Every new year, month, or quarter comes with new goals and plans – both big and small. Today we’re diving into the main things you should know before becoming a travel agent. If you’re wondering about the struggles and hurdles you may face and are curious as to the best ways to get started, then this post is for you.
1. Decide on your goals and get clear about them.
What’s best for one person might not be the best decision for the next person. The job of being a travel agent in today’s climate and marketplace is not easy. With that said, it’s important to get clear on your goals on your journey to becoming a travel agent.
When scrolling online, you tend to see glorified lifestyles that come with travel. Plenty of travel agents seem to have the freedom of working from wherever, freedom to work for themselves with no boss, and the list goes on… but it’s not always all fun and games.
The travel industry is complicated. Being an independent contractor and running a business from home can be difficult and hard to manage. It’s not a simple 1, 2, 3 process. In fact, we tend to be cautious of the people who may say it is.
On your journey to becoming a travel agent, remember to make the decisions that are best for you. Choose a process that works for you and what you want in your business instead of wasting time and money.
2. Get Informed
To avoid going away from your goals, it’s important to seek out education. Sit down with your goals and think about the why behind each one. This is a crucial step to running your business as not everyone knows what’s best for you. Ask yourself if the recommendations from others in the industry are truly aligned with your goals both as a person and as a business owner, before investing any time or money.
Typically the easiest or most affordable route isn’t always the best route, so consider your short-term and long-term goals before making any commitments and have a backup plan for when things don’t work out the way you hoped.
At Careers on Vacation, we offer a 1-hour long free masterclass designed to teach you how the travel industry works and how you can break into the industry with action steps to take.
You’ll walk away with peace of mind and a better understanding of what to expect in the industry, and you’ll be able to make better-educated decisions moving forward.

3. Consider Getting a Certification
Pre-Covid, having a certification was a matter of personal choice. Now that we’re post-pandemic, the climate has changed and processes tend to be more difficult when booking for your clients.
Having a certification will help you scale your business quicker. Some certification programs will even teach you some of the secrets that travel agents know and love.
In order for your business to be successful, you have to plan to treat it like a business. You can’t just try it out and see how it goes. If you’re not willing to put in the work, it’s better to put it off until you’re ready to go all in.
Ready to get started?
We’ve put together an amazing free tool to help guide you in the right direction. This quiz was created to help you figure out which of our programs at Wanderlust CEO are right for you.
Wherever you are in your journey to becoming a travel agent, know that we at Wanderlust Social are here to support you in your journey to becoming a travel agent.