Travel agent: job description

What does a travel agent do? Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills

Due to Covid-19, you may find it difficult to gain work as a travel agent at the moment. As we explain here , however, recruiters will not view time out of work due to the pandemic as a 'gap' in your CV. For guidance on searching for work during this difficult time, take a look at our advice for job hunting during a pandemic .

A travel agent's role is to help people plan, choose and arrange their holiday. They will usually work to a budget set out by whoever is planning the holiday. They also offer advice and opinions on where to go and local tourist attractions, events and customs.

Typical duties include:

• promoting and marketing the business
• dealing with customer queries and complaints
• providing advice about visas or passports
• recruiting, training and supervising staff
• managing budgets
• maintaining statistical and financial records
• planning
• selling holidays and insurance
• meeting profit or sales targets
• preparing promotional materials and displays.

Typical employers of travel agents

• Tour operators
• Package holiday operators
• Cruise lines
• Independent travel agents.

Most graduates enter the profession as junior counter staff (travel agency clerk/consultant), moving into managerial positions after having gained several years' experience.

A small number of companies operate head office-based graduate training schemes. Vacancies are advertised in trade publications including Travel Trade Gazette and Travel Weekly , as well as their online equivalents. Networking and speculative applications are advisable.

Qualifications and training required

A degree in any subject is acceptable, although travel, tourism, languages, leisure, business studies or management degree holders may be at an advantage.

A travel training company qualification or relevant travel agency, retail or sales work experience can also be helpful.

Key skills for travel agents

• Commercially aware
• Good interpersonal skills
• Numerical ability
• Verbal communication skills.

Fluency in foreign (particularly European) languages and personal travel experience are also highly valued.