travel consultant definition

Travel Consultant Job Description [Updated for 2024]

In the age of global exploration, the focus on travel consultants has never been stronger.

As the world becomes more accessible, the demand for knowledgeable individuals who can plan, guide, and ensure seamless travel experiences grows more pronounced.

But let’s dig deeper: What’s really expected from a travel consultant?

Whether you are:

• A job seeker looking to understand the essence of this role,
• A hiring manager outlining the perfect candidate,
• Or simply curious about the intricacies of travel consultancy,

You’ve found the right spot.

Today, we present a customizable travel consultant job description template, created for effortless posting on job boards or career sites.

Let’s dive right in.

Travel Consultant Duties and Responsibilities

Travel Consultants provide expert advice and guidance on travel options to individuals and groups.

They utilize their knowledge of travel destinations and the travel industry to arrange travel accommodations and plan travel itineraries based on the client’s preferences and budget.

Their duties and responsibilities include:

• Consulting with clients to determine their travel needs and preferences
• Researching and presenting travel itinerary options including transportation, accommodation, and attractions
• Booking and confirming reservations for travel and accommodation
• Offering and selling travel insurance and other travel products
• Advising clients on necessary travel documents such as visas and passports
• Keeping up-to-date with changes and trends in the travel industry
• Providing information on travel advisories and safety warnings
• Handling and resolving client complaints and issues
• Maintaining accurate records of client bookings and payments
• Building and maintaining relationships with travel suppliers and industry partners

Travel Consultant Job Description Template

We are seeking a detail-oriented and experienced Travel Consultant to join our team.

In this role, you will be responsible for organizing and booking clients’ travel plans including transportation, accommodation and activities.

Travel Consultant responsibilities include understanding the clients’ travel needs, planning and arranging customized travel experiences, and selling suitable travel packages and services.

The successful candidate should be passionate about travel, have excellent knowledge of various travel destinations, and outstanding customer service skills.

Responsibilities

• Plan and sell travel experiences, accommodations, insurance, and other travel services
• Cooperate with clients to determine their needs and advise them on travel destinations, travel dates, costs and accommodations
• Manage travel-related issues or emergencies
• Collaborate with clients to determine their needs and suggest suitable travel packages
• Organize travels from beginning to end, including tickets, accommodation, and transportation
• Supply travelers with pertinent information and useful travel/holiday materials
• Handle unforeseen problems and complaints and determine eligibility for money returns
• Maintain relationships with key persons to ensure maximum client satisfaction

Qualifications

• Proven work experience as a travel consultant
• Excellent knowledge of travel software and computer reservation systems
• Fluency in English; knowledge of additional languages is a plus
• Strong sales skills and commercial awareness
• Ability to interact, communicate and negotiate effectively
• Sound knowledge of domestic and international travel trends
• Degree in hospitality, travel, tourism, business or relevant field
• Personal travel experience will be considered an advantage
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Travel discounts

Additional Information

• Job Title: Travel Consultant
• Work Environment: Office setting with options for remote work. Occasional travel may be required for familiarization trips or industry conferences.
• Reporting Structure: Reports to the Travel Agency Manager.
• Salary: Salary is based upon candidate experience and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.
• Pay Range: $40,000 minimum to $60,000 maximum
• Location: [City, State] (specify the location or indicate if remote)
• Employment Type: Full-time
• Equal Opportunity Statement: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
• Application Instructions: Please submit your resume and a cover letter outlining your qualifications and experience to [email address or application portal].

What Does a Travel Consultant Do?

Travel Consultants, also known as travel agents, primarily work for travel agencies, tour companies, or operate their own business.

They can also work as independent contractors or consultants.

Their main task is to plan, organize, and book travel arrangements for their clients.

This includes not only booking flights, hotels, and car rentals, but also arranging for tours or other local attractions at the destination.

Travel Consultants provide advice on potential travel destinations, offer information about the local culture, customs, and regulations, and address any travel concerns their clients might have.

This information may include details about necessary travel documents, like visas or passports, or health and safety advisories.

They also work on creating customized itineraries based on their clients’ preferences, budget, and travel goals.

These itineraries may include details about sightseeing spots, dining options, local transportation, and other travel-related aspects.

Travel Consultants often deal with suppliers, such as airlines, hotels, and tour operators, to negotiate contracts, make reservations, and handle any changes or cancellations.

A significant part of their job is to ensure client satisfaction and handle any emergencies or problems that arise during the trip.

This could include rebooking flights, arranging alternative accommodations, or helping with travel insurance claims.

They also stay updated about changes in the travel industry, such as new travel destinations, airline policies, or travel technology, to provide their clients with the best possible service.

Travel Consultant Qualifications and Skills

A proficient travel consultant should have skills and qualifications that align with the role, such as:

• Strong knowledge of various travel destinations and the services available in those destinations
• Excellent interpersonal skills to connect with clients, understanding their specific travel needs and preferences
• Exceptional communication skills to provide clear and accurate information to clients, as well as listen and understand client requests
• Excellent organizational skills for managing travel arrangements, such as booking flights and accommodations, arranging transport, and planning itineraries
• Strong sales skills to effectively promote and sell travel products and services, while also building long-term client relationships
• Problem-solving skills to handle any changes or issues that may arise during the travel planning process or the trip itself
• Customer service skills for performing transactions, handling inquiries, and providing after-sales support, including handling complaints and giving advice
• Working knowledge of travel software systems and online booking tools, as well as proficiency in using computer systems and office software
• Attention to detail to ensure all travel arrangements are made correctly and according to the client’s requirements

Travel Consultant Experience Requirements

Travel consultants typically require at least 1 to 2 years of experience in the travel industry or a customer service role.

This experience can be gained through internships, part-time roles, or positions in related fields such as hospitality or tourism.

Candidates with a background in business or sales may also qualify for travel consultant roles, as these positions often involve selling travel packages and negotiating travel deals.

Those with more than 3 years of experience often have a thorough understanding of the travel industry, including expertise in booking flights, accommodations, and other travel services.

They are also usually familiar with travel-related software and applications.

Travel consultants with more than 5 years of experience may have leadership experience and could be eligible for managerial roles in travel agencies or tour companies.

They may also have specialized knowledge or certifications in areas such as luxury travel, adventure tourism, or corporate travel management.

In addition to practical experience, many employers prefer travel consultants who have completed relevant training or education, such as a diploma or degree in travel, tourism, or a related field.

Travel Consultant Education and Training Requirements

Travel Consultants typically need a high school diploma or equivalent education.

However, many employers prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree in travel and tourism, hospitality, or a related field.

In addition to formal education, they should have a good understanding of world geography, different cultures, and travel regulations.

Proficiency in foreign languages can also be beneficial.

Many travel consultants gain practical skills through on-the-job training, which includes reservation system software training, customer service training, and learning about the different products and services available to travelers.

Certifications can also be beneficial for travel consultants.

For instance, the Travel Institute offers the Certified Travel Associate (CTA) and Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) credentials, which require continuing education and work experience.

In-depth knowledge about certain destinations or types of travel (like luxury or business travel) can also be an advantage.

This can be achieved through personal travel experiences or specialized training courses.

Finally, because the travel industry is constantly changing, travel consultants must continually update their knowledge through seminars, workshops, and industry events.

Travel Consultant Salary Expectations

A Travel Consultant earns an average salary of $40,840 (USD) per year.

This salary can fluctuate depending on the individual’s experience, skills, location, and the size of the employing agency.

Furthermore, additional earnings could be made from commissions based on sales of travel packages.

Travel Consultant Job Description FAQs

What skills does a travel consultant need.

Travel consultants should possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills to understand their clients’ travel needs and preferences.

They should also have good organizational skills to plan and arrange complex travel itineraries.

Knowledge of travel software and reservation systems is also required.

A good travel consultant should also be able to handle stressful situations, as they often need to make last-minute travel arrangements or cope with travel emergencies.

Do travel consultants need a degree?

While a degree is not always required, many travel consultants have degrees in fields like hospitality, tourism, or business.

Some travel agencies prefer consultants with a background in a specific area, such as luxury travel or business travel.

Certifications from recognized travel organizations, such as The Travel Institute or The American Society of Travel Agents, can also be beneficial.

What should you look for in a travel consultant resume?

In a travel consultant’s resume, look for previous experience in the travel industry, including roles at travel agencies or hospitality companies.

Familiarity with travel software and reservation systems is also a plus.

Other valuable qualities to look for include strong customer service skills, the ability to handle stress, and proficiency in multiple languages.

What qualities make a good travel consultant?

A good travel consultant is passionate about travel and enjoys helping others explore the world.

They are detail-oriented, ensuring that all travel arrangements are made accurately and efficiently.

They have excellent interpersonal skills, making clients feel comfortable and understood.

Additionally, they are problem solvers, able to quickly come up with solutions when travel plans change or emergencies arise.

Is it difficult to hire travel consultants?

Hiring travel consultants can be challenging due to the specific skills and knowledge required for the job.

The ideal candidate should not only have a passion for travel, but also have excellent customer service skills, knowledge of various travel destinations, and the ability to handle stressful situations.

Offering competitive salaries, opportunities for travel, and a supportive work environment can help attract high-quality candidates.

So there you have it.

Today, we’ve unraveled the mystery behind what it actually means to be a travel consultant.

And guess what?

It’s not just about booking flights and hotels.

It’s about curating unforgettable experiences, one destination at a time.

With our reliable travel consultant job description template and real-world examples, you’re fully equipped to take the leap.

But why stop there?

Venture further with our job description generator . It’s your next step to creating precision-designed job listings or refining your resume to perfection.

Every travel itinerary is a part of a larger journey.

Let’s craft those unforgettable experiences. Together.

Reasons to Become a Travel Consultant (See the World!)

How to Become a Travel Consultant (Complete Guide)

Disadvantages of Being a Travel Consultant (No Home Comforts)

Unbelievable But True: Enjoyable Jobs With Fat Paychecks

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The Golden Ticket: Careers That Are Winning in the Job Market

The Pantheon of Professionalism: The Most Prestigious Jobs

The Editorial Team at InterviewGuy.com is composed of certified interview coaches, seasoned HR professionals, and industry insiders. With decades of collective expertise and access to an unparalleled database of interview questions, we are dedicated to empowering job seekers. Our content meets real-time industry demands, ensuring readers receive timely, accurate, and actionable advice. We value our readers' insights and encourage feedback, corrections, and questions to maintain the highest level of accuracy and relevance.

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Travel consultant

Description

Travel consultants provide customised information and consultation on travel offers, make reservations and sell travel services together with other related services.

Travel consultants typically do the following:

• Research various destinations and means of travel regarding prices, customs, weather conditions, reviews etc.
• Diagnose the clients’ specifications and wishes and suggest suitable travel packages or services
• Organize travels from beginning to end, through booking tickets and accommodation, securing rental transportation etc.
• Supply travelers with pertinent information and useful travel/holiday material (guides, maps, event programs etc)
• Collect deposits and balances
• Use promotional techniques and prepare promotional materials to sell itinerary tour packages
• Handle unforeseen problems and complaints and determine eligibility for money returns
• Attend conferences to maintain familiarity with tourism trends
• Create and update electronic records of clients
• Maintain relationships with key persons

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to travel consultant:

business travel consultant tourism promotion agent business travel advisor leisure travel consultant travel advisor

Working conditions

Travel consultants work in a variety of settings, including travel agencies, tour operators, and corporate travel departments. They typically work a regular 40-hour week, although they may have to work evenings and weekends to accommodate their clients’ schedules.

Some travel consultants work from home, and some may travel extensively to meet with clients or attend conferences. The work can be stressful, especially when making travel arrangements for last-minute trips or dealing with irate customers. However, most travel consultants find the work to be exciting and enjoy the opportunity to help people plan their dream vacations.

Minimum qualifications

Travel consultants need at least a high school diploma . Many employers prefer an associate or bachelor’s degree in hospitality, travel or a related field. Relevant coursework includes hospitality, sales, marketing, accounting, economics, business and geography.

Travel consultants typically receive on-the-job training from their new employer. This training may include learning the company’s policies and procedures, as well as the software and technology they use. It may also include shadowing an experienced travel consultant to learn how to perform various tasks

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Travel consultant is a Skill level 2 occupation.

Travel consultant career path

Similar occupations.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to travel consultant.

travel agent ticket sales agent tour organiser tourist information officer night auditor

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of travel consultant. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of travel consultant with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

tourist information centre manager travel agency manager hospitality entertainment manager mountain guide rooms division manager

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of travel consultant.

• Geographical areas relevant to tourism : The field of tourism geography in Europe as well as the rest of the world in order to point out relevant tourism areas and attractions.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of travel consultant.

• Guarantee customer satisfaction : Handle customer expectations in a professional manner, anticipating and addressing their needs and desires. Provide flexible customer service to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Use global distribution system : Operate a computer reservations system or a global distribution system to book or reserve transportations and accommodations.
• Oversee travel arrangements : Make sure that travel arrangements run according to plan and ensure effective and satisfactory service, accommodation and catering.
• Maintain working relationships : Ensure effective working relationships with colleagues and others. Maintain them over long periods of time.
• Handle customer complaints : Administer complaints and negative feedback from customers in order to address concerns and where applicable provide a quick service recovery.
• Upsell products : Persuade customers to buy additional or more expensive products.
• Process booking : Execute a booking of a place according to client’s requirement in advance and issue all appropriate documents.
• Provide tourism related information : Give customers relevant information about historical and cultural locations and events while conveying this information in an entertaining and informative manner.
• Advertise travel insurance : Promote and sell insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses, financial default of travel suppliers and other losses incurred while travelling, either within one’s own country or internationally.
• Devise tailor-made tourism itineraries : Create custom-made itineraries, taking into account the specific needs and preferences of customers.
• Maintain relationship with suppliers : Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with suppliers and service providers in order to establish a positive, profitable and enduring collaboration, co-operation and contract negotiation.
• Sell tourist packages : Exchange tourist services or packages for money on behalf of the tour operator and manage transportation and accommodation.
• Customise travel package : Personalise and present custom-made travel packages for customer’s approval.
• Identify customer’s needs : Use appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.
• Maintain customer service : Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
• Carry out internet research : Execute efficient search on the internet in order to gather relevant information and share it with others.
• Use customer relationship management software : Use specialised software to manage company’s interactions with current and future customers. Organise, automate and synchronise sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support, to increase targeted sales.
• Process payments : Accept payments such as cash, credit cards and debit cards. Handle reimbursement in case of returns or administer vouchers and marketing instruments such as bonus cards or membership cards. Pay attention to safety and the protection of personal data.
• Maintain customer records : Keep and store structured data and records about customers in accordance with customer data protection and privacy regulations.
• Apply foreign languages in tourism : Use the mastery of foreign languages orally or written in the tourism sector in order to communicate with collaborators or customers.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of travel consultant. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Comply with food safety and hygiene : Respect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.
• Read maps : Read maps effectively.
• Use different communication channels : Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
• Oversee the design of touristic publications : Monitor the design of marketing publications and materials for the promotion of tourism-related products.
• Oversee the printing of touristic publications : Manage the printing of marketing publications and materials for the promotion of tourism-related products.
• Demonstrate intercultural competences in hospitality services : Understand, respect and build constructive and positive relations with intercultural clients, guests and collaborators in the field of hospitality.
• Plan events : plan programmes, agendas, budgets, and services of an event according to customers’ requirements.
• Assist clients with special needs : Aid clients with special needs following relevant guidelines and special standards. Recognise their needs and accurately respond to them if needed.
• Manage online content : Ensure the website content is up to date, organised, attractive and meets the target audience needs, the requirements of the company and international standards by checking the links, setting the publishing time framework and order.
• Build business relationships : Establish a positive, long-term relationship between organisations and interested third parties such as suppliers, distributors, shareholders and other stakeholders in order to inform them of the organisation and its objectives.
• Follow ethical code of conduct in tourism : Carry out touristic services according to accepted principles of right and wrong. This includes fairness, transparency and impartiality.
• Perform services in a flexible manner : Adapt service approach when circumstances change.

ISCO group and title

4221 – Travel consultants and clerks

• Travel consultant – ESCO
• Travel Consultant job description template – Workable
• Travel Consultant Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – Climb the Ladder
• Featured image: Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

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What They Do

What does a Travel Consultant do?

A travel consultant is responsible for organizing travel arrangements by recommending travel packages, inclusive of all details such as location, travel costs, amenities, and other related factors. Travel consultants confirm the client's preference, ensuring the execution of plans based on their best interests. They arrange the itineraries, reservations, and other specifics for the client's security and comfortability. Travel consultants should also consider factors that may affect travel plans, such as weather conditions and other booking complications, immediately notifying the client on plan adjustments.

• Responsibilities
• Skills And Traits
• Comparisions
• Types of Travel Consultant

Travel consultant responsibilities

Travel consultants play a crucial role in managing travel reservations and arrangements for both corporate and leisure clients. They specialize in planning detailed international itineraries and providing excellent customer service. As Diane Petras , CTIE, president of The Travel Institute, notes, "Regardless of where a graduate lives, there is a great opportunity for those who possess an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for travel, and a strong desire to curate travel experiences for others because travel can be sold from anywhere." This involves coordinating all aspects of travel, including flight, hotel, car rental, and other transportation services, as well as providing guidance and education to clients about international and domestic travel requirements.

Here are examples of responsibilities from real travel consultant resumes:

• Manage small scale projects to ensure profile databases and scripts properly transfer information in GDS.
• Negotiate contracts, book event/meeting space; manage corporate housing for independent contractors, including RFP's and ROI's.
• Collaborate with other offices on VIP and unusual international reservations for better quality of reservations.
• Provide customer service by providing administrative support to associates using the online reservation booking tool Apollo.
• Modify business travelers airline, car and hotel reservations including exchanging tickets in emergency and non emergency situations.
• Book transportation and hotel reservations using a computer or telephone, collecting payment for transportation and accommodations from the customer.
• Coordinate transportation/reservations, utilize Apollo reservations software
• Operate Amadeus global distribution system to build air itineraries.
• Conduct monthly centrally bill account (CBA) reconciliation in DTS.
• Help arrange both corporate and leisure reservation using the Amadeus CRS system.
• Review all authorization and vouchers within DTS for errors prior to approval.
• Facilitate all airline contracts from start to finish; group air ticketing, passport and visa.
• Monitor and sort global distribution system (GDS) queues (or similar program) to maintain quality control.
• Conduct RFP's, and negotiate discounts with agencies, airlines, car rental companies and hotels as necessary.
• Utilize WorldSpan travel and reservation software.

Travel consultant skills and personality traits

We calculated that 33 % of Travel Consultants are proficient in Reservations , Booking , and Car Rentals . They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills , Customer-service skills , and Detail oriented .

We break down the percentage of Travel Consultants that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Modified business travelers airline, car and hotel reservations including exchanging tickets in emergency and non emergency situations.

Provided customer service by providing administrative support to associates using the online reservation booking tool Apollo.

Coordinate domestic/international flight arrangements, hotel accommodations, car rentals, train tickets and limo service.

Provide information and prepared and book all air, car, and hotel reservations for frequent business travel members.

Cultivated customer relationships by providing superior service in all aspects of corporate travel, ultimately increasing potential for repeat business.

Tracked marketing demographics and performed related accounting functions using advanced travel industry software.

Common skills that a travel consultant uses to do their job include "reservations," "booking," and "car rentals." You can find details on the most important travel consultant responsibilities below.

Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a travel consultant to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "travel agents must listen to clients’ travel needs and offer travel advice and information that meet those needs." Travel consultants often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "manage direct communication with tour operators, resort/property managers and transportation vendors (airline, rail and ground). "

Customer-service skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling travel consultant duties is customer-service skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "travel agents must be able to interact with clients and respond to questions and complaints in a friendly, professional manner." According to a travel consultant resume, here's how travel consultants can utilize customer-service skills in their job responsibilities: "provided vacation information and arranged travel reservations for customers utilizing points earned on various credit card redemption programs. "

Detail oriented. This is an important skill for travel consultants to perform their duties. For an example of how travel consultant responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "travel agents must ensure that the reservations they make are for the dates, times, and locations that match travelers’ schedules." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a travel consultant: "created detailed client profiles in the sabre program. ".

Organizational skills. travel consultant responsibilities often require "organizational skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "travel agents often work on itineraries for many clients at once." This resume example shows what travel consultants do with organizational skills on a typical day: "performed multiple tasks and organizational skills enhanced communication and customer service skills developed and organized sales material to increase client base"

Sales skills. Another common skill required for travel consultant responsibilities is "sales skills." This skill comes up in the duties of travel consultants all the time, as "travel agents must be able to persuade clients to buy transportation, lodging, or tours." An excerpt from a real travel consultant resume shows how this skill is central to what a travel consultant does: "checked in and assisted members with maps, books and any related sales of travel through aaa special preferred suppliers. "

See the full list of travel consultant skills

The three companies that hire the most travel consultants are:

• BCD Travel 158 travel consultants jobs
• Vail Resorts 35 travel consultants jobs
• Accenture 30 travel consultants jobs

Choose from 10+ customizable travel consultant resume templates

Compare different travel consultants

Travel consultant vs. tour agent.

A corporate travel agent assists people in planning, choosing, and arranging holidays. Corporate travel agents will work to the budget set out by those planning the holiday. They provide opinions and advice on the places to go as well as local tourist attractions, customs, and events. The characteristics of agents include enthusiasm, resourcefulness, people skills, and professionalism . They offer foreign and domestic travel services for their corporate clients. Also, they coordinate international and national travel for clients.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a travel consultant are more likely to require skills like "strong problem-solving," "booking," "car rentals," and "corporate travel." On the other hand, a job as a tour agent requires skills like "telephone messages," "sales floor," "data entry," and "crs." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Travel consultant vs. Corporate travel expert

Each career also uses different skills, according to real travel consultant resumes. While travel consultant responsibilities can utilize skills like "strong problem-solving," "corporate travel," "travel reservations," and "airline tickets," corporate travel experts use skills like "gds," "customer service," "travel arrangements," and "real estate."

Travel consultant vs. Corporate travel agent

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from travel consultant resumes include skills like "strong problem-solving," "car rentals," "corporate travel," and "travel reservations," whereas a corporate travel agent is more likely to list skills in "rental cars," "corporate travel arrangements," "corporate travel policies," and "tour packages. "

Travel consultant vs. Traveler

Types of travel consultant.

• Travel Agent
• Travel Coordinator
• Travel Counselor
• Corporate Travel Agent
• Corporate Travel Consultant

Updated June 25, 2024

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

What Similar Roles Do

• What a Consultant Does
• What a Travel Agent Does
• What a Travel Coordinator Does
• What a Travel Manager Does
• What a Travel Specialist Does

Travel Consultant Related Careers

• Auto Travel Counselor
• Corporate Travel Counselor
• Corporate Travel Expert
• Cruise Counselor
• Senior Travel Consultant
• Travel Manager
• Travel Service Consultant
• Travel Specialist

Travel Consultant Related Jobs

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Travel Consultant Job Description

Travel consultant duties & responsibilities.

To write an effective travel consultant job description, begin by listing detailed duties, responsibilities and expectations. We have included travel consultant job description templates that you can modify and use.

Sample responsibilities for this position include:

Travel Consultant Qualifications

Qualifications for a job description may include education, certification, and experience.

Licensing or Certifications for Travel Consultant

List any licenses or certifications required by the position: IATA, CTC, TICO

Education for Travel Consultant

Typically a job would require a certain level of education.

Employers hiring for the travel consultant job most commonly would prefer for their future employee to have a relevant degree such as Bachelor's and Collage Degree in Tourism, Education, Computer Science, Business, Software Engineering, Communication, Engineering, Business/Administration, Information Systems, International Education

Skills for Travel Consultant

Desired skills for travel consultant include:

Desired experience for travel consultant includes:

Travel Consultant Examples

• Microsoft Word (.docx) .DOCX
• PDF Document (.pdf) .PDF
• Image File (.png) .PNG
• Answer telephone enquiries and book reservations to the required standard, adhering to department policies, relating to credit facilities and written confirmations
• Organize, coordinate, and host monthly calls with assigned TMC partners, including but not limited to detail on road map information, feature enhancement requests, and release note reviews
• Create and maintain assigned TMC dashboard reports for review internally, and externally
• Assist with ‘TMC Questions’ case inventory as needed
• Promote, track, and report on the TMC Certification program
• Provide educational webinars on a monthly basis
• Host ad-hoc, in-person education sessions as needed by the TMC partner audience
• Facilitate in-person training sessions once per quarter
• Create and host monthly TMC User Group informational sessions via webinar on an every other month basis
• Assist in the creation of the monthly TMC Partner Connect newsletter
• Graduate preferred, experience in relevant role highly preferred
• A great passion to serve premium customers
• Ability to work independently while contributing to an environment where strong teamwork is required
• Attention to detail with excellent time management and organisation skills
• You will be rewarded with competitive benefits and unrivalled career prospects
• Strong time management and organisational skills including multi-tasking and prioritising of workloads, the ability to follow through on commitments to both customers and to the organisation
• Completes other activities and duties as assigned by management
• Strive to deliver customer Service Level Agreement at all times and exceed the customer’s expectation
• Reach monthly sales targets while driving exceptional customer service KPIs
• Work with both speed and efficiency while consistently displaying compassion and care in every interaction
• Handle any booking issues calmly and with empathy
• Local execution of staying in touch with our past clients, and marketing initiatives such as Cruise Nights our company’s core promotions – One Day Sale, World Explorer Event
• High end" educational experiences aligned to the needs of our premium customer base
• Flexible working arrangements work free birthday
• Ongoing training and support by a dedicated travel training team
• Opportunity to work with premium clientele on a consistent basis, providing interesting and diverse travel requests
• Minimum educational qualification required is Graduate
• Demonstrate close attention to detail and be highly organised
• Excellent problem solving skills able to research and use own initiative network of colleagues and suppliers to support service delivery and drive business improvement
• Ability to work flexible hours if/when necessary
• Strong time management and organisational skills including multi-tasking and prioritisation of workloads, the ability to follow through on commitments to both customers and to the organisation
• Minimum 1 year front-line sales experience, motivated by revenue targets and service KPIs
• Knowledge of domestic and international products and destinations (Additional training will be provided)
• Penalty rates will apply for any weekend shifts
• The ability to provide exceptional Customer Service
• The ability to work towards targets including sales, land and sea mix, quality and customer satisfaction
• Strong knowledge of premium products including hotels, cruising and tours
• An ability to adapt communication styles to the audience, communicate confidently, accuracy and able to lead our members to the desired outcomes
• A genuine passion about travel and service
• Full working rights for Australia required
• Ensure optimal executive level service through effective use of our Egencia tools while providing priority wait-listing, preferred seat selection, and upgrade management as needed
• Recommend alternate routes, lowest available fares, booking class, exchange rates and travel products/services and upgrades
• A love of sales and travel
• Experience using a GDS system, preferably Amadeus
• Superior selling skills & exceptional customer service skills are required
• Flexible and energetic, with the ability to work independently in a team environment
• Ability to navigate and use a variety of computer systems confidently with speed and efficiency
• Enjoy being a part of a global team
• Act as a customer liaison with contracted and preferred suppliers
• Provide Executive clients with a positive experience utilizing analytical& strategic skill for a first call resolution
• Follow-up on issues from A to Z
• Positively contribute to the team environment
• Minimum 5+ years as a Corporate Travel Consultant/Agent
• 3+ years servicing International customers with emphasis on booking practices and theory either in a travel office or call center
• Strong aptitude/understanding for booking highly complex multiple leg international itineraries
• A demonstrated and highly professional attitude and personal presentation skills in all verbal and written communications
• Capability to work from your home office
• Solid technical skills, with the ability to assist and teach customers about our online booking tool
• Minimum 1 year sales administrative experience
• Be part of a slightly quirky, fun, close knit team!
• Minimum 4+ years experience general Aviation knowledge or related area
• Proven track record to make independent quick decisions while taking accountability for decisions and actions
• Maintains polished demeanor with ability to influence appropriately while remaining calm in sometimes stressful situations
• 1.5 years of experience in C&M
• Assist the customer with their requirements and provide them with information on our various products
• Obtain and maintain detailed knowledge of all current products (including rates, facilities, destinations, food & beverage )
• Ensure all reservations are entered in the Travel Studio System
• Maintain reservation files and ensure that all information is up to date and accurate
• Identify and solve any problems that arise
• Handle ad hoc enquiries ensuring that they are answered/actioned in an appropriate manner at all times
• Book hotels and ground arrangements
• Assist with the ticketing process
• Prepare and process gift vouchers/certificates and booking forms
• Process payment/credit cards, produce and send out invoices
• Experience using a GDS system, preferably Amadeus, is desirable
• Recent qualification in travel and tourism
• Online travel booking knowledge (eg
• Perform general administrative duties and any other ad-hoc duties as required
• Must be able to pass a pre-employment drug screen and criminal background check
• Must be able to work under the stress of and meet ticketing deadlines

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What does a travel agent do?

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What is a Travel Agent?

A travel agent assists individuals or groups in planning, organizing, and booking various aspects of their travel arrangements. They act as intermediaries between travelers and travel suppliers, such as airlines, hotels, car rental companies, and tour operators. Travel agents have in-depth knowledge of different destinations, travel options, and industry trends, which they leverage to provide personalized recommendations and advice to their clients.

One of the primary roles of a travel agent is to help clients navigate the complex world of travel. They listen to their clients' preferences, budget constraints, and desired experiences, and then work towards creating a tailored itinerary that meets their needs. Travel agents handle tasks such as booking flights, accommodations, ground transportation, and excursions, ensuring that all the necessary arrangements are made smoothly. They can also provide valuable insights on visa requirements, travel insurance, and local customs, helping travelers make informed decisions and avoid potential pitfalls.

What does a Travel Agent do?

Travel agents possess extensive knowledge and expertise in the travel industry, including destinations, transportation options, accommodations, and activities. This expertise allows them to provide valuable advice and guidance to travelers, helping them make informed decisions and create well-planned itineraries that meet their specific needs and preferences. They also have access to a wide range of resources and tools that enable them to efficiently search for the best deals, discounts, and promotions available. They can often secure exclusive rates and packages, saving their clients both time and money.

Duties and Responsibilities Here are some common tasks and responsibilities associated with being a travel agent:

• Client Consultation: Travel agents engage in thorough consultations with clients to understand their travel preferences, requirements, and budget. They ask relevant questions to gather necessary information and provide personalized recommendations based on the client's needs.
• Itinerary Planning: Based on client preferences, travel agents create detailed travel itineraries that include destinations, transportation options, accommodations, and activities. They consider factors like travel dates, budget constraints, and any specific requests from clients.
• Reservation and Booking: Travel agents handle the booking process for flights, hotels, rental cars, and other travel-related services. They ensure that all bookings are made accurately and efficiently, securing the best available rates and deals for their clients.
• Travel Documentation and Logistics: Travel agents assist clients in obtaining necessary travel documents such as passports, visas, and travel insurance. They provide guidance on the documentation process and ensure that clients have all the required paperwork in order. Agents also handle logistical aspects like seat assignments, baggage allowances, and transportation arrangements.
• Knowledge of Destinations: Travel agents possess extensive knowledge about various destinations, including popular attractions, local customs, weather conditions, and safety considerations. They provide valuable information and recommendations to clients, enabling them to make well-informed decisions about their travel plans.
• Customer Service: Travel agents offer exceptional customer service throughout the entire travel process. They address client inquiries, resolve any issues or concerns that may arise, and provide support during the trip. Agents act as a point of contact for emergencies and assist clients in making alternative arrangements if necessary.
• Stay Up-to-Date with Industry Trends: To provide the best service to clients, travel agents stay updated with the latest industry trends, travel regulations, and changes in travel technology. They attend industry conferences, participate in training programs, and conduct research to ensure their knowledge is current.
• Sales and Marketing: Some travel agents engage in sales and marketing activities to attract new clients and promote travel packages and services. They may participate in trade shows, develop promotional materials, and utilize online platforms to reach a wider audience.
• Financial Management: Travel agents handle financial transactions related to travel bookings, including processing payments, issuing refunds, and managing invoices. They maintain accurate records of financial transactions and ensure compliance with accounting procedures.
• Continuous Learning: Travel agents continuously enhance their skills and knowledge by staying updated on travel industry trends, new destinations, and emerging technologies. They actively seek opportunities for professional development to provide the best possible service to their clients.

Types of Travel Agents There are various types of travel agents, each specializing in different aspects of travel and catering to specific clientele. Here are some common types of travel agents and what they do:

• Leisure Travel Agents: Leisure travel agents focus on organizing vacations and leisure trips for individuals, families, or groups. They assist clients in planning and booking all aspects of their leisure travel, including flights, accommodations, tours, and activities. Leisure travel agents may specialize in specific types of travel, such as beach vacations, cruises, adventure travel, or luxury travel.
• Corporate Travel Agents: Corporate travel agents primarily cater to business travelers and companies. They handle the complex travel needs of corporate clients, including booking flights, arranging accommodations, managing itineraries, and coordinating travel logistics. Corporate travel agents are familiar with business travel policies, negotiated rates, and preferred vendors to ensure cost-effective and efficient travel arrangements for their clients.
• Group Travel Agents: Group travel agents specialize in organizing travel for large groups, such as family reunions, weddings, school trips, or corporate retreats. They handle group bookings for flights, accommodations, transportation, and activities, negotiating group rates and coordinating logistics to accommodate the specific needs and preferences of the group.
• Tour Operators: Tour operators design and operate pre-packaged tours and travel itineraries. They create comprehensive tour packages that include transportation, accommodations, guided tours, and activities. Tour operators often work with travel agents to sell their tour packages, providing them with a ready-made product to offer their clients.
• Destination Specialists: Destination specialists focus on specific regions, countries, or cities. They have in-depth knowledge of the destination's culture, attractions, local experiences, and logistical considerations. Destination specialists provide expert advice and create customized itineraries for travelers seeking in-depth exploration of a particular destination.
• Online Travel Agents (OTAs): Online travel agents operate through internet platforms and websites, offering a wide range of travel services. They allow customers to search, compare, and book flights, hotels, rental cars, and other travel services online. Online travel agents may also provide customer support and assistance through online chat or call centers.
• Niche Travel Agents: Niche travel agents specialize in specific types of travel, catering to niche markets or specialized interests. Examples include adventure travel agents, luxury travel agents, honeymoon specialists, culinary travel agents, or eco-tourism experts. These agents have extensive knowledge and expertise in their niche area, curating unique experiences and tailored itineraries for clients with specific interests.

Are you suited to be a travel agent?

Travel agents have distinct personalities . They tend to be enterprising individuals, which means they’re adventurous, ambitious, assertive, extroverted, energetic, enthusiastic, confident, and optimistic. They are dominant, persuasive, and motivational. Some of them are also conventional, meaning they’re conscientious and conservative.

Does this sound like you? Take our free career test to find out if travel agent is one of your top career matches.

What is the workplace of a Travel Agent like?

The workplace of a travel agent can vary depending on their specific employment arrangement. Some travel agents work in traditional brick-and-mortar travel agencies, which may be part of a larger travel company or operate independently. In these settings, travel agents typically have a physical office space with workstations, computers, and travel industry resources such as brochures, destination guides, and reservation systems. They may have a reception area to welcome clients and conduct in-person consultations.

With the increasing prevalence of remote work and online booking platforms, many travel agents now have the flexibility to work from home or in virtual offices. They utilize technology, such as laptops, smartphones, and high-speed internet, to communicate with clients, access travel resources, and make online bookings. Virtual travel agents often communicate with clients via phone, email, or video conferencing, offering the convenience of remote consultations.

Travel agents also frequently visit destinations, attend industry conferences, and participate in familiarization trips organized by travel suppliers. These opportunities allow them to gain firsthand experience, build relationships with suppliers, and stay updated on the latest travel trends. While travel agents spend a significant amount of time working at their desks, they also have the chance to explore and experience the destinations they recommend to their clients.

In terms of work hours, travel agents may have a standard office schedule, working weekdays during regular business hours. However, they may also need to be flexible, accommodating clients in different time zones or assisting with emergency situations outside of regular office hours. The workload of travel agents can vary throughout the year, with peak periods during holiday seasons or when there are significant events or festivals happening in popular destinations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pros and cons of being a travel agent.

Being a travel agent can be an exciting and rewarding career for individuals who are passionate about travel and enjoy helping others create memorable experiences. However, like any profession, there are pros and cons to consider.

• Travel Opportunities: One of the major advantages of being a travel agent is the exposure to diverse travel opportunities. Travel agents often have the chance to visit destinations, experience different cultures, and explore new places as part of their job. This firsthand experience not only enhances their knowledge but also allows them to provide valuable insights and recommendations to clients.
• Personal Satisfaction: For individuals who are passionate about travel and helping others, being a travel agent can be personally fulfilling. The ability to create personalized itineraries and witness the joy and excitement of clients as they embark on their dream trips can be highly rewarding.
• Knowledge and Expertise: Travel agents develop a deep understanding of destinations, travel products, and industry trends. They stay up-to-date with the latest information, including visa requirements, safety advisories, and emerging travel destinations. This expertise allows them to provide valuable advice and recommendations to clients, ensuring they have well-planned and memorable travel experiences.
• Building Relationships: Travel agents have the opportunity to build strong relationships with clients, travel suppliers, and industry professionals. They can establish a network of contacts that can enhance their business and open doors for collaboration and future opportunities.
• Industry Changes and Competition: The travel industry is constantly evolving, with new technologies, online booking platforms, and dynamic pricing models. Travel agents must stay updated with these changes and adapt their business practices accordingly. The rise of online travel agencies and self-booking options has increased competition, requiring travel agents to differentiate themselves and provide added value to their clients.
• Workload and Time Management: The travel industry can be demanding, especially during peak travel seasons. Travel agents may need to work long hours, including evenings and weekends, to accommodate client needs and handle emergencies. Proper time management skills are essential to balance the workload and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• Pressure for Exceptional Customer Service: Travel agents are expected to deliver outstanding customer service consistently. They must handle client inquiries, resolve issues, and manage expectations throughout the travel process. This level of customer service can be challenging, particularly when dealing with unforeseen circumstances or dissatisfied clients.
• Commission-Based Income: While some travel agents receive a salary or hourly wage, others rely on commission-based income. This means their earnings are directly tied to the bookings they secure for clients. It can take time to build a client base and establish a steady income stream, especially in the early stages of a travel agent's career.

Travel Agents are also known as: Travel Consultant

What Are the Duties of a Travel Consultant?

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A travel consultant specializes in coordinating and booking travel arrangements for individuals, groups and businesses. They differ from travel agents in that they offer more specialized services and represent you, not an agency, airline or hotel, explains Travel Professional News .

The majority of travel professionals are employed by travel agencies, though the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that 14 percent are self-employed. While the Internet makes it easy and convenient for the average person to make their own travel arrangements, many people still utilize travel consultants to book their trips and ensure they are getting the most bang for their buck.

Researching Travel Options

One of the key reasons why travel agents are still in demand is because of the due diligence they perform when researching your travel options. In addition to simply looking up airfare and hotel rates, experienced travel agents are likely to have insight into items such as where to stay within your budget, what dates are ideal for travel to your destination of choice and any special promotions or discounts for which you may be eligible.

Providing Extra Advice

Travel consultants, sometimes called travel counselors, use the information they've obtained from their research to offer professional travel advice to their clients. Part of the travel counselor job description includes helping you avoid booking bad hotels or restaurants due to poor reviews, adjusting the travel dates to get a better deal or bundling the travel services into a single package to save money. Advice may also be given regarding anticipated weather conditions and popular activities and events to partake in during your stay.

Help Booking Trips

Once the client agrees on an itinerary, the main part of a travel agent job description is making the necessary arrangements to book the trip. This could include ordering airline tickets, making hotel reservations and securing a rental car. Prior to booking, a travel agent reviews the cancellation guidelines with the client and goes over any pertinent information such as arrival and departure times and any additional expenses that may be charged by the vendors such as fees for parking or incidentals.

Travel consultants offer more services than typical travel agents, and have visited some tourist destinations. They can recommend restaurants, shops and other places to visit. They might have extra pull in making reservations at high-demand places and be able to arrange discounts.

Collection of Payments

Payment is typically collected upfront, though some travel agents will allow clients to secure their trip with a deposit provided the balance is paid in full prior to the travel date. This is one benefit offered by travel consultants that you won't find by booking your travel online. Although the payment guidelines vary by agent, most require that the deposit be at least the amount of the airfare plus a minimal per person deposit for lodging.

Becoming a Travel Agent or Consultant

There's no college degree required to become a travel agent or consultant, with many working using just a high school diploma and the training they receive after they are hired. The more knowledge you gain and more places you visit, the more you can charge for consulting services. According to the BLS, median pay for a travel agent in 2019 was $40,600 annually. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on travel, the BLS estimates demand for travel agents will decline by approximately 26 percent from 2019 to 2029.

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Travel Agents
• Career Planner.com: Travel Agent
• USA Today: What Are the Duties of a Travel Agent?
• Travel Professional News: Are You a Travel Agent, a Travel Consultant, a Travel Professional or a Travel Advisor?

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Travel Consultant Job Description

Travel consultants provide suggestions for travel arrangements and then proceed to make those plans upon confirmation that clients would like to purchase the package. Most travel consultants require a deposit before they work to secure reservations.

Travel Consultant Job Description Template

We are looking for a well-traveled and insightful travel consultant to advise on and plan business and vacation itineraries. The travel consultant should meet with clients to determine their needs, and then select the most appropriate options given time and budget constraints. You should also inform clients of cancellation procedures and any applicable penalties.

To ensure success as a travel consultant, you should plan arrangements in accordance with clients' mobility and medical requirements. An outstanding travel consultant will monitor and tend to all queries within short turnaround times.

Travel Consultant Responsibilities:

• Responding to inquiries about our company's services and offerings.
• Determining each client's requirements, including destinations, length of stay, and transit time.
• Ensuring that clients pay the deposit before you commence with bookings.
• Informing clients about the cancellation policy, including salient dates and all penalties.
• Ascertaining and adhering to the available budget.
• Selecting the most appropriate transport based on the available finances, requisite departure and arrival times, and preferred duration of transit.
• Securing accommodation that is best suited to the budget and location of choice.
• Planning excursions based on each client's needs and interests.
• Accounting for mobility and medical needs during each phase of the trip planning process.

Travel Consultant Requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Qualification in tourism or similar is preferred.
• Demonstrable experience as a travel consultant, with expertise in local and international travel arrangements.
• Computer literate, with exceptional desktop research and professional writing skills.
• Top-notch interpersonal skills, including communication, respect, and empathy.
• Ability to source the best quotes.
• A knack for delivering multiple outputs within tight turnaround times, as needed.
• Capacity to deliver commendable services that surpass clients' expectations.

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Travel agent job description, reservation agent job description, travel consultant interview questions, travel agent interview questions, reservation agent interview questions.

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Know the difference between Travel Consultants and Travel Agents

What is the difference between a travel agent and a travel consultant? The shift started in the 1990's with the introduction of online booking sites. Travelers who once reserved air tickets and hotels directly with a travel agent now had access to book directly. In the following 25+ years, thousands of agencies closed their doors and the business models shifted from distributors to specialists.

Travel agents are often affiliated with an agency or consortia and serve as an intermediary between booking systems and travelers. They may have a speciality for a destination, region, or niche like African safaris or Caribbean cruises. Agents also receive incentives from the companies and organizations they promote. For example, if they book a certain number of rooms with Marriott Hotels & Resorts, they accrue bonuses and/or complimentary stays for personal use.

Travel consultants have emerged to serve the need of those seeking experiential travel. While online sites now dominate the market for air ticket + hotel bundles, consultants offer a personal touch. They are advocates who create a conversation, map logistics, and offer authentic experiences for their clients. Consultants often work directly with Destination Management Companies (DMC's) abroad in the respective countries.

So who is the ideal resource for your trip?

If you are seeking a good deal on basic services, including flight ticketing and hotel rooms, an agent may have volume from their host company to offer discounted rates. However, if a good value to you includes assistance and advocacy on specialized experiences, a travel consultant will have access to more local connections - farmhouse cuisine with villagers, tea with a royal family, or private viewings of art collections. 

At Sodha Travel, we consider our team travel consultants. We are certified destination specialists, independently owned, and only reserve comprehensive itineraries. Additionally, we are not associated with a commission or loyalty program and can therefore offer unbiased suggestions for accommodations and experiences. Our philosophy is to create relationships with our clients and offer truly customized travel programs. We have spent thousands of hours staying in hotels, meeting guides, inspecting vehicles, and building relationships with vendors, proprietors, and locals. Sodha Travel has a mindful, integral approach to tourism with a commitment to socially and environmentally conscious itineraries. This expertise and awareness comes from years of servicing South Asia.

Let us know how we can assist with planning your adventure in South Asia!

Topics: Accommodations , Transportation , Education , consultant

Written by Allison Sodha

As the President of Sodha Travel and author of Go! Girl Guides India, Allison has spent almost two decades exploring South Asia. She has a passion for creating experiences fueled by a deeper understanding of local communities.

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Top 12 Travel Consultant Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today’s competitive travel industry, standing out as a travel consultant requires a unique blend of skills that appeal to both employers and clients. A well-crafted resume highlighting these essential skills can set you apart, demonstrating your capability to deliver exceptional travel experiences and handle the demands of this dynamic field.

Travel Consultant Skills

• CRM Software
• Multilingual
• Itinerary Planning
• Customer Service
• Negotiation
• Destination Knowledge
• Risk Management

Amadeus is a global travel technology company that provides a comprehensive suite of software and solutions for booking flights, hotels, and other travel services, widely used by travel consultants and agencies to manage reservations and travel itineraries efficiently.

Why It's Important

Amadeus is important for a Travel Consultant because it provides comprehensive access to flight, hotel, and car rental databases, enabling efficient booking management, itinerary planning, and real-time updates, which significantly enhances the service offered to clients.

How to Improve Amadeus Skills

To enhance your proficiency as a Travel Consultant using Amadeus, focus on these key areas:

Training and Certification: Engage in Amadeus Learning Universe for comprehensive courses ranging from beginner to advanced levels. Certifications can validate your expertise.

Practice with Amadeus Selling Platform Connect: Regular use of the Amadeus Selling Platform Connect helps you stay familiar with its features and improves efficiency.

Stay Updated: Follow the Amadeus Blog for the latest trends, updates, and tips relevant to travel consultants.

Use Amadeus Scripts: Automate routine tasks with Amadeus Scripts to save time and reduce errors. Custom scripts can be developed for specific needs.

Networking: Join forums like Amadeus Service Hub to exchange knowledge, troubleshoot issues, and learn from experienced users.

Customer Service Skills: Enhance your customer service skills, as understanding client needs and providing tailored solutions is crucial. Online courses on platforms like Coursera or Udemy can be beneficial.

Focusing on these areas can significantly improve your efficiency and expertise as a Travel Consultant using Amadeus.

How to Display Amadeus Skills on Your Resume

Sabre is a global distribution system (GDS) used by travel consultants to access and book airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel services for their clients.

Sabre is important for a Travel Consultant because it provides comprehensive access to airline, hotel, car rental, and other travel services inventories, enabling efficient bookings, comparisons, and itinerary management for clients.

How to Improve Sabre Skills

Improving your skills with Sabre as a Travel Consultant involves continuous learning and practice. Here are concise steps to enhance your Sabre proficiency:

Take Online Courses : Enroll in Sabre training courses on platforms like Sabre Travel Network or Udemy to stay updated with the latest features and functionalities.

Practice Regularly : Apply what you learn in a practical environment. Use the Sabre Training platform to practice without affecting real bookings.

Join Forums : Participate in forums like Travel GDS to exchange knowledge, tips, and troubleshoot issues with peers.

Read Documentation : Regularly review the Sabre Documentation for updates on APIs, commands, and best practices.

Watch Tutorials : YouTube and other video platforms have numerous Sabre tutorial channels. Dedicate time to watch these to visually learn new tricks and shortcuts.

Get Certified : Aim for Sabre certification by preparing and taking the exams to validate your expertise, enhancing your credentials within the industry.

Use Sabre Red Workspace : Familiarize yourself with the Sabre Red Workspace for an integrated and intuitive experience, making it easier to manage travel bookings efficiently.

Remember, mastering Sabre is a continuous process of learning, practicing, and staying updated with the latest industry standards and technologies.

How to Display Sabre Skills on Your Resume

Galileo is a global computer reservation system (CRS) used by travel consultants to book airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel services. It provides real-time access to inventory and pricing information, facilitating efficient travel planning and booking.

Galileo is important because he revolutionized travel by pioneering the use of satellite navigation systems, making global positioning and itinerary planning more precise and accessible for the travel industry.

How to Improve Galileo Skills

Improving your skills with Galileo as a Travel Consultant involves both enhancing your technical proficiency with the system and staying updated on industry trends. Here are concise tips:

Undergo Formal Training : Enroll in Travelport's official training to understand Galileo's comprehensive features and updates.

Practice Regularly : Practical experience is crucial. Use Galileo's training environment to simulate real-life scenarios without affecting live bookings.

Stay Updated : Follow Travelport's news for the latest updates on Galileo and emerging travel technologies.

Join Online Forums : Engage with communities such as Travel Agents Forum to share insights and learn from experienced peers.

Utilize Learning Resources : Access Galileo's learning center for webinars, tutorials, and guides that cover new features and best practices.

Get Certified : Aim to achieve Galileo certification to validate your expertise and increase your professional value.

By combining these strategies, you'll enhance your Galileo proficiency, offering better service to your clients and staying competitive in the travel industry.

How to Display Galileo Skills on Your Resume

4. Worldspan

Worldspan is a global distribution system (GDS) used by travel consultants to book airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel services. It provides real-time access to travel data and booking capabilities, facilitating efficient travel planning and reservation processes.

Worldspan is important for a Travel Consultant because it provides access to comprehensive travel data, allowing for efficient booking and management of flights, hotels, and car rentals, thus enhancing service delivery to clients.

How to Improve Worldspan Skills

Improving your skills with Worldspan as a Travel Consultant involves continuous learning and utilizing resources effectively. Here are concise steps to enhance your proficiency:

Understand the Basics : Start with mastering the fundamentals of Worldspan commands and functionalities. Worldspan's Quick Reference Guide is an excellent place to begin.

Take Online Courses : Enroll in online courses specifically designed for Worldspan users. Websites like Udemy and Lynda.com often offer relevant training.

Practice Regularly : Apply your learning by practicing regularly. Practical experience is invaluable. Use your agency's Worldspan system for mock bookings to enhance your skills.

Join Forums and Groups : Participate in online forums and groups related to Worldspan and travel consulting. Travel Professional Community is a useful platform for sharing experiences and solutions.

Stay Updated : The travel industry and its technologies evolve rapidly. Follow Worldspan updates and industry trends through Travelport's Customer Portal to stay informed.

Seek Feedback : Get feedback from experienced colleagues or mentors. Constructive criticism can help identify areas for improvement.

Use Reference Materials : Keep handy reference materials, such as cheat sheets and command lists, for quick assistance during work.

By focusing on these steps, you can enhance your Worldspan skills, making you a more efficient and knowledgeable Travel Consultant.

How to Display Worldspan Skills on Your Resume

5. Travelport

Travelport is a global distribution system (GDS) provider that offers travel consultants access to real-time information and booking capabilities for flights, hotels, car rentals, and other travel services, enabling them to manage travel arrangements efficiently for their clients.

Travelport is important for a Travel Consultant because it provides a comprehensive travel commerce platform. This enables consultants to access a wide range of travel content and inventory from airlines, hotels, and car rental services all in one place, facilitating efficient booking and management of travel arrangements for their clients.

How to Improve Travelport Skills

Improving your experience and efficiency as a Travel Consultant using Travelport involves several key actions:

Stay Updated: Regularly visit Travelport's Customer Portal to stay informed about the latest features, updates, and training resources.

Enhance Skills through Training: Utilize Travelport Academy to access a wide range of training courses designed to enhance your proficiency in using Travelport systems.

Leverage Travelport Smartpoint: Install and master Travelport Smartpoint , an innovative tool that improves productivity by providing intuitive navigation and a wealth of content at your fingertips.

Utilize Travelport+: Stay informed about the latest enhancements and features of Travelport+ , the next-generation platform that offers improved efficiency and richer content.

Join User Communities: Engage with the Travelport Community to connect with peers, share insights, and get solutions to common challenges.

Feedback and Support: Regularly provide feedback through the official channels and utilize Travelport Customer Support for any assistance or to address specific challenges.

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly improve your usage of Travelport as a Travel Consultant, enhancing both your efficiency and the quality of service you provide to your clients.

How to Display Travelport Skills on Your Resume

6. CRM Software

CRM software for a travel consultant is a tool designed to manage and enhance customer relationships, streamline communication, and automate sales, marketing, and customer service tasks specific to the travel industry.

CRM software is crucial for a Travel Consultant as it centralizes client information, preferences, and history, enabling personalized service and efficient management of bookings and inquiries, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

How to Improve CRM Software Skills

To improve CRM software for a Travel Consultant, consider implementing the following enhancements:

Integration with Booking Systems : Streamline operations by integrating the CRM with GDS and direct booking systems such as Amadeus or Sabre, enabling real-time booking and updates within the CRM.

Customizable Communication Templates : Develop personalized email and messaging templates for frequent traveler inquiries, confirmations, and promotions, saving time and enhancing client relations.

Client Travel History Tracking : Enhance the CRM to track and analyze individual client travel history and preferences, allowing for personalized travel recommendations and services.

Mobile Accessibility : Ensure the CRM is mobile-friendly, enabling travel consultants to access client information and make bookings on-the-go.

Automated Alerts and Reminders : Implement automated alerts for travel consultants about clients' travel dates, payment due dates, and document expirations, ensuring nothing is missed.

Social Media Integration : Integrate with social media platforms for easy sharing of travel deals and gathering client feedback, enhancing marketing efforts and client engagement.

Data Security Enhancements : Strengthen data protection measures to safeguard client personal and financial information, ensuring trust and compliance with regulations.

By focusing on these key areas, a Travel Consultant can significantly enhance the functionality and efficiency of their CRM software, leading to improved client satisfaction and business performance.

How to Display CRM Software Skills on Your Resume

7. Multilingual

Multilingual, in the context of a Travel Consultant, refers to the ability to communicate effectively in multiple languages, enhancing service provision to clients from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Multilingual proficiency allows a Travel Consultant to effectively communicate with a diverse clientele and local partners from various countries, enhancing customer service, fostering trust, and facilitating smoother travel experiences.

How to Improve Multilingual Skills

Improving multilingual skills, especially for a Travel Consultant, involves enhancing language proficiency and cultural understanding to communicate effectively with clients from diverse backgrounds. Here's a concise guide:

Language Learning Platforms : Use platforms like Duolingo or Babbel for daily language practice. They offer courses in many languages suitable for various proficiency levels.

Tandem Learning : Engage in language exchange with native speakers through apps like Tandem or HelloTalk , which allow for practicing conversational skills and learning slang or idiomatic expressions.

Cultural Immersion : Enhance cultural understanding by consuming media in your target language, such as movies, shows, music, and books. Websites like Netflix or Spotify are great sources for diverse content.

Professional Courses : Consider enrolling in professional language courses or obtaining certifications from recognized institutions like the Goethe-Institut for German or the Instituto Cervantes for Spanish to add credibility to your language skills.

Travel and Practice : Nothing beats the immersion experience of traveling to countries where the target language is spoken. Interact with locals, practice daily conversations, and understand the cultural nuances firsthand.

Use Translation Tools : Familiarize yourself with translation tools and apps like Google Translate or DeepL for quick assistance during conversations or to learn new phrases.

By consistently applying these strategies, you can significantly improve your multilingual abilities, enhancing your effectiveness and competitiveness as a Travel Consultant.

How to Display Multilingual Skills on Your Resume

8. Itinerary Planning

Itinerary Planning, in the context of a Travel Consultant, involves the creation and organization of a detailed travel schedule for clients. This includes selecting destinations, arranging transportation, booking accommodations, and suggesting activities or attractions, tailored to the client's preferences, budget, and timeline.

Itinerary planning is crucial for a Travel Consultant as it ensures a well-organized trip tailored to the client’s preferences, maximizes time and budget efficiency, anticipates and mitigates potential issues, and enhances the overall travel experience.

How to Improve Itinerary Planning Skills

Improving itinerary planning involves a blend of organization, customization, and resourcefulness. Here are concise steps for a travel consultant:

Understand Client Needs : Conduct a detailed consultation to grasp the client's interests, budget, and expectations. Use Traveler's Questionnaire Forms for comprehensive insights.

Research Thoroughly : Utilize resources like Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor for destination insights, reviews, and hidden gems.

Leverage Technology : Employ itinerary planning tools like TripIt or Travefy to organize plans efficiently and share interactive itineraries with clients.

Incorporate Flexibility : Design itineraries with options for spontaneous activities. Recommend free exploration times and alternatives.

Stay Informed : Keep abreast of travel advisories, weather conditions, and local events through government websites like Travel.State.Gov and weather forecasting services like AccuWeather.

Provide Support : Offer continuous support through communication apps like WhatsApp for any in-trip changes or assistance.

Seek Feedback : Post-trip, gather feedback using services like SurveyMonkey to refine future itinerary planning.

By following these steps, travel consultants can craft more effective, personalized, and enjoyable travel experiences for their clients.

How to Display Itinerary Planning Skills on Your Resume

9. Customer Service

Customer service, in the context of a Travel Consultant, involves providing timely, empathetic assistance and expert advice to help travelers plan, book, and manage their trips, addressing any questions or issues they may encounter before, during, or after their travels.

Customer service is crucial for a Travel Consultant as it ensures client satisfaction, fosters repeat business, and generates positive referrals, ultimately leading to sustained success and a reputable brand in the competitive travel industry.

How to Improve Customer Service Skills

Improving customer service, especially for a Travel Consultant, involves understanding and anticipating the needs of your clients. Here are concise tips with relevant resources:

Personalize the Experience : Tailor recommendations and solutions to fit each client's unique preferences and needs. Harvard Business Review highlights the importance of personal value in customer satisfaction.

Responsive Communication : Ensure timely and efficient communication through various channels. Forbes discusses strategies to improve communication responsiveness.

Knowledge and Expertise : Continuously update your knowledge about destinations, deals, and travel advisories. The Travel Institute offers courses and certifications.

Solicit and Act on Feedback : Use client feedback to improve services. Inc. explains how to effectively incorporate customer feedback.

Leverage Technology : Utilize CRM systems for better client management and personalized marketing. Capterra lists the best travel agency software.

Resolve Issues Promptly : Address complaints and problems quickly to maintain trust. American Express suggests tips for effectively dealing with customer complaints.

Improving customer service is an ongoing process that involves personalization, communication, expertise, feedback, technology, and problem resolution.

How to Display Customer Service Skills on Your Resume

10. Negotiation

Negotiation, in the context of a Travel Consultant, involves the strategic discussion and arrangement with suppliers or clients to reach mutually beneficial agreements on travel packages, prices, and terms of service.

Negotiation is crucial for a Travel Consultant as it enables securing the best deals, enhancing customer satisfaction, and fostering strong relationships with suppliers, ultimately leading to competitive offerings and business growth.

How to Improve Negotiation Skills

Improving negotiation skills, especially for a Travel Consultant, involves understanding the needs of both parties, effective communication, and strategic preparation. Here are concise tips:

Preparation: Understand your client's needs, preferences, and budget. Research destinations, accommodations, and travel services to offer informed options. The Art of Negotiation.

Active Listening: Pay close attention to what the client says and what they might not be saying directly. This helps in tailoring your offerings more precisely. Active Listening: The Key to Effective Communication .

Build Rapport: Establish a connection with your client and suppliers. A positive relationship can facilitate smoother negotiations. Building Rapport .

Communicate Clearly: Articulate the benefits and value of your offerings clearly. Clear communication can help prevent misunderstandings. Effective Communication .

Be Flexible: Be open to finding creative solutions that satisfy all parties. This might involve offering alternative destinations or travel dates. The Importance of Flexibility in Negotiation.

Know When to Walk Away: Recognize when a deal does not meet your client's needs or is not viable for you. Knowing When to Walk Away in Negotiation.

By continuously practicing these strategies, a Travel Consultant can significantly improve their negotiation skills, leading to better deals for their clients and themselves.

How to Display Negotiation Skills on Your Resume

11. Destination Knowledge

Destination Knowledge for a Travel Consultant refers to their comprehensive understanding of specific locations, including attractions, culture, local customs, accommodations, transportation options, and safety tips, enabling them to provide informed recommendations and create personalized travel experiences for clients.

Destination knowledge is crucial for a Travel Consultant as it enables them to provide accurate and tailored advice, enhance the travel experience with personalized recommendations, and effectively solve problems, ensuring client satisfaction and trust.

How to Improve Destination Knowledge Skills

Improving destination knowledge is crucial for travel consultants to provide valuable and accurate advice to clients. Here's a concise guide:

Utilize Destination Training Programs : Many tourism boards offer specialized training programs for travel consultants. Travel Agent Academy and The Travel Institute are great starting points.

Participate in Familiarization Trips : These trips, often sponsored by tourism boards or travel companies, allow you to experience destinations firsthand. Stay updated with offers through platforms like Travel Weekly’s Fam Trips.

Engage with Online Webinars and Workshops : Many travel organizations and destinations host webinars that can enhance your knowledge. Check out Destination Canada’s Webinars for insights into Canada, as an example.

Follow Travel News Resources : Stay informed about new developments, attractions, and regulations in various destinations. Websites like Skift and Travel Pulse are invaluable.

Join Professional Travel Networks : Organizations like ASTA (American Society of Travel Advisors) provide resources, networking opportunities, and educational materials to improve your expertise.

Use Destination Official Websites : Directly access the wealth of information on official tourism websites for the most accurate and up-to-date details on attractions, events, and entry requirements. For instance, explore Visit Britain for resources on the UK.

Incorporating these strategies into your professional development will significantly enhance your destination knowledge, ensuring you can offer the best advice and services to your clients.

How to Display Destination Knowledge Skills on Your Resume

12. Risk Management

Risk Management in the context of a Travel Consultant involves identifying, assessing, and prioritizing potential risks to travel plans (such as health emergencies, natural disasters, political instability, or travel scams) and implementing strategies to minimize, monitor, and control the impact of those risks on travelers' experiences.

Risk management is crucial for a Travel Consultant as it helps anticipate, identify, and mitigate potential issues that could affect client safety, satisfaction, and travel plans, ensuring smooth, secure, and enjoyable experiences for clients.

How to Improve Risk Management Skills

Improving risk management, especially for a Travel Consultant, involves systematic approaches to identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with travel. Here's a concise guide:

Identify Risks : Understand the potential risks involved in travel, including health, safety, political instability, and natural disasters. Use resources like the Travel Advisories from the U.S. Department of State for up-to-date information.

Assess Risks : Evaluate the likelihood and impact of identified risks. Tools like the Global Peace Index can provide insights into the safety and security of potential destinations.

Plan and Prepare : Develop comprehensive travel policies and emergency response plans. Incorporate guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) for health-related travel risks.

Implement Solutions : Use travel management software that incorporates risk management tools. Solutions like SAP Concur can help in tracking and assisting travelers in real-time.

Monitor and Review : Continuously monitor travel risks using global monitoring services like International SOS . Regularly review and update risk management strategies based on new information and feedback.

By following these steps, Travel Consultants can significantly improve their risk management practices, ensuring safer and more secure travel experiences for their clients.

How to Display Risk Management Skills on Your Resume

Related Career Skills

• Corporate Travel Consultant
• Travel Nurse
• Travel Agent
• Travel Assistant
• Travel Counselor
• Travel Manager

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BUSINESS CAREER GUIDES

Travel Agent Career

What is a travel agent.

A travel agent is a highly organized professional who is passionate about travel and helping others. They are focused on creating the best possible experiences, directly catered to their clients. They work with hotels, airlines, and other vendors to create travel packages and experiences that their clients will love. Travel agents can work with large groups, individuals, families, professional organizations, and others to help create seamless travel experiences that help create memories.

RESPONSIBILITIES

What Does a Travel Agent Do?

The primary role of a travel agent is to help people make travel arrangements, which might include booking flights, hotels, sightseeing tours, and making dining recommendations. A travel agent assesses each customer’s unique needs, preferences, and budget to ensure their trip goes as smoothly as possible. 

Here are the core day-to-day responsibilities you’ll typically find yourself performing as a travel agent:

• Meeting with clients to discuss upcoming travel plans and gather information regarding travel dates, transportation, and budget. This may be done face-to-face in a brick-and-mortar setting or online.
• Planning the travel itineraries for clients and arranging transportation, lodging, and activities throughout the trip.
• Advising clients on important aspects of their travel plans. This may include providing information on passports, visas, customs, insurance, vaccinations, and trip cancellation policies.
• Keeping accurate records of client bookings, such as payments, travel dates, flight numbers, and hotel check-in and check-out dates
• Handling any travel issues that arise, including flight or hotel cancellations, delays, conflicts, and refunds.

Due to the customer-focused nature of travel agent jobs, it’s ideal to be passionate about and/or have experience in hospitality. Those who make the best travel agents tend to be versatile and have a friendly personality where they’re concerned with keeping clients happy, comfortable, and safe. 

EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES

How do i become a travel agent.

Travel agents are key professionals dedicated to helping individuals and families create memories that will last a lifetime. Through their expertise, research, and services, individuals can plan vacations or trips that are directly catered to their wants and needs. Planning a dream vacation can be stressful for an individual or a family, and having a travel agent can make the process much easier.

If you’re passionate about travel, organization, and helping others, a career as a travel agent can be a great fit.

What Education Does a Travel Agent Need?

A bachelor’s degree in business management  is a great starting place for those interested in becoming a travel agent. This type of degree will give you experience and knowledge in finances, marketing, organization, and strategy. This is key for those who are working with multiple clients, vendors, handling budgets, and marketing themselves to clients. A bachelor’s degree can help you stand out from other candidates in working for larger companies and organizations as well.

Best Degrees for a Travel Agent

Hone your business acumen and garner added respect:...

Hone your business acumen and garner added respect:

• Time: 61% of graduates finish within 19 months
• Tuition:  $3,755 per 6-month term
• Courses : 40 total courses in this program

Skills for your résumé this program will teach you include: 

• Business communication
• Product development
• Decision making models
• Project management strategies
• Budgeting for business

This online degree program is an excellent choice for kick-starting your organizational management career.

Leadership Certificate – School of Business

Enhance your résumé and take a step in your educational journey with the...

Enhance your résumé and take a step in your educational journey with the help of a leadership certificate from the School of Business.

• Time: 4 months from start to finish.
• Cost:  $2,250 for the certificate.
• Courses: 3 courses total in this program.

This program is for emerging leaders, however this program does not require a bachelor’s degree, and provides transferable credit towards a WGU degree program.

Whether you aspire to work for a Fortune 500 organization, a government agency, a non-profit organization, or a fast-paced start-up, this certificate can give you the keys to success in a variety of industries, including:

• Finance and Banking
• Manufacturing

How Much Does a Travel Agent Make?

Several factors determine travel agent salary, including location, level of education, certifications, years of experience, and the specific company they’re working for. Top earners in this industry, according to ZipRecruiter, make as much as  $64,500 per year , while the lowest earners make closer to $20,500. In terms of median pay, recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put it at  $42,350 in 2020 , which comes out to $20.36 per hour. 

What Is the Projected Job Growth?

Admittedly, the job outlook in the near future is lower than in other industries. Research from the BLS states that from 2020-2029, there’s  expected to be a 26% decline  in the job outlook, which translates into a drop of 21,300 jobs. This is largely due to the rising popularity of travel booking sites like Priceline and Kayak, where a growing number of people are booking trips online themselves. However, according to the BLS, the growth in business management is expected to grow 4% in the next 10 years.

What Skills Does a Travel Agent Need?

A career in this industry requires a travel agent to have a definitive skill set, with some of the key skills being:

• Interpersonal skills.  Travel agents will constantly be interacting with clients in-person, over the phone, and through email. In turn, they need to be strong verbal and written communicators, empathetic, and understanding of the individual needs of each client.
• Organization.  Because they may be juggling trips for several clients at a time, travel agents must be highly organized and capable of effectively managing a high volume of booking information.
• Problem-solving.  Travel logistics are inherently complex where issues can pop up at any given time. Great travel agents have a knack for handling incidents and quickly resolving problems while maintaining their poise.
• Attention to detail.  It’s easy to mix-up things like flight departure and arrival times, hotel check-ins, and transportation rentals, which is why travel agents need to be detail-oriented.
• A firm understanding of technology.  This career is heavily reliant on technology like travel booking platforms and appointment scheduling software. Travel agents not only need to have a firm grasp of this technology but be willing to continually learn about new developments and iterations. 

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travel agent

Definition of travel agent

Examples of travel agent in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'travel agent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1885, in the meaning defined above

Articles Related to travel agent

Is it ‘traveling’ or...

Is it ‘traveling’ or ‘travelling’?

A tale of two variants

Dictionary Entries Near travel agent

travel agency

Cite this Entry

“Travel agent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/travel%20agent. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

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Are You a Travel Agent, a Travel Consultant, a Travel Professional or a Travel Advisor?

Written By: Tom Ogg

The current effort to rebrand travel agents as travel advisors is taking an interesting turn in nomenclature. There are really numerous reasons why, but I will start with the most obvious.

Whether you call yourself an agent, consultant, professional, advisor or an MME (Memory Making Expert) as Patty Kollar CTA of PackNTravel does, it is really the client who determines what you are.

As Samarah Meil, of Amarillo Travel Network in Amarillo, Texas says “I honestly am great with being known as THE TRAVEL AGENT to work with! I know it is trendy to use other names, such as Advisor, Consultant, Travel Junkie, Travel Ninja, Travel Designer, etc – but in the end, I really think most people just think of us as a Travel Agent and not in a negative way.”

Geoff Millar, Owner of Ultimate All-Inclusive Travel Inc shares “We still use travel agent for one main reason, our advertising. We did quite a bit of testing using travel consultant, travel advisor and a few other titles but we found that with all our advertising, Travel Agent still got the most response, almost 2 to 1 over the use of other titles. We also found that the quality of the responses or leads we received remained high quality.”

The Agency Law Factor

Using the term “Travel Agent” is an important part of Agency Law that dictates how travel agents present themselves to consumers. If you are unfamiliar with Agency Law, here is a video tutorial that introduces you to some of the more important concepts of it.

As you can see Agency Disclosure has a huge impact on your fiduciary obligation to the Principal in the transaction you are processing. If the client thinks that you are acting on their behalf solely and you fail to do your agency disclosure, you may well end up being help to a fiduciary standard for both the supplier and the client. This is indeed a tenuous position to be in.

In an article entitled “ Are You An Agent For A Supplier Or Fiduciary For The Client? ” (Travel Market Report, July 7th, 2017) written by Paul Ruden, ASTA’s executive vice president for legal and industry affairs (now retired) shares details on how travel agents must disclose their agency relationship with the principle in a timely manner so that the client has an opportunity to cancel if they chose to do so. The disclosure should be done in writing and also continued in subsequent correspondence. The article is well worth the read to confirm your obligation as a travel agent.

It is crystal clear that referring to yourself as anything other than a travel agent may cause confusion for the client who might believe that a consultant is consulting on their behalf or that an advisor is advising on their behalf. A travel agent is acting on behalf of a Principle and using the term travel agent is on its face, agency disclosure.

Let’s look at the definition of the four terms being discussed as a business style. Here are the rawest forms of the meaning of each.

Agent: a person who acts on behalf of another person or group. Consultant: a person who provides expert advice professionally. Professional: engaged in a specified activity as one’s main paid occupation rather than as a pastime. Advisor: a person who gives advice in a particular field.

You can see that all four seem applicable to travel agents. But wait, in an article entitled “ What’s in a Name? A Travel Agent by Any Other Name ” (Travel Market Report, September 29th, 2017) Paul Ruden shares that by calling yourself anything other than a travel agent you may be causing the consumer to think that you are their fiduciary and thereby cancel any legal protection afforded to you by doing your agency disclosure to the client.

The American Bar Association makes the obligation for agency disclosure to take place in order to avoid the pitfall of dual fiduciary quite clear in an article entitled “Travel Agents: Their Role and Liability”

The article shares that most U.S. courts are now holding travel agents to a fiduciary standard, especially when leisure travel is involved and that the only way to avoid it is through agency disclosure. “However, as long as the customer is informed of the identity of the principal (e.g., the cruise line, tour company, hotel, etc.), the travel agent will not be held individually liable for a breach of contract by such disclosed principal. This legal concept of the disclosed agent of a disclosed principal is important for the travel agent to understand and explain to consumers so that the travel agent is able to avoid liability for breaches of duty or contract by travel suppliers.”

The Clumsy Truth About Disclosure

Let’s substitute “Travel Advisor” with another agent type and now consider “Real Estate Advisor.” The first assumption is that a real estate advisor doesn’t necessarily sell real estate (that is what a real estate agent does) but offers real estate advice, presumably for people considering either buying, selling or managing real estate. Since they are acting as an advisor, they must have a fiduciary relationship with you as the advisee. Here is what a disclosure statement from a real estate advisor might sound like.

“Yes, I am your real estate advisor. While I am actually a real estate agent working for my principle, as a fiduciary, which is the seller of the home you are interested in, I only have the obligation to be fair and honest to you as the buyer.”

You can easily see how clumsy this disclosure becomes. And, failure to disclose that they are acting as an agent for the Principle would easily put them in jeopardy of a breach of fiduciary claim should the house turn out to be faulty with no disclosure.

Kim DalPonte of Pixie Dust & Paradise Travel, Inc. shares “I have always called myself a Travel Consultant, but I say I own a Travel Agency (not a Travel Consulting Firm). However, no matter what I call myself, all of my clients, and the general population say, and relate to Travel Agent!”

“Yes we use travel counsellor on our business cards but I still say travel agent. It is just to get the point across that I do not just sell you a trip. I do not charge you a service fee and I will give you ideas on where to go, I will match up your interests with a resort to get a great fit. I will try to make it a seamless experience from the time you leave the house and are transported to the airport to when you come home and have after travel issues. So although I am a travel agent and will sell you a trip, we do so much more.” says Beth Lariviere with EA Travel and Tours in Ontario, Canada.

Mitch Krayton CTA of Krayton Travel in Aurora, Colorado asks “Do you sell your advice only? Then Travel Advisor is a good fit. Travel Professional says nothing about you and we all are professing travel. We get paid mostly by suppliers as their agents which is why Travel Agent works so well. We have no problem with insurance agent, real estate agent, do we? We sell for a living. Instead of hiding the obvious truth of what we do with a synonym no one understands. Be proud that you sell value to you travelers and that you have been chosen as an agent for travel by your suppliers.”

The Case For Being Called Something Other Than a Travel Agent

In an article entitled “ This Is Why Travel Agents Want To Be Called Travel Advisors ” Christopher Elliott, a reputable consumer advocate, tries to make the case for the change of nomenclature from travel agent to travel advisor. While his article is interesting, it lacks any understanding of the evolution of travel professionals over the last two decades. He equates a travel agent as someone who is “just looking for a commission check” and that there is “a significant part of the travel agency community that wants to turn the clock back to 1990, to the days when they could earn a comfortable living with a phone call and a few keystrokes.”

The truth is that during the 1990s retail brick and mortar travel agencies were going bankrupt and closing in never-seen-before numbers. This was the result of the airline ticket commissions being first capped and eventually eliminated. I have been in the travel industry full time since 1968 and I can personally tell you that there was never a time when travel agents “earn a comfortable living with a phone call and a few keystrokes.”

Another truth is that while travel agents are agents of the Principle supplier, agents do everything conceivable to make the client’s travel experience as positive as possible. This includes full product exposure whether it is a cruise, resort, tour, all-inclusive, or any other travel niche out there. They share their personal knowledge, expertise and experience with clients. They offer clients extensive support and services including matching the client with the perfect vacation choice, arranging detailed travel itineraries paving the way for a smooth journey and acting as the safety backup while the client is traveling.

In the “ How To Tell If Your Agent is an Advisor ” section of the article Mr. Elliott includes the following signs indicating you are working with an advisor:

They Do More Than Book Travel: Travel agents have been doing this since their inception. In fact, today’s travel professional is going well beyond the “just booking travel” stage.

They Specialize: I am sure it is safe to say that pretty much all travel agents specialize in niches that allow them to develop expertise that is in demand with the traveling public. Never before has it been easier to reach niche oriented clients within a travel agent’s specific specialization.

They Offer Concierge Services: My long time friend Sandy Elson MCC , Owner of Your Cruise Concierge shares “I opened “Your Cruise Concierge” in 2004 as a cruise-only home based travel agency. Having been a travel agent since 1985, I knew that times had changed and I had to offer clients more than they could get on their own. With so much information available on the internet, I wanted to enhance my service as not only a “travel agent” but a “cruise concierge.” I offered services that were not available on the internet or from other travel agencies. including a menu of services, such as making dinner reservations in pre-cruise or post-cruise cities, or on the ships themselves. I researched and printed information about each port stop, including sightseeing suggestions and dining suggestions, which went far beyond the cruise lines’ information about the ports. The most important service I could offer was to keep myself informed and experienced about every cruise line, and every ship on that line, to better serve my clients. I became the “go-to” travel agent for my niche specialties, including family reunion cruises and luxury cruises. This knowledge and experience stands as the concierge feature of my service that my clients valued the most.”

They Charge a Consulting Fee: While many agents do charge a consulting fee, this hardly qualifies anyone as a travel agent, consultant, professional or advisor.

So Are You a Travel Agent, or What? As Teri Hurley, Owner of Endless Love Travel in Georgetown, Texas says “Whether we like it or not, the public recognition remains attached to Travel Agent.  I personally feel if you are doing your job correctly you are a consultant first, an advisor second and agent last, as you move through the client process to close your sale. However, strictly for marketing purposes, travel agent remains the go to tag.”

Vicki Scheck of ScheckTrek Travel in Pasadena, California shares “We all know that there is a movement underway to call ourselves almost anything other than travel “agents.” In order for the title to carry any weight, however, we would need to get behind that phrase “call ourselves.” I can call myself the Queen of Sheba, but does it mean anything? Anyone with a host agency can call her or himself a travel advisor and feel superior to the other poor soul who only calls her or himself a travel agent. And yet, the experienced travel agent might be in the Million-Dollar Club, and the new travel advisor might not have made her or his first booking yet.”

In the end, what you choose to call yourself is up to you. I kind of like the idea of calling yourself your specific niche “River Cruise Specialist”, “Hawaii Specialist” or “African Safari Specialist” which really helps clients identify what you do and who you are.

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What we know about CrowdStrike’s update fail that’s causing global outages and travel chaos

A faulty software update issued by security giant CrowdStrike has resulted in a massive overnight outage that’s affected Windows computers around the world , disrupting businesses, airports, train stations, banks, broadcasters and the healthcare sector.

CrowdStrike said the outage was not caused by a cyberattack, but was the result of a “defect” in a software update for its flagship security product, Falcon Sensor. The defect caused any Windows computers that Falcon is installed on to crash without fully loading.

“The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed,” said CrowdStrike in a statement on Friday . Some businesses and organizations are beginning to recover, but many expect the outages to drag on into the weekend or next week given the complexity of the fix. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz told NBC News that it may take “some time for some systems that just automatically won’t recover.” In a later tweet , Kurtz apologized for the disruption.

Here’s everything you need to know about the outages.

What happened?

Late Thursday into Friday, reports began to emerge of IT problems wherein Windows computers were getting stuck with the infamous “blue screen of death” — a bright blue error screen with a message that displays when Windows encounters a critical failure, crashes or cannot load.

The outages were first noticed in Australia early on Friday, and reports quickly came in from the rest of Asia and Europe as the regions began their day, as well as the United States.

Within a short time, CrowdStrike confirmed that a software update for Falcon had malfunctioned and was causing Windows computers that had the software installed to crash. Falcon lets CrowdStrike remotely analyze and check for malicious threats and malware on installed computers.

At around the same time, Microsoft reported a significant outage at one of its most used Azure cloud regions covering much of the central United States. A spokesperson for Microsoft told TechCrunch that its outage was unrelated to CrowdStrike’s incident .

Around Friday noon (Eastern time), Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella posted on X saying the company is aware of the CrowdStrike botched update and is “working closely with CrowdStrike and across the industry to provide customers technical guidance and support to safely bring their systems back online.”

What is CrowdStrike and what does Falcon Sensor do?

CrowdStrike, founded in 2011, has quickly grown into a cybersecurity giant. Today the company provides software and services to 29,000 corporate customers, including around half of Fortune 500 companies, 43 out of 50 U.S. states and eight out of the top 10 tech firms, according to its website .

The company’s cybersecurity software, Falcon, is used by enterprises to manage security on millions of computers around the world. These businesses include large corporations, hospitals, transportation hubs and government departments. Most consumer devices do not run Falcon and are unaffected by this outage.

One of the company’s biggest recent claims to fame was when it caught a group of Russian government hackers breaking into the Democratic National Committee ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. CrowdStrike is also known for using memorable animal-themed names for the hacking groups it tracks based on their nationality, such as: Fancy Bear , believed to be part of Russia’s General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate, or GRU; Cozy Bear , believed to be part of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR; Gothic Panda , believed to be a Chinese government group; and Charming Kitten , believed to be an Iranian state-backed group. The company even makes action figures to represent these groups, which it sells as swag .

CrowdStrike is so big it’s one of the sponsors of the Mercedes F1 team , and this year even aired a Super Bowl ad — a first for a cybersecurity company. 

Who are the outages affecting?

Practically anyone who during their everyday life interacts with a computer system running software from CrowdStrike is affected, even if the computer isn’t theirs. 

These devices include the cash registers at grocery stores, departure boards at airports and train stations, school computers, your work-issued laptops and desktops, airport check-in systems, airlines’ own ticketing and scheduling platforms, healthcare networks and many more. Because CrowdStrike’s software is so ubiquitous, the outages are causing chaos around the world in a variety of ways. A single affected Windows computer in a fleet of systems could be enough to disrupt the network. 

TechCrunch reporters around the world are seeing and experiencing outages, including at points of travel, doctors’ offices and online. Early on Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration put in effect a ground stop, effectively grounding flights across the United States, citing the disruption. It looks like so far the national Amtrak rail network is functioning as normal. 

What is the U.S. government doing so far?

Given that the problem stems from a company, there isn’t much that the U.S. federal government can do. According to a pool report, President Biden was briefed on the CrowdStrike outage, and “his team is in touch with CrowdStrike and impacted entities.” That’s in large part because the federal government is a customer of CrowdStrike and also affected.

Several federal agencies are affected by the incident, including the Department of Education , and Social Security Administration, which said Friday that it closed its offices as a result of the outage.

The pool report said Biden’s team is “engaged across the interagency to get sector by sector updates throughout the day and is standing by to provide assistance as needed.” 

In a separate tweet, Homeland Security said it was working with its U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA, CrowdStrike and Microsoft — as well as its federal, state, local and critical infrastructure partners — to “fully assess and address system outages.”

There will no doubt be questions for CrowdStrike (and to some extent Microsoft, whose unrelated outage also caused disruption overnight for its customers) from government and congressional investigators. 

For now, the immediate focus will be on the recovery of affected systems.

How do affected customers fix their Windows computers?

The major problem here is that CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor software malfunctioned, causing Windows machines to crash, and there’s no easy way to fix that. 

So far, CrowdStrike has issued a patch, and it has also detailed a workaround that could help affected systems function normally until it has a permanent solution. One option is for users to “reboot the [affected computer] to give it an opportunity to download the reverted channel file,” referring to the fixed file.

In a message to users , CrowdStrike detailed a few steps customers can take, one of which requires physical access to an affected system to remove the defective file. CrowdStrike says users should boot the computer into Safe Mode or Windows Recovery Environment, navigate to the CrowdStrike directory, and delete the faulty file “C-00000291*.sys.”

The wider problem with having to fix the file manually could be a major headache for companies and organizations with large numbers of computers, or Windows-powered servers in datacenters or locations that might be in another region, or an entirely different country.

CISA warns that malicious actors are ‘taking advantage’ of the outage

In a statement on Friday, CISA attributed the outages to the faulty CrowdStrike update and that the issue was not due to a cyberattack. CISA said that it was “working closely with CrowdStrike and federal, state, local, tribal and territorial partners, as well as critical infrastructure and international partners to assess impacts and support remediation efforts.”

CISA did note, however, that it has “observed threat actors taking advantage of this incident for phishing and other malicious activity.” The cybersecurity agency did not provide more specifics, but warned organizations to stay vigilant.

Malicious actors can and will exploit confusion and chaos to carry out cyberattacks on their own. Rachel Tobac, a social engineering expert and founder of cybersecurity firm SocialProof Security, said in a series of posts on X to “verify people are who they say they are before taking sensitive actions.”

“Criminals will attempt to use this IT outage to pretend to be IT to you or you to IT to steal access, passwords, codes, etc.,” Tobac said.

What do we know about misinformation so far?

It’s easy to understand why some might have thought that this outage was a cyberattack. Sudden outages, blue screens at airports, office computers filled with error messages, and chaos and confusion. As you might expect, a fair amount of misinformation is already flying around , even as social media sites incorrectly flag trending topics like “cyberattack.”

Remember to check official sources of news and information, and if something seems too good to be true, it might just well be.

TechCrunch will keep this report updated throughout the day.

TechCrunch’s Ram Iyer contributed reporting.

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How One Bad CrowdStrike Update Crashed the World’s Computers

Only a handful of times in history has a single piece of code managed to instantly wreck computer systems worldwide. The Slammer worm of 2003 . Russia’s Ukraine-targeted NotPetya cyberattack . North Korea’s self-spreading ransomware WannaCry . But the ongoing digital catastrophe that rocked the internet and IT infrastructure around the globe over the past 12 hours appears to have been triggered not by malicious code released by hackers, but by the software designed to stop them.

Two internet infrastructure disasters collided on Friday to produce disruptions around the world in airports, train systems, banks, health care organizations, hotels, television stations, and more. On Thursday night, Microsoft’s cloud platform Azure experienced a widespread outage. By Friday morning, the situation turned into a perfect storm when the security firm CrowdStrike released a flawed software update that sent Windows computers into a catastrophic reboot spiral. A Microsoft spokesperson tells WIRED that the two IT failures are unrelated.

The cause of one of those two disasters, at least, has become clear: buggy code pushed out as an update to CrowdStrike’s Falcon monitoring product, essentially an antivirus platform that runs with deep system access on “endpoints” like laptops, servers, and routers to detect malware and suspicious activity that could indicate compromise. Falcon requires permission to update itself automatically and regularly, since CrowdStrike is constantly adding detections to the system to defend against new and evolving threats. The downside of this arrangement, though, is the risk that this system, which is meant to enhance security and stability, could end up undermining it instead.

“It's the biggest case in history. We’ve never had a worldwide workstation outage like this,” says Mikko Hyppönen, the chief research officer at cybersecurity company WithSecure. Around a decade ago, Hyppönen says, widespread outages were more common due to the spread of worms or trojans. More recently, global outages have happened on the “server side” of systems, meaning outages often stem from cloud providers such as Amazon’s Web Services , internet cable cuts , or authentication and DNS issues .

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said on Friday that the issues were caused by a “defect” in code the company released for Windows. Mac and Linux systems were not affected. “The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed,” Kurtz said in a statement, adding the problems were not the result of a cyberattack. In an interview with NBC, Kurtz apologized for the disruption and said it may take some time for things to be back to normal.

The widespread Windows outages have been linked to a software update from cybersecurity giant ​​CrowdStrike. It is believed the issues are not linked to a malicious cyberattack, cybersecurity officials say, but rather stem from a misconfigured/corrupted update that CrowdStrike pushed out to its customers.

In a more detailed update Friday evening , CrowdStrike wrote in a blog post that the root cause of the crash had been a single configuration file pushed as an update to Falcon. The update was specifically aimed at changing how Falcon inspects “named pipes” in Windows, a feature that allows software to send data between processes on the same machine or with other computers on the local network. CrowdStrike says the configuration file update was aimed at allowing Falcon to catch a new method that hackers were using for communication between their malware on victim machines and command-and-control servers. “The configuration update triggered a logic error that resulted in an operating system crash,” the post reads.

Security and IT analysts searching for the root cause of the gargantuan outage had initially thought that it must be related to a “kernel driver” update to CrowdStrike’s Falcon software, due in part to the fact that the file that caused the crash ended in .sys, the file extension kernel drivers use. Kernel drivers are the software components that allow applications to interact with Windows at its deepest level, the core of the operating system known as its kernel. That highly sensitive level of access is necessary for security software, so that it can run prior to any malicious software installed on the system and access any part of the system where hackers might seek to plant their code. As malware has improved and evolved, it has pushed defense software to require constant connection and more extensive control.

That deeper access also introduces a far higher possibility that security software—and updates to that software—will crash the whole system, says Matthieu Suiche, head of detection engineering at the security firm Magnet Forensics. He compares running malicious code detection software at the kernel level of an operating system to “open-heart surgery.”

CrowdStrike noted in its blog post that despite the fact that the configuration file that caused the crash ended in the .sys file extension, it was not in fact a kernel driver. Yet it does appear that the configuration file was used by the driver and altered its functionality in a way that caused it to crash, says Costin Raiu, who worked at Russian security software firm Kaspersky for 23 years and led its threat intelligence team before leaving the company last year. During his years at Kaspersky, Raiu says, driver updates for Windows software were closely scrutinized and tested for weeks before they were pushed out. In this case, he suggests the configuration file may have been a far less scrutinized update that nonetheless able to change the way the kernel driver functioned and thus cause the crash. “It’s surprising that with the extreme attention paid to drivers, this still happened,” says Raiu. “One simple driver can bring down everything. Which is what we saw here.”

Microsoft requires developers to get its approval for kernel driver updates, which entails the company’s own careful inspection process. But Microsoft wouldn’t necessarily require any such approval for a configuration file. A Microsoft spokesperson told WIRED that the “CrowdStrike update was responsible for bringing down a number of IT systems globally,” and added that “Microsoft does not have oversight into updates that CrowdStrike makes in its systems.”

Raiu adds that, even so, CrowdStrike is far from the only security firm to trigger Windows crashes. Updates to Kaspersky and even Windows’ own built-in antivirus software Windows Defender have caused similar Blue Screen of Death crashes in years past, he notes. “Every security solution on the planet has had their CrowdStrike moments,” Raiu says. “This is nothing new but the scale of the event.”

Cybersecurity authorities around the world have issued alerts about the disruption, but have similarly been quick to rule out any nefarious activity by hackers. “The NCSC assesses that these have not been caused by malicious cyber attacks,” Felicity Oswald, CEO of the UK’s National Cyber Security Center, said. Officials in Australia have come to the same conclusion .

Nevertheless, the impact has been sweeping and dramatic. Around the world, the outages have been spiraling as companies, public bodies, and IT teams race to fix bricked machines, which involves manually taking machines through a series of corrective steps, including rebooting. In the UK, Israel, and Germany, health care services and hospitals saw systems that they use to communicate with patients disrupted, and canceled some appointments. Emergency services in the US using 911 have reportedly had problems with their lines too. In the earliest hours of the outages, some TV stations, including Sky News in the UK, stopped live news broadcasts.

Global air travel has been one of the most impacted sectors so far. Huge lines formed at airports around the world, with one airport in India using handwritten boarding passes. In the US, Delta, United, and American Airlines grounded all flights at least temporarily, with a dramatic graphic showing air traffic plummeting above the US .

The catastrophic situation reflects the fragility and deep interconnectedness of the internet. Numerous security practitioners told WIRED that they anticipated or even worked with clients to attempt to protect against a scenario where defense software itself caused cascading failures as a result of malicious exploitation or human error, as is the case with CrowdStrike. “This is an incredibly powerful illustration of our global digital vulnerabilities and the fragility of core internet infrastructure,” says Ciaran Martin, a professor at the University of Oxford and the former head of the UK’s National Cyber Security Center.

The ability of one update to trigger such massive disruption still puzzles Raiu. According to Gartner, a market research firm, CrowdStrike accounts for 14 percent of the security software market by revenue, meaning its software is on a wide array of systems. Raiu suggests that the Falcon update must have triggered crashes in other parts of web infrastructure, which could have multiplied the disaster. “CrowdStrike is big, but it can’t be this big,” Raiu says. “Airports, critical infrastructure, hospitals. It cannot be just CrowdStrike everywhere. I suspect we’re seeing a combination of factors, a cascading effect, a chain reaction.”

Hyppönen, from WithSecure, says his “guess” is that the issues may have happened due to “human error” in the update process. “An engineer at CrowdStrike is having a really bad day,” he says. Hyppönen suggests that CrowdStrike could have shipped software different to what they had been testing or mixed up files, or there could’ve been a combination of different factors. “Software like this has to go through extensive testing,” Hyppönen says. “That's what we do. That's what CrowdStrike, of course, does. You have to be really careful about what you ship, which is tough to do because security software is updated very frequently.”

While many of the impacts of the outage are ongoing and still unraveling, the nature of the problem means that individually impacted machines may need to be rebooted manually rather than through an automated process. “It could be some time for some systems that just automatically won’t recover,” CrowdStrike CEO Kurtz told NBC.

The company’s initial “ workaround ” guidance for dealing with the incident says Windows machines should be booted in a safe mode, a specific file should be deleted, and then rebooted. “The fixes we’ve seen so far mean that you have to physically go to every machine, which will take days, because it’s millions of machines around the world which are having the problem right now,” says Hyppönen from WithSecure.

As system administrators race to contain the fallout, the larger existential question of how to prevent another, similar crisis looms large.

“People may now demand changes in this operating model,” says Jake Williams, vice president of research and development at the cybersecurity consultancy Hunter Strategy. “For better or worse, CrowdStrike has just shown why pushing updates without IT intervention is unsustainable.”

Update 7/19/2024, 11am ET: Added comment from Microsoft saying that the Azure outage and the CrowdStrike issue are unrelated.

Update 7/19/2024, 12:30pm ET: Added further comment from Microsoft about its lack of oversight of CrowdStrike's updates.

Update 7/19/2024, 3:45pm ET: Updated to clarify that Amazon Web Services was not impacted by the CrowdStrike update, according to the company.

Update 7/20/2024, 9:30am ET: In an technical explanation released on Friday evening, CrowdStrike clarified that the issue causing the global IT crash was due to a problem with a configuration file that uses the .sys file extension also used by kernel drivers. However, the company clarified that it was not a kernel driver itself. We've updated the piece with the new technical details.

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