Top 8 Reasons Why Becoming a Travel Agent May Be Right For You

So you're thinking about becoming a travel agent. Or perhaps just searching for a great work from home opportunity that can help free you from the monotony of a 9-5. A business opportunity that will work around your personal life and give you more time for family. Whether you love to travel or not, looking for a new career or an opportunity to bring in additional income in your spare time, becoming an Independent Travel Agent (ITA) may be right for you. Let's explore some of the benefits of being an ITA.

You'll Own a Business

As an ITA, you'll essentially own an online travel business. You are your own boss, no sales quotas or incentives to clamor for. You can work how ever much or little you want, from anywhere in the world you want. You can easily fit it into your life and start building your business at your own pace while still employed full time to maintain some level of stability, like I am. If you're determined enough and work hard enough, you could be quitting that full time job in no time if you choose.

You Don't Need an Office

Whether you're at home on the coffee table, some all-inclusive resort in Mexico or a hotel in Paris. As long as you have a cell phone, laptop and internet connection, you can perform your tasks effectively and provide your clients with tailor-made vacations that meet their every need.

If Your Passion is to Travel The World, This Can Help

Imagine not having to worry about using up all your vacation days, traveling the world at your own leisure for weeks or even months at a time while still making a living. Not many careers out there can let you make money while on vacation. As an ITA, you'll get to see the world, for much less than a regular travel consumer and make money while doing it.

You'll Be Working in an Ever Growing Industry

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the travel industry contributes over $8.8 trillion to the world economy. This value has continued to steadily increase. So you'll be working in an industry with guaranteed longevity and job security.

There's no Limit to Your Earning Potential

You set your own pace and determine how much you want to drive your business. From bringing in just enough for you and your family, by booking a few dozen trips a year. To aiming to be a powerhouse and booking well over a hundred trips a year. The choice is yours.

Get The Perks of Working For a Large Agency, Without Actually Working For a Large Agency

There are travel agents out there who work for an actual travel agency, and go into an office everyday. But when you're an independent agent like I am, you can take the more self-sufficient route and partner with a host travel agency. A host agency has the network, resources and training you need to get your business off the ground without you having to commit much financially. A good host agency will build you a website and provide the means to market your business and reach potential clients. You'll essentially be running your business through your host, greatly simplifying the process for you and eliminating overhead and set up costs.

You Don't Need a Formal Education

No one can teach you how to be a travel agent. If you are passionate about travel, love to plan trips and know how to stay organized and properly manage your time, then you could do this with ease. Of course if you want to be a true professional, it is recommended you know more about the various travel vendors out there than the average consumer. This way, you get to make more knowledgeable decisions for your clients. A host agency typically holds webinars every week with travel vendor reps giving us the latest information about their business, ongoing sales and promotions. A multitude of vendors have dedicated training programs that can be found for free on their websites. These typically take anywhere from a couple of hours to at most a week to complete.

If You Love Helping People, This Job Can Be Satisfying

Imagine clients returning from their vacations, letting you know what an amazing time they had and how it's all thanks to you. Creating dream vacations that clients will love and have lifelong memories of can bring about a lot of self satisfaction. With each passing year, you get to know a lot of your clients better and continue to craft even better unforgettable experiences for them.

Conclusion

As an ITA myself, I can speak to these benefits. If you are interested in pursuing this business opportunity, I suggest researching host agencies online and seeing how easily you could get started.