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Travel Agents

Travel Agents is the O*NET name for people who plan and sell transportation and accommodations for customers. On the six-type interest model it reads ECS, meaning leading, persuading and making business decisions comes first, followed by orderly work with data, records and clear procedures. The preparation level is medium preparation, typically one or two years of vocational training, an apprenticeship or an associate’s degree. O*NET’s skill data points to service orientation, active listening, and speaking as the ones to build. A regular part of the work is to collect payment for transportation and accommodations from customer. It tends to suit people who want leading, persuading and making business decisions, and it offers little for anyone seeking hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.

What they do

Plan and sell transportation and accommodations for customers. Determine destination, modes of transportation, travel dates, costs, and accommodations required. May also describe, plan, and arrange itineraries and sell tour packages. May assist in resolving clients' travel problems.

Main tasks

  • Collect payment for transportation and accommodations from customer.
  • Plan, describe, arrange, and sell itinerary tour packages and promotional travel incentives offered by various travel carriers.
  • Converse with customer to determine destination, mode of transportation, travel dates, financial considerations, and accommodations required.
  • Compute cost of travel and accommodations, using calculator, computer, carrier tariff books, and hotel rate books, or quote package tour's costs.
  • Record and maintain information on clients, vendors, and travel packages.
  • Book transportation and hotel reservations, using computer or telephone.

Skills

  • Service Orientation
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Persuasion

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like taking the lead and making the call.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You are willing to put in a year or two of focused training.
  • You are comfortable relying on service orientation and active listening.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather not persuade, sell or manage other people.
  • You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 1.2 out of 7 here.
  • You need to start within a few months, with no training period.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ECS takes the three highest, and Enterprising comes first here.

Preparation

Medium preparation. Expect vocational school, an apprenticeship, related experience or an associate’s degree, usually one or two years in total.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Auto Travel Counselor
  • Beach Expert
  • Corporate Travel Consultant
  • Destination Specialist
  • International Travel Consultant

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.