What Is a Travel Consultant?
A travel consultant, also called a travel agent, is the person responsible for aiding travelers to make the best available travel arrangements for their wants, needs and budgets. Travel consultants are responsible for transportation by air, car, bus and rail and they also help their clients to book hotels, cruises, resorts and tours.
In addition to booking travel arrangements for clients, a travel consultant is expected to have destination knowledge to assist a client in choosing a vacation destination or prepare a client for a business trip. Destination knowledge includes climate and weather, local customs and laws, customs regulations, passports, visas, vaccinations, currency exchange rates and travel advisories. A travel consultant is also expected to assist a client with alternate travel when itineraries change because of weather, maintenance or overbooking issues.
Although the minimum requirement for attaining a job as a travel consultant is a high school diploma, most travel agencies prefer consultants who have a degree or have attained a certificate through a vocational or travel school. In addition to learning destination knowledge in a travel consultant certificate program, at least one reservation system out of the many available is taught. Since the invention of the Internet, most reservation systems are Internet-based, which makes them more user friendly and easier to learn.
Once a travel consultant has been in the travel business for awhile, he or she may also have the ability to take familiarization trips (FAM trips) sponsored by airlines, hotels, tour operators and others. Travel consultants evaluate service, cleanliness, comfort and overall value when they visit a specific location on a FAM trip. FAM trips give a travel consultant the opportunity to experience a location firsthand and pass on recommendations to their clients.
A day in the life of a travel consultant involves sitting behind the desk on most days. Consultants take inbound calls and meet with clients and prospective clients to help plan their trips, however, a good portion of their day is spent researching and booking travel itineraries via the computer or telephone. Additionally, travel consultants must spend time issuing travel documents and updating reservations after consulting with a client.
During peak travel times, most travel agents will work long hours in order to accommodate every client who needs or wishes to book a trip. Even with the dedication and knowledge that is expected and given my most travel consultants, it is not a lucrative career. With increasing technology, more travel agents are choosing to work from home in order to realize more profit than may be offered by working at an agency.
Written by Jessica Hobby
