Travel Agent

Travel agents normally work for travel agencies and give their clients advice on travel destinations, services and products. They can make hotel accommodations, arrange transportation, and car rentals, book tours and advise the client on tourist attractions. They use computers to access information regarding cost, schedules, and routes and confirm a client's reservation. They distribute airline tickets, train tickets and other tickets, itineraries and travel insurance polices to the customer. If any of the travel plans change, they notify the client and make other arrangements. For international travelers, they offer advice on passports, customs regulations, visas, money exchange rates and vaccination certificates.

Although many travel agents work for travel agencies, they can also work for car rental agencies, airlines, cruise lines, tour companies, government run tourism boards, railways, travel insurance companies, independently or for hotels. Travel agents spend the majority of their time working in offices working behind a desk on the computer or telephone, completing paperwork, conferring with clients and making travel arrangements.

Travel agents require excellent communication and customer service skills, are meticulous and well organized, have good computer and sales skills and work well when under pressure. They should have an outgoing personality, be courteous, trustworthy, pleasant, and respectful and possess a great deal of patience, even when working under stress. Many travel agencies require an agent to have postsecondary education from a business school, university, vocational school or college in hospitality or tourism and travel, with courses lasting anywhere from a few months up to three plus years.

Common work activities include:

• Schedule appointments with clients or meet with walk-in clients to arrange vacations and organize travel plans.
• Using various computer software programs to check various flight dates and times, arrange accommodations, book rental cars or even arrange limousine service if required.
• Make proposals to clients to limit the cost of travel or to offer special reduced rates to customers that meet requirements for sales or reduced fares.
• Complete final books, arrange for ticket delivery and confirm all aspects of the travel arrangements with the various agencies and the customer.
• Notify customers of any passport issues or other items of concern that may affect travel such as medical records or restrictions for travel.
• Collect fees associated with booking travel arrangements, provide customers with a copy of the itinerary and make any required changes if the need arises.

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