Travel Agents Don’t Sell Travel

Hello again.  We’re taking a break from our regularly scheduled programming to talk about what it really means to be a travel agent.  When I talk to people about what I do (marketing and business development for a company that supports travel agents) I often get the same response –Do people use travel agents anymore?  Now if this was 2008 when the economy exploded in the worst way I would say no.  But that’s because people weren’t really traveling.  But today between increasingly difficult travel rules and regulations and an upturn in exotic travel, using a travel agent’s services is more popular than ever.

Selling Travel Is Really Selling Yourself
The key is that you need to stop thinking that travel agents sell travel.  Companies like Expedia sell travel, because selling travel is really transactional.  When you become a travel agent what you’re doing is selling yourself.  Not like that.  You’re selling your knowledge about the best tour operator to use for a trip to Africa, assistance with procuring a travel visa for China, how to choose the best cruise line to host your family reunion and more.  What you’re providing is peace of mind that every detail of your clients’ trips is taken care of.  You’re also there for your clients if something goes wrong (which happens even with the best laid plans).  See if Expedia will help you if you’re stuck in Italy due to inclement weather.

Is This The Job For You?
So now you have to ask yourself if selling you is something you want to do.  I personally know that’s not the career choice for me (I get nervous responding to people’s posts on Tumblr), but you may have the self-assurance to put yourself in front of people.  PS. it’s not necessarily required to have traveled a lot, but you do need to have a passion for travel and be willing to do A LOT of research.  And be prepared, you often get thrown a lot of curve balls in this industry.  Most importantly make sure to have the right support team behind you to guarantee your success.  Here’s where the sales pitch comes in.  If you’re considering becoming a travel agent check out MyHostTravelAgency.com. We offer more support services than any other host agency in the market.  We’d love to make you part of the family!  And if you’re already a Travel Planners International agent, we ♥ you.  Thank you for everything you do!

-Amber ☺