How to become a Travel Agent

Have you ever thought about becoming an independent travel agent? This was an amazing decision I made last year and it has greatly benefited our family financially. It has also given us the opportunity to grow my blog, take more trips together as a family, and meet new like-minded people along the way.

After being a travel agent for several months, I decided to start coaching other travel agents in growing their own business. As their team leader I can give them all of the resources, coaching calls, and guidance to not just learn but help them navigate the different skills needed with growing their business and speaking with clients.

Why You Should Become a Travel Agent

If you love to travel and also plan trips for your family and friends, then this is the job for you! As a travel blogger I am always creating itineraries and helping others plan their vacation. When I found out I can get paid to plan trips to amazing destinations for others, I was blown away.

Becoming a travel agent opens many doors and the best one is to travel. By becoming a travel agent you can learn about different destinations and plan trips for your clients while getting paid a nice commission for each trip you plan for them.

Of course, becoming a travel agent is not a good fit for everyone but if travel is something that you are passionate about then it may be the best fit for you! Afterall, when you’re working, you want to do something you love doing.

The video below tells you more details about the business

How to Save Money as a Travel Agent

As a travel agent you can save money on your own trips as well making it more affordable for you to travel to those bucket list destinations. This means that you will make a commission on the trips you book for yourself. There is also something called Familiarization Trips, also known as FAM trips, that some company will open for travel agents so they can familiarize themselves with that destination, cruise, resort, etc. There is usually an agent rate for these types of trips and it all varies by vendors.

How to Earn Money as a Travel Agent

There are many ways to earn money as a travel agent. The main way to earn money is by making the reservations for your client on their behalf and handling all of the customer service and travel research that many people dread doing. You can also provide additional services to your client like creating custom travel itineraries, doing additional reservations for like certain restaurants, events, museums, concerts, etc… or any other travel related services you would like to provide on top of the commissioned scope of work. When working with us, you will earn 80% of your commission. This is the highest paid commission in the travel industry right now which is amazing.

What Formal Training is Needed to Become a Travel Agent

The best part of becoming a travel agent is that you don’t need any prior training. All training is provided and as your coach, I will guide you every step of the way. My goal is to help you learn everything there is to know about this business and guiding you every step of the way.

We provides numerous trainings and ongoing webinars and events to help you learn more about travel. They provide webinars and even in-person events where you can learn more about a specific preferred partner or vendor so you can provide better insights and travel guidance for your clients.

Additional Courses for Becoming a Travel Agent

Many preferred partners that we are partnered with also have their own individual trainings so you can learn more about them from the comfort of your own home. There is also destination trainings that you can take to learn more about that specific travel destination. I recently completed a few including Orlando, Disney, Jamaica, and a few others.

By learning more in-depth about the different vendors and destinations, I am able to provide a better planned trip for my clients. And even if you still have questions, we have a very amazing team that helps each other out.

What Kind of Trips Can I Book?

We are partnered with over 130+ vendors meaning that you have many options to book travel for your clients. Some of the trips that you can book are:

Hotels
Vacation Rentals
Cruises
Walt Disney World and Disneyland
All-Inclusive Resorts
Honeymoon
Weddings
Business Travel/Corporate Travel
Amusement parks
Train Travel
Car Rentals
Concerts and Event Tickets
Excursions, Tours, Museums, etc…
Airport parking and transfers

and so much more!!!

What Vendors Do You Work With?

There are so many amazing vendors that you can work with to help plan the perfect trip for your clients. As mentioned before, there are over 130+ preferred partners to choose from for your trip. I know that number may seem overwhelming at first but they are all for different types of trips and different parts of your trip.

Here are some of the vendors:

- Disney
- Carnival
- Royal Caribbean
- MSC Cruises
- Universal Studios
- Hilton
- Marriott
- Sandals
- Delta Vacations
- Hertz
- The Parking Spot
- Amtrak Vacations
- RIU Hotels and Resorts
- Rocky Mountaineer
- Margaritaville
- Visit Orlando
- Virgin Voyages
and many more…

Who Will Be My Travel Agent Mentor or Coach?

Me! Hi, I’m Erika Gonzalez and I will be your travel agent mentor, coach, and team leader. I will be running alongside you the entire way. Not just at the beginning but the entire time! I’m here to lead you, guide you, teach you, and cheer you on on your journey!

Can I Learn More About The Business and How It Works?

Yes! Of course you can. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible with making this decision of starting your own business so I want to share as much information as possible with you from the very beginning.

There are two sides to this business. There is Archer which is for becoming a travel agent and running your own remote travel agency from home. Then there is Evolution which is to become a coach and mentor for your own team of travel agents. Please not this is OPTIONAL and NEVER manadory to do. Since we are 1 of the top travel agencies out there with our travel sales, that should say it all.

Do I Have To Have My Own Team of Travel Agent?

Not at all! You don’t have to have your own team. That part of the business is completely optional. However, if you want to start your own team of travel agents down the road you can join then. Not everyone wants to have their own team or feels comfortable with the idea of it so it’s completely optional. You don’t have to do both to be a successful travel agent and run your own remote travel agency business from your home.

What are the Costs of Becoming a Travel Agent? And What Does It Cover?

To sign up to be a remote travel agent it’s $89.99 USD montly fee. This covers your insurance just in case anything happens and someone tries to get a refund from their trip. It also covers documents, trainings, a back office, access to all of the preferred booking partners and the trainings that the partners provide as well. And most importantly, it give you a CLIA and IATA number to use for your business so you are able to book these trips and get paid for them. A CLIA number allows you to book cruises for your clients and an IATA number allows your to book hotels, resorts, flights, etc… Best of all, there is a 10 Day Money Back Guarantee.

Before Signing Up to Become a Travel Agent or Mentor

Before I started on my travel agent journey I sat on the idea in my mind for a few months. I wanted to make sure it was the right fit for me and my family.

I get it. Starting a new business is a big decision and a financial investment. If you want to have a more one on one conversation with me, I’m open to it. You can always private message me as well as joining my facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/learn2beatravelagent or even schedule a call together where you can ask me all of your questions. I want you to feel comfortable about your decision and I want to help guide you and find that peace of mind before committing to this new journey.

Summary on How To Become an Independent Travel Agent

Being an independent and remote travel agent is such an amazing opportunity if travel is something you are passionate about. It’s not a get rich quick scheme but has such an amazing potential to bring a steady income into your home. Best of all, as your business grows so does your income. Our team of independent travel agents are very engaging and motivating always helping each other grow and answering any questions that may arise. To make things even more fun, we have travel agent retreats and other events to help you not just grow your business but to meet like-minded people.

So if you’re considering on becoming a travel agent and have any questions please feel free to reach out to me. I would love to help answer any questions you may have and most of all, get to know you as a person.

I will also encourage you to add yourself to our facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/learn2beatravelagent

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