A great man once said “real education does not come from books but from travel”. It is when you kick up your boots, hitch-hike across the country and see the world, that you understand the meaning of life. Does travelling hold a special place in your heart the very idea of which excites you beyond comprehension? The thought of being in a new place and experiencing a new way of life is such a fulfilling experience, that you ardently wish to be a nomad for life. However, you could also be workaholic who at the end of a long monotonous week craves for a quick getaway to a new place to break the chains of routine. All in all, if you are someone who loves travelling and planning out an entire route to far flung corners of the world in the most flexible of budgets then a lucrative career option, is as a travel agent. Read on to know about the courses you need to take up in order to become a travel agent.
Courses For Travel Agents
Eligibility
A lot of universities provide full time travel agent courses. These courses are usually certificate courses, with 3 months to 6 months duration. It is essential that you complete 10+2 from a recognized educational board. Candidates aspiring to be travel agents can also do bachelors in travel and tourism, which can be followed by a masters program in travel and tourism. Travel agent courses also are offered in public adult education programs and there are quite a few courses available online.
Details Of the Course
A graduation in travel and tourism is a safer bet when it comes to pursuing a career as travel agent. The modules for study are the following:
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Foundations of Tourism
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Tourism Development: Products, Operation and Case Studies
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Tourism Management
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Indian Culture: A Perspective for Tourism/Culture Study
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Ecology
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Environment and Tourism
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Tourism Marketing
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Different budgeting schemes
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Hitch-Hikers guide to the world/Travelling with less money
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Luxury Holidays
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Geography
The bachelors can be followed up by masters. The study modules included in are the following:
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Tourism concepts and management
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Travel agency management
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Tourism policies
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Advanced tourism marketing
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Heritage management
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Adventure tourism
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Emerging trends in tourism
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Foreign language
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The course also includes field study tours. A masters program also empowers a candidate to be able to open his/her own travel agency.
Skills Required
Travel agents need to be well organized and must have their facts right. They must be aware of any price fluctuations that might occur due to change in rules ( this is especially true in the case of the aircraft industry). They should also have done quite a bit of travelling themselves as it becomes easier to sell a place with personal experience. A candidate also needs to have excellent communication skills to be able to persuade a customer to take on a particular travel deal.
Career Prospects
Travel agencies are always on the lookout for pretty young things to make them a sweet deal on a travel package. Plenty of job opportunities are available for candidates with a course in travel and tourism. They are also sometimes hired by government organizations to make an area look more lucrative by coming up with great marketing policies. Candidates can also start their own travel agencies, this requires a small initial investment, but with increase in credibility can turn into a money making franchise.
Some Of The Institutes Offering Courses as Travel Agents
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California University of Pennsylvania, USA
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University of Oregon, USA
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Michigan state University, USA
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University of Florida, USA
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University of North Carolina, USA
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Madras University, Chennai, India
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Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management, India
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Andhra University School of Correspondence Education, Vishakhapatanam, India
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Nalanda College, Bodh Gaya, India
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Goa University, Goa, India
