Your passion for travel is what most characterizes you with your loved ones? Look no further, combine passion & profession by becoming a travel agent!

Good news since 2015, it is no longer mandatory to have a BTS tourism or a license to create your own travel agency. You can therefore work without a diploma, however skills and experience remain key elements for success. 

In this article, Ezus proposes you some tracks to follow in order to quickly become the best travel agent.

🎓 What is the qualification to work in a travel agency

👨 French School in tourism

Although a degree in tourism is no longer required to open your own travel agent, studying in tourism would be a great asset for you. 

After the baccalaureate, there are training courses, for example :

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• of 2 years to obtain a BTS tourism or operational commercial management 

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• of 3 years to obtain a BUT (University Bachelor of Technology) marketing techniques

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-as well as other training to have a BAC+3 as a bachelor's degree in tourism professions and a BAC+5 with a Master of Science in Tourism and Destination Management.

You can find, on the Onisep website, the job description "Travel Consultant" with all the information about the job as well as the post-baccalaureate trainings.

🦸 Reconversion trainings in France

You want to open your own travel agency or work in an agency.

It's never too late to change course. You are fortunate that no diploma is required to open your own agency, however this is not a reason not to train a minimum to show your clients that you know what you are talking about.

You can train yourself thanks to your "Training Account" (CPF).

It is a public service site that lists your acquired rights throughout your working life, thanks to its rights you can finance training courses. It is then up to you to see, which training you want to privilege, knowing that languages, office automation tools and marketing are very advantageous in your field.

For any training or reorientation, you ask for advice from the Pôle Emploi, which offers several training courses to accompany you in your professional project.

🗣 Travel organizations and associations

To support you as a tourism professional and support your agency, there are several institutions that are there to accompany you, here are two that you can contact at any time.

Les Entreprises Du Voyage (EDV) is an interlocutor of the public authorities in the travel sector. Their objective is to accompany the development of the companies by actions of representation, studies and training.  The membership to the EDV, allows you to benefit from various services (legal, fiscal, IATA, training, social, travel agent card, ...).

The Association Professionnelle de Solidarité du Tourisme (APST) is an institution at the service of tourism professionals. Their mission is to provide a financial guarantee to travel operators in order to protect the consumer. It also ensures the respect of the law and regulations and promotes the activity, the economy, the development and the promotion of tourism.

💡Travel events not to be missed 

Going to travel and tourism-themed events will be your best source of travel inspiration. 

Every year in the cities of Paris, Lyon and Lille, you can escape with the World Tourism Fair. Thanks to these fairs you will taste the latest global tourism trends proposed by the best experts, you will discover more than 500 destinations.

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The next dates are :

• in Lille, from 25 to 27 February 2022
• in Lyon, from March 4 to 6, 2022
• in Paris, from March 17 to 20, 2022

Just cross the channel to attend the British Tourism & Travel Show (BTTS). It attracts over 270 exhibitors representing the best of Great Britain and Ireland and has done so for over 20 years. The next BTTS will be held on 22-23 September 2021 at the NEC in Birmingham.

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Europe Congress offers 4 major MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions) depending on the destinations to be discovered. These events bring together destinations and professionals to help event planners and those wishing to find new business partners to meet. Here are the next 4 events of Europe Congress:

• MCE North & West Europe, March 28-30, 2021, in Düsseldorf, Germany
• MCE Central & Eastern Europe, from May 30 to June 1, 2021, in Budapest, Hungary
• MeetingPlanners Russia & CIS, September 6-7, 2021, Moscow, Russia
• MCE South Europe, October 24-26, 2021, in Vilamoura, Portugal 

🧐 What are the tasks and responsibilities of a travel agent

🌱The agent's know-how (values, skills, etc.)

The travel agent is a professional who is in direct contact with the client. You must therefore have certain commercial and human qualities, such as :

• a great sense of service and listening skills
• an impeccable presentation, a perfect knowledge of the subject matter
• good interpersonal skills
• patience, diplomacy and pedagogy
• a solid organization, rigor
• a good culture of the proposed countries 
• be able to speak one or more foreign languages

🧭Specialize on a theme or destination.

To gain notoriety with your customers, you can specialize on a region/country. Your customers will have more confidence in talking to an agent who knows their subject very well and it will be easier for you to offer them a quality experience.

A great advantage would obviously be to visit the destination yourself and live your experience, so by telling your customers about your experience you will be able to make your customers travel long before they leave.

Those who need to know about your flagship destination:

• the conditions of access to the country (Visa, duration, taxes, return ticket, vaccination, ...)
• the culture (tradition, currency, transportation, ...)
• Daily life (climate, unusual places, local legislation, ...)

We advise you to read the page "Conseils aux voyageurs" on the France Diplomatie website. This page contains more than 211 pages, including 191 country fact sheets and 20 thematic files.

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📏Tailor-made

This activity is tending to decline, as tickets are increasingly being bought on the Internet, which is why you need to know how to make a difference. By becoming a travel expert, you will be able to advise your customers and offer them tailor-made trips at the best quality/price ratio. 

By knowing your products inside out, you will be able to customize and offer your clients a unique experience. You must pass on your knowledge to them, and remind them of the advantages of tailor-made travel, which are 

• a 100% personalized trip
• full support 
• budget management
• a real customer relationship

Now you have all the keys in hand to become the best travel agent.

Let's go!

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To learn more, we invite you to read this article "How to create your travel agency?".

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📚 Sources :

1. How to become a travel agent : https://www.travelandleisure.com/jobs/how-to-become-a-travel-agent
2. 15 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Became a Travel Agent : https://www.cosmopolitan.com/career/a61549/travel-agent-career/
3. How To Become A Travel Agent : https://www.thetravelinstitute.com/how-to-become-a-travel-agent/