Travel Agents
Plan and sell transportation and accommodations for customers. Determine destination, modes of transportation, travel dates, costs, and accommodations required. May also describe, plan, and arrange itineraries and sell tour packages. May assist in resolving clients' travel problems.
Sample of reported job titles:
Auto Travel Counselor, Beach Expert, Corporate Travel Consultant, Destination Specialist, International Travel Consultant, Tour Coordinator, Tour Counselor, Travel Agent, Travel Consultant, Travel Counselor
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- Collect payment for transportation and accommodations from customer.
- Converse with customer to determine destination, mode of transportation, travel dates, financial considerations, and accommodations required.
- Compute cost of travel and accommodations, using calculator, computer, carrier tariff books, and hotel rate books, or quote package tour's costs.
- Book transportation and hotel reservations, using computer or telephone.
- Plan, describe, arrange, and sell itinerary tour packages and promotional travel incentives offered by various travel carriers.
Technology Skills
- Accounting software:Intuit QuickBooks
- Business intelligence and data analysis software:DataSwell,Illusions Online Illusions OnDemand
- Calendar and scheduling software:Apollo Reservation System,Globekey Agentkey,IMS Travel Agent Reservation Software System,Rezdy booking software,Rezgo online booking software
- Customer relationship management CRM software:Colibripms Software Colibri,MGHworld Travel Agents,Sabre Airline Solutions SabreSonic Customer Sales & Service
- Data base user interface and query software:Galor Travel Booster,Global distribution system GDS software,Microsoft Access,Orbitz Worldwide Orbitz for Agents,Rezopia,TourCMS,TourWriter,Travel Agent CMS,TravelCarma,Travii reservation system software
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Working with Computers:Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Getting Information:Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization:Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public:Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships:Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Detailed Work Activities
- Calculate costs of goods or services.
- Distribute promotional literature or samples to customers.
- Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.
- Prepare sales or other contracts.
- Process sales or other transactions.
Work Context
- Telephone:100% responded"Every day"
- Electronic Mail:98% responded"Every day"
- Spend Time Sitting:86% responded"Continually or almost continually"
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate:78% responded"Extremely important"
- Deal With External Customers:62% responded"Extremely important"
Worker Requirements
Skills
- Active Listening:Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Service Orientation:Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Reading Comprehension:Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking:Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Social Perceptiveness:Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service:Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- English Language:Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Sales and Marketing:Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
- Geography:Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
- Computers and Electronics:Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
- 37%Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
- 31%High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
- 14%Bachelor's Degree
- 11%Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Worker Characteristics
Abilities
- Speech Recognition:The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Oral Comprehension:The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Speech Clarity:The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Near Vision:The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Expression:The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Interests
- Enterprising:Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
- Conventional:Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Work Values
- Relationships:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
- Achievement:Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
- Independence:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Work Styles
- Attention to Detail:Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Integrity:Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Dependability:Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Self-Control:Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Achievement/Effort:Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
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