful:
-
Customer
Service
-
Research
and
Education
-
Exploring
and
learning
about
various
destinations
-
Marketing
*Customer
service,
a
cornerstone
for
success
in the
business,
is
perhaps
the most
important.
This
doesn't
necessarily
need to
be
expensive
gifts
and
concierge
services,
though
you can
certainly
do so if
you
like.
It is
more
about
caring
for your
clients.
You need
to be
willing
to learn
about
their
wants
and
needs
and then
do your
best to
give it
to them.
*Research,
exploring,
and
education
can be
done in
a number
of ways
and are
essential
to
growth.
If you
are
serious
about
becoming
a
successful
home
travel
agent,
you'll
need to
learn as
much as
possible
about
the
industry,
various
destinations
and
travel
options,
and
business
practices.
*By
marketing
we don't
mean
spending
several
thousand
dollars
on full
page
magazine
ads.
We
simply
mean
getting
known.
That
could be
as
simple
as a
letter
to your
family
and
friends
announcing
your new
business,
a flyer
passed
around your
neighborhood,
talking
to
people
while
you're
at your
kids
school,
or a
small ad
online.
For more
information
please
read the
following
article
from
www.TheTravelInstitute.com,
the
travel
industry's
main
source
for
education
and
certification:
Considering a Successful Career in Travel?
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| THINK CRISIS MANAGEMENT, CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MARKETING
(Wellesley, MA) A career in the travel industry offers opportunity and allure for those who love to travel. But a career as a travel professional is about much more than perks.
"Choosing to enter the travel industry must be a carefully thought out process," said Alexis Benson, CTA, spokesperson for The Travel Institute. "It's an industry based purely on the wants and needs of the traveling consumer, and persons considering a career move in this direction must enjoy working with people and providing exceptional customer service."
Having a career in travel is first and foremost about providing quality, customer service. You must love working with diverse and often demanding customers. Many customers will seek your advice and guidance, and you must answer their questions knowledgeably and provide a high-level of assistance. The ability to handle problematical situations and provide solutions is also a requirement.
With a career in travel there are opportunities to travel. Familiarization (FAM) trips are organized by tour companies, destinations and resorts to acquaint travel agents with their products. These opportunities are offered to travel agents so that they will have first-hand knowledge of the destination or resort and can pass along their experience to clients who want to purchase a similar trip. FAM trips do cost money, but most are offered at significant discounts available only to travel agents.
Continuing education is a must. The Travel Institute educates and certifies travel professionals at all career stages and offers a wide variety of services and training for those seeking a career in travel. The Travel Institute offers entry-level travel professionals its national TAP Test and Travel Career Development and Exploring the World textbooks. Professional certification programs are available for agents to earn the Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) and Certified Travel Associate (CTA) designations. The Travel Institute also offers the opportunity to become a Destination Specialist through one of its programs that educate travel agents on all aspects of a particular destination. Courses may be completed on an independent, self-study basis or through a licensed travel school. Further information on The Travel Institute's various programs or enrollment can be found on The Travel Institute's website at www.thetravelinstitute.com or by calling toll-free 800-542-4282.
After receiving certification, there are several areas of the industry to pursue a career in travel. Many travel professionals choose to work for large, well-known travel operators that offer branch locations nationwide. Most large, national and international travel companies typically offer employees continued training and support throughout the stages of their career. Other options include working for small, independent travel agencies, where the owner or manager can teach you the industry in a more intimate setting, or to become a home-based travel agent. In this case, many home-based travel agents join a network of independent travel professionals that offers technical and marketing support.
Promoting yourself is essential in today's travel industry. Successful travel professionals are skilled marketers, in addition to savvy travel planners. They work with preferred travel suppliers or companies who offer commissions for booking with them frequently. Travel agents also book cruises, which in turn offer additional opportunities for sales commissions. Additionally, some agents specialize in or target niche markets, such as adventure travel or family travel, and eventually become experts in these fields. Agents also concentrate on customizing trips for particular clients such as business travelers, and then charge service fees for their expertise. Finally, agents can attract clients through their Web sites. By marketing their travel expertise or special packages online, clients contact them through e-mail, fax or phone.
Although the Internet is a convenient research tool, the travel industry is discovering that travelers still prefer the type of personalized service that one-on-one interaction with a travel professional offers--especially when making major vacation purchases.
The travel industry offers a wide variety of rewarding positions. Travel agents, in particular, will remain on the forefront of satisfying the wants of a rapidly-expanding market who are eager to experience the world. The Travel Institute can provide training for those interested in starting a travel career. For more information, visit www.thetravelinstitute.com or call 800-542-4282. |
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