Travel Agent

Job overview
Travel agents provide a valuable service to intending travellers by making all the necessary arrangements on their behalf, using the information and facilities available to professional travel agents, locally and internationally.

What do people do in this job?
Travel agents fill the gap between the needs of people for professional help and assistance and the complex travel arrangements that have to be made before the onset of a journey.

Travel agents have to consider each client's preferences, budget and requirements when planning a journey.

Their duties include supplying information and advice on customs regulations, passports, visas, currency regulations and tourist attractions, compiling itineraries, booking flights, tours, accommodation, car rental etc.

Travel agents must consult tariff schedules such as those published by the International Air Travel Association and similar guides on other tourist information, particularly accommodation.

They also use their own experience or knowledge in making recommendations to clients.

The travel industry is very specialised and highly dependent on information internationally available on computers.

What kinds of people are suitable for this career?
Travel agents constantly have to deal with the public and should therefore be tuned in to the needs of their clients and be patient, helpful and polite.

They need to have a good general knowledge of tourist attractions.

Today computer literacy is essential for them.

What qualifications are needed?
Apart from wide general knowledge and computer literacy, travel agents wishing to reach the top of their profession can enrol on the specialist courses for professional travel agents offered in the bigger cities.