A Career As A Travel Agent

I chose Travel Agent as my occupation because I have been fortunate enough to travel to France to visit family since I was young. I formed a love for French culture, language and cuisine. I want to be a travel agent because it will give me the chance to pass on my knowledge and interest in France and Europe. It will also give me a chance to be creative with the itineraries I put together. I like that a travel agent is trained to know how and where to find the best deals for their clients. Agents ask for client preferences and needs and they do the best with what you give them. I also would like to help clients when they 're not sure where they want to go. I would also enjoy having the chance to go to destinations observing the lodging, restaurants,

A travel agent gathers client information and based on his or her industry knowledge, skills and professional experience. They recommend how best to handle travel demands. I interviewed Dee Starkovich, who is the owner and manager of Exclusive Travel in Aurora, IL. Dee explained "I chose a career as a travel agent because I like geography, I am detail oriented and I get excited for clients when I send them to destinations. I love learning about new places because every single day you learn something new." The occupational wage in Illinois for travel agents in May 2015 was $38,550.However; it depends on what city you work in. For example, in Los Angeles the salary of a travel agent is $48,692 per year. The average pay for a travel agent in New York is $36,172. People in this job generally do not have more than 20 years of experience. I learned most people with this job move on to other positions after 10 years in the field. Travel agents earn money from the travel agencies they serve and the travel vendors they market. That is proportionate to a number of factors; types of travel they handle, types of clients they serve and the level of expertise they can offer. Now consumers and businesses have a growing reliance on the Internet, meaning travel agents aren 't the only one with the ability to book travel. Consumers can access fares, comparison shop and book

She said “travel agent salaries are measured by experience, and regarding the education aspect. I do require someone to have a degree in travel and tourism or have recent experience in a travel agency. Especially with the Apollo/Galileo GDS system (internet-based booking system), anyone that I interview has to go through a computer test during the interview." As the interview went on she told me about her education "I started out wanting to be a teacher at the University of Illinois. However, I liked learning about new places. I was a closet travel agent for my family. I researched and planned routes for our trips. I was working at Jewel-Osco when I figured out what I wanted to do. Two other women and I attended College of DuPage and received Associates Degrees in Travel and Tourism. After 5 years in the business I chose to get a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) license." To achieve that she had to complete a program of rigorous training and testing, CTC 's must continue their professional education and remain current on industry trends in order to maintain certification. In general a high school diploma is typically required for someone to become a travel agent; nowadays many employers prefer additional training under your belt. Furthermore she told me about her previous experience "before we opened up the agency, I interviewed