Any advice for possible future career in the travel industry

[MarthaJr.]

I was just hoping there might be a few travel agents out there willing to share an honest opinion on whether or not it is a good time to pursue a career in the travel industry.

I'm considering an online travel and tourism specialist course and am curious as to whether others in the industry would recommend this type of course or a more traditional community college type course.

Any thoughts??

 

[ProgressCity]

I've spent time as a travel agent and it can be an incredibly hard business to be in. With the growth of the internet and the ease of booking travel yourself, many people see TAs to be obsolete. How many times do you travel? How many of those times have you used a TA? Now ask the next 20 people you see those 2 questions and really think about the answers. Travel is low right now as it has been for the last several years so there's not a lot of work to go around for TAs.

However, if it's something that you're passionate about and you just have to go for it, then do it. My advice would be to pick a very specific niche, such as WDW, and work that niche. Specialize in an area and really provide value. Why should people book through you instead of doing it themselves? In the case of WDW you may be able to provide valuable advice for first timers that would make you worth your commission. Work in an area where you know you can add value and be an asset to your clients and you'll find yourself making the kind of money a good asset makes. If you make yourself out to be basically a travel assistant who will just book online for you and do nothing else, then expect to make what you think someone that does such mindless work would make. (Your commission is the same regardless, but if you're a real asset you'll have an easier time getting business, getting repeat business, and getting referrals.)

If it's not something you're really passionate about and you're just looking for a way to make some extra money or more money than you are now, I would definitely look into some other options before going down the TA route.