A travel agent career is the dream of many people. Do you have a vision of travelling the world on a discount or even for free, and imparting your knowledge on your customers? Well, whilst being a travel agent can be this glamorous at times, most of the time is spent in the office or store talking to clients and organizing their vacations for them. All agents find this to be a very rewarding position as vacations are a happy time in people's lives and you are helping to make their dreams a reality. It is however true that many real estate agents receive highly discounted personal travel.

The role of a travel agent is to be able to assess the travel needs of people for both person and business travel. Ideally a travel agent can book an entire trip including flights, transfers, cruises, hotels, entertainment and more. However this is not always the case and some clients only wish for a portion of their travel plans to be arranged by a travel agent. In any case a travel agent must be flexible, knowledgeable and personable when it comes to helping clients in the best possible way.

Most qualified travel agents gain employment with a major or minor travel agency. Less than 15% of qualified travel agents are self employed however this is becoming a more popular option as people's travel needs change. Niche travel agencies that specialize in a particular type of travel are booming. These can include things like African safaris, eco-friendly travel, bird watching travel, historical travel and many more options. Being seen as an expert in a particular travel niche can bring you more clients than you would receive if you were a 'jack of all trades'.

To start your travel agent career you must undertake some study. Generally a high school diploma will qualify you to be accepted into a travel agent certificate course. Some travel agents have a bachelor's degree in travel and tourism however this is not necessary, but is an excellent way to boost your career prospects. It is also preferable that a travel agent can speak at least one foreign language and have a very good knowledge of world history and geography. Communication is a skill that is vital for travel agents since you speak to people on a daily basis.

The nice thing about being a travel agent is that it doesn't require too much education, but is a respected career with a decent salary. So if you want to begin your career right away and not spend years seeking a college degree, becoming a travel agent will allow you to do so. The best type of personality for becoming a travel agent is a people person. You will constantly work with people during your career and how well you communicate and portray yourself and your services will determine how well you do in this career.

A travel agent career is a very exciting one and that brings rich variety to each and every day of your working life.