How to become a Travel Agent : Overview

If you become a travel agent, you'll help travelers, tourists, and business people make the arrangements that get them to their destinations.

Working in tourism

You can become a travel agent with a high school diploma and an online or community college course. Tourism jobs rely more on common sense and social skills than formal education. You'll help tourists plan exciting vacations, so you'll know about cruises and resorts, geography and local attractions. And you'll learn about international travel: customs, passports, group travel packages, and other practical matters.

Becoming a travel agent

If you love to travel you'll love this job--the travel benefits (reduced air fares, low hotel rates) are unbeatable. Unfortunately, many people are booking their own flights on the internet now, so the need for travel agents isn't as great as it used to be. Since competition for tourism jobs is keen, you'll need to have a good general education and travel experiences to make yourself stand out when you look for that job in tourism.

Sources

Occupational Outlook Handbook (bls.gov)
Exploring Careers. JIST Publishing, Inc. 2003.