|
Complete Travel GuideHow to Become a Travel Agent in 24 Hours
by:
Brian Allen
The travel industry has been going through several significant changes over the last few years. Mom and Pop travel agencies are quickly being replaced by online booking engines like Orbitz or Travelocity.
But there is one problem: 80% of all vacations are taken at the recommendation of a friend. Now of course this is a good thing, except that Orbitz and Travelocity don't have really many an friends.
The travel industry came up with a good hybrid solution: give the user
a chance to partner with these big booking engines and become a travel agent themselves, with all the benefits and none of the drawbacks, so they can refer their friends and family and everyone wins. This new type of travel agent is better-known as an Associate Travel Agent, or ATA for short.
ATA's get all the benefits of a normal travel agent, such as commissions, free upgrades and discounts, and FAM Trips (more on FAM Trips in a minute, they're fabulous!). But ATA's don't activity at a traditional travel agency, don't activity set hours, and don't have to go to years of dear schooling to get their credentials. You can virtually
become an ATA in a single day, and you still get the same IATA and CLIA ID card that gets you all the same benefits.
There are lots of books and websites on how to become a travel agent, and they are well worth looking into. The benefits are utterly
incredible, not the least of which are lots of vacations and a good income.
I'm going to start with my favorite benefit: FAM Trips. These are "familiarization trips" that are hosted and subsidised by tour operators, government traveller
boards, and private resorts at a fraction of the normal cost. They want you to move on the trip and have such a good time that you go house raving just about it and send all of your friends, family, and clients back at the normal rate (remember, 80% of all travel occurs exactly that way).
In a word, FAM Trips are unbelievable. Consider this one from FAM News: 10 days in China, including all accommodations, transfers, flights, an english speaking guide, most meals, and the royal treatment, all for $666! The fare alone price over $1,000. And because they want you to send your friends and clients on the same trip, it isn't a stripped down, no frills excursion at rat-infested motels. They pull out all the stops to do sure you have a great time and get back house raving just about it to all your friends.
There are thousands of FAM's going on at any given time, all over the world. Several are simple, like a weekend ski trip in Colorado including 2 days of sport and rentals, a 2 hour lesson, meals, 3 nights in a good lodge, and recreation
for only $199, and several go all out, like 11 days in Morrocco for $1,400.
FAM Trips aren't the only benefit of being a travel agent. You can likewise earn big commissions on travel that you book, and you're given a website to send folk to so that once
they order their travel you get the same commission as if you'd set-aside
it yourself. You can likewise refer causal agency who can become an ATA themselves and you earn a $40 bonus, and can earn bonuses and commissions on what they produce, kind of like building your own virtual travel agency.
Everyone who likes to travel and could use a little much money should look into the possibleness
of becoming an Associate Travel Agent provides. For many an folk its the ideal lifestyle, combining the perfect blend of freedom and travel with money and business.
Just just about the Author
Brian Allen is an Associate Travel Agent living in St. George, Utah. He helps others discover just about becoming a travel agent and offers consulting for maximum success as a travel agent. He can be reached at http://www.TravelAgentToday.com.
| |
