Travel agents help their clients select travel destinations and assist with the related travel, entertainment and lodging arrangements.Responsibilities
- Depending on the needs of their clients, travel agents perform a wide range of travel preparations. This can include booking lodging, booking transportation, arranging entertainment and establishing itineraries. Travel agents also advise clients on local attractions, climate, customs and anything else that concerns their trip.
General Requirements
- Travel agent jobs do not necessarily require any formal training, though preference is given to candidates who have completed a travel agent training program. Knowledge of geography and personal travel experience can also prove helpful for beginning travel agents.
For Independant Travel Agents
- For travel agents starting their own business, affiliations with the Airlines Reporting Corporation and the International Airlines Travel Agency Network are considered crucial in establishing a successful travel agency.
Job Prospects
- Due to the increase of "do it yourself" online travel booking sites and the relative ease of online travel research, employment for travel agents is expected to stay roughly the same or even decline 1 percent from 2008 through 2018.
Compensation
- Compensation for travel agents depends on agency size, location and experience. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average 2008 annual income for travel agents was $30,570.
Read more: Job Description for a Travel Agent | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5921263_job-description-travel-agent.html#ixzz1gns13bsj
