To become a travel consultant, you need to first research on how to get into the travel industry? There are many ways to get in the industry but before you race off to enrol in a course, look at the various sectors and jobs and narrow your selection to those jobs that appeal to you. Ask as many people as possible friends, family, the local travel agency, teachers and career counsellors what they know about the travel industry; read about the industry in the media; the travel industry media; careers websites – nothing beats researching first. Some jobs in travel require specific level qualifications and these are explained in our Education and training career pathways below.

As a travel consultant (also known as a travel agent), you can combine your love of travel with a flexible and profitable career. When you become a travel agent or start your own travel agency, you’ll get paid to recommend your favourite vacation destinations, secluded hotels, and luxurious cruise lines to grateful clients.

You’ll learn about the hottest new travel destinations, have exclusive access to discounted “agent-only” travel offers, and you will always get the best deals and rates for your own travel adventures, too. While there are still traditional job openings in travel agencies, recent changes in the industry have seen many consultants start home-based travel businesses, working flexible hours and earning lucrative commissions. One can specialize in whatever types of travel one gets the attraction to Adventure travel, Business travel, Cruises, Golf trips, Honeymoons, Eco-tourism, Luxury travel, Family Travel, Spa getaways, Special lifestyles, Winery tours, and many other types of travel experiences.

As long as you have the desire, you can become a travel consultant at a faster pace. The following ways can make you a real travel agent with a wonderful experience with the below skills levels & knowledge level.

• Obtain your high school diploma or equivalent: The general education development is acknowledged & similar to the development of high schools throughout the USA & CANADA. If you want to travel to other nations such as the USA & CANADA, you need to take these tests and get a transcript effectively.
• Attend a 2 year or 4-year college: There are travel & tourism colleges in Bangalore. Find exciting opportunities in the booming travel industry. Look for subjects that cover travel, tourism, geography, business, communications, hospitality and any other foreign language.
• Study a foreign language: Give yourself some time to study a fresh language that, if you take the travel industry, you believe would be fruitful. Learning another language certainly improves your other culture understanding and boosts your customer credibility. This also implies taking on more customers when you talk to them. Take your time, enrol in a college or correspondence or online university which gives you self taught programs.

• Take computer classes on Travel Subject: Take the computer classes to get the basics to work in a laptop and on the powerpoint, excel & word documents. It takes little time, really worth to have the tough to prepare any documentation at ease. You can take these classes anywhere you want.  
• Signup for a travel agent certification program: There is multiple online travel schools offer programs that are designed to teach students about all aspects of the travel industry. Time takes anywhere from 2 to 6 months to complete and a good option for anyone who is new to the industry.
• Develop necessary skills & travel as much as possible: The best way to learn the travel field is to travel both domestic and international travel either solo or through a group. This will make your experience away from your local place.
• Keep a travel journal: This journal is very useful for you to jot down whichever new places you visit, the different food to taste, the restaurants to go, the shops to make purchases, and most importantly the good practice is to start planning other people’s trips.
• Practice your interpersonal skills: The way you communicate with people make a huge impact on how successful you as a travel consultant. Be a better listener and promote positivity. Practice active listening at what someone says in your own words. This shows them you are engaged in the conversation. Create positive interactions by smiling when greeting others, offer them assistance and show you care for them by simply asking, “How are you today?”
• Getting Job Experience: Experience in Sales, Hospitality, and Customer Service is all useful to a travel consultant. Working in a call centre or reservation desk gives you and experience of customer service in the travel field. Working in a relevant travel agency gives you on-the-job experience.
• Join a host agency: When you work for a host agency, you can get up and running yourself as an independent agent from the host resources, like access to suppliers, accounting services, and training opportunities. Then you split any commission you make with your host agency. You will have to do all the marketing activities by yourself. You can plan all the promotional activities and how to get your business as no. 1. You can write reviews, get the testimonials from your customers.  
• Specialize your services:  The travel industry is huge. This nice market includes community service, seniors, singles, families, married couples, unmarried couples, pets, disabled and honeymoons. Your expertise makes you start your salary with an entry-level position.

• Design a website: It’s important to make one’s business online. In order to make online, one has to create a website with hosting their website through Go-daddy website. Then add the contents to the website.  Having a friendly website and it is important for the travel agent to bring business to his company in terms of business. Write all the articles for your website in the social media pages like Facebook, share the article and be active on Quora and post images on Instagram. This means, people who like images with high resolution, naturally comes to your website.
• Start your travel agency: With a straightforward well-designed website with an internet connection, a phone to receive telephone calls and documents needed to begin the company. Make a vision and how to create the most of advertising, which contributes to more appealing customers.
• Payment Gateway: With web admin, Payment Gateway authorizes online payments.

Get certified through IATA: Most importantly, make the Company an IATA certified company. This means lots of documentation work as part of the process. Some of the vital details include a business license, proof of liability insurance, tax documents, and a letter of recommendation from a former employee.  Each country has its own national certification boards for travel agencies. Ex. India has IATA; similarly, Japan has JATA for the Country’s requirements.