Methods for Becoming a Travel Agent

Method 1:

1. First research all the necessary regulatory certifications and training. If you don’t have any experience in this field, then you will have to go and attend training or get to work on a travel agency as an apprentice. You can also, become an independent travel agent and create your own agency. The problem with that is that you will have to develop a relationship with all the travel operators and getting to know you. This is a little hard to do when nobody knows you. The cost can be pretty high because you will have to spend time, training, resources, and much more, but, it is possible. You would have to create your own identity and earn your rank, so to speak. All the expenses associated with your training, connections, reputation, insurance, certifications, etc. will be on you. The good is that all the earnings are yours 100%, you don’t have to share your earnings with anyone. My opinion, this is a really hard way to become a travel agent.

Method 2:

2. Buy a franchise. When you buy a franchise, it comes with all the benefits from the home franchise organization. They already did all the work for you and just because you have a franchise with them you become a travel agent. However, that doesn’t mean you know what you are doing. The franchise provides all the technical, training, connections, reputation and you become an independent contractor. It will take some time to really develop your own agency into a profitable organization, but everything takes time and effort. The advantage is that you don’t have to work as hard to get going and just tap on the franchise to develop your business. A franchise can cost between $10 to $20K up front. You are buying all the access to their resources, their expertise and you can use the franchise name to develop your own agency. The agency is a home-based office that operates independently. That means the internet and a reliable computer are a must. That way you don’t have to create or start from scratch. There is additional cost also to maintain certain tools, like your private website, insurance, and business operational cost. Franchisees pay royalties to the home office franchise usually is a portion of the commissions. That is where we are.

Method 3:

3. Become an associate of the franchise. An associate is a sub-contractor of the franchise that operates independently, but it does fall under the umbrella of the franchise. The associate has the same access to all the tools of the franchise and doesn’t have to come up with the money to purchase one. The associate is not an employee; it is a partner with the franchise. As a partner, the associate works together with the franchise owner and perform the same tasks and have the same benefits. However, the associate must comply with the same rules of the franchise and it must use the resources as described in the franchise agreement. There are some expenses that it must be paid, for example, personal insurance (yearly), initial training to become familiar with the systems and all the tools. There is a learning curve to achieve and certifications are available in the industry, which is highly encouraging in order to elevate your credibility. The associate works on 100% commission, not salary is provided. That means, the associate must sell travel or doesn’t get paid at all. The associate will share a percentage of their commission with the franchise in order to operate under it. The percentage is similar to the amount the franchisee pays the home office to use the franchise. Another good advantage is that the associate can start slow, as a part-timer, while keeping their main employment. That way, the associate can build a client base and eventually go full time.

Methods for Becoming a Travel Agent

Method 1:

Method 2:

Method 3:

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