by Janeen Christoff Last updated: 7:20 AM ET, Mon January 19, 2026
There has never been a greater need for travel advisors—even with the growth of artificial intelligence-based travel technology and more younger, tech-savvy travelers than ever before.
While travel is more complex than it was in pre-pandemic times, with the added complications of AI, economic uncertainty and political upheavals, travelers are demanding more from their vacations, prioritizing travel spending above material goods and seeking out more experiential offerings than in years’ past—making personalized, human service never more crucial.
In fact, travel advisors are listed eighteenth among the top 25 fastest-growing jobs this year by LinkedIn.
Following the “Great Resignation,” many people continue to seek new careers, particularly ones that provide an opportunity to work from home or enjoy a flexible schedule. For ambitious entrepreneurs, becoming a travel advisor can be an ideal way to distinguish themselves.
“I think the travel industry is welcoming to new advisors, especially if you come in ready to learn and treat it like a real business,” said Tammy Levent, President of Elite Travel and TASK Travel Agent Success Kit. “AI isn’t here to replace us, it’s here to help us move faster and smarter. What AI can’t do is be human, listen, read between the lines, calm a nervous client down, and step in when travel goes sideways. People are overwhelmed by planning everything online, and travel has become more complicated; the world has travel challenges, and so they want a trusted advisor.
For those interested in starting a career selling travel, there are many different paths to accomplish this goal. A new career pivot into being an agent can take only a few months to a year to complete, requires some training and certifications—like an ASTA membership—and offers a fulfilling and lively career combining customer service, sales and, of course, your passion for traveling.
Where to Begin
A travel advisor working on her computer. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/M-Production)
Education is going to be key, and there are many options available to individuals who are just getting started.
The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is an organization that unites travel advisors and travel professionals through education and advocacy. ASTA offers an online education course to promote careers in the travel agency industry and to help new advisors.
“Joining ASTA should be the starting point for any advisor at the start of their industry, because no other organization is solely dedicated and responsible to protecting and supporting travel advisors in quite the same way,” explained Michael Schottey, Vice President, Membership, Marketing & Communications.
“It’s a more esoteric ‘benefit,’ but simply reviewing and signing onto our shared code of ethics upon joining ASTA is a powerful statement about what kind of career you’re starting. From there, our educational offerings, our events, the industry insights and tangible benefits like bonus commissions and discounts on tools you use for your business are absolutely invaluable for advisors at any stage of their career.”
ASTA’s roadmap will guide prospective advisors through several topics, including an in-depth overview of the travel industry and its constituent parts; a guide on how travel advisors make money; and tips for finding a job or starting their own business.
Beyond ASTA, advisors should research their specific state’s requirements: if they need a license or registration as a travel advisor, any required additions, like ENO insurance and how their state taxes a travel advisor.
Additionally, ASTA and International Air Transport Association (IATA) memberships are highly recommended. In fact, an IATA/IATAN ID Card is the only globally recognized industry credential for travel professionals, often making it a requirement for advisors. IATA members can enjoy educational resources and trusted information from the organization, too.
Industry Education
There’s a lot to learn for those just getting their feet wet in the travel industry.
The Travel Institute offers the TRIPKIT introductory training program. TRIPKIT Online is similar to a one-year college education that includes real-world agent experiences and explains industry terminology, key areas of travel such as air and ground transportation, accommodations, tours and more.
Course information also includes information on cruises, marketing, geography and advice for a successful independent contractor business.
TRIPKIT is available fully online and features an interactive, self-paced study plan with immersive and flexible learning options. The Travel Institute also provides advanced certifications to travel advisors.
Aspiring advisors who want to really kick-start their entrepreneurial success can go even more in-depth in their training.
One way is via TASK, the Travel Agent Success Kit, developed by Tammy Levent, founder of Elite Travel, an award-winning national travel agency. Levent shares her secrets of success as well as advice from experts through her in-depth training program that gives advisors the hands-on experience they need to successfully run their own businesses.
Newest to TASK is the T.A.S.K. Lab, debuting January 21 as a weekly live coaching series by Levent, offering practical coaching for newcomers and those looking to improve their business.
“To become a successful travel advisor, they need proper education, step by step, not guesswork,” said Levent. “They need to learn the fundamentals, including how to build itineraries, use a CRM, determine what to book, who to book with, and how to do it correctly from start to finish. The truth is, they can do this on their own and even get their own IATA if they want; being hosted isn’t the only path. It really comes down to how serious they are: is this a real business or just a hobby? That’s exactly why I created TASK Lab’s weekly sessions, which take advisors from basic fundamentals to complex, high-level itineraries with real support and structure.”
There are many other facets to TASK including a do-it-yourself video series; TASK Prep, hands-on training program; TASK Live, a travel agent mastermind event teaching already seasoned professionals specifically how to grow their business and TASK Consulting, which helps agents dive even deeper into creating a successful business.
Host Agencies and Franchises
Travel advisor working with clients. (Photo Credit: Svitlana/Adobe)
Depending on how entrepreneurial a budding travel advisor is, they can decide to go it alone or partner with a host agency. Host agencies can streamline the process of becoming a travel advisor by providing in-house training, assistance with marketing and even live leads.
In the most basic terms, host agencies work as a partner for travel advisors, providing resources such as marketing, training, access to software and sales assistance in exchange for a split of commission. Franchises are more of a “business in a box” where franchisees receive 100 percent of their commission but pay fees to the franchiser.
Host Agency Reviews (HAR) is a good place for new advisors to start to learn the ins and outs of host agencies and franchises. The website connects advisors to host agencies, franchises, consortia and industry events, as well as provides important information on the travel industry through its blog and podcast.
New travel advisors can start with HAR’s seven-day Setup Challenge or scroll through its extensive directory of host agencies, franchises and consortia.
One advantage to partnering with a host or purchasing a franchise is free education. Many host agencies and franchisers offer their own education platforms that train them on their in-house tools as well as provide industry education.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Travel Advisor?
As far as new careers go, becoming a travel advisor can be accomplished fairly quickly.
Levent considers that practically, advisors can get started in as little as 60-90 days, but six months is a promising time to really dive deep into training and preparedness.
“It depends on the advisor and their eagerness to learn. With the right training and a step-by-step education plan, I’ve seen advisors start building within 90 days and quickly gain a strong foundation,” said Levent. “Some can obtain their ARC/IATA within about 60 days, depending on their setup and whether their state requires registrations such as seller of travel, insurance, and other registrations.”
“But to feel truly confident and fully up and running—handling clients smoothly, building itineraries, and operating like a real business, I’d say a realistic timeframe is about six months. When I started, I jumped in immediately, but I was fully immersed in education and had a lot of trial and error along the way.”
Continuing Education
After undertaking initial training, there are many options for travel advisors to further their education with advanced certificates offered by the Travel Institute, training on products and destinations from the Travel Agent Academy, courses from Cruise Lines International Association and more.
“New advisors need strong foundational booking skills and know how to book travel correctly. Clients are much smarter, and advisors need to be way smarter than their clients,” Levent explains. “They also need to know who to book with, plus the ability to generate qualified leads and confidently qualify clients in today’s landscape…”
Travel agents can earn advanced certification from The Travel Institute, including recognition as a Certified Travel Associate, Certified Travel Counselor and Certified Travel Industry Executive.
“Take every advantage of every piece of assistance, education or similar opportunity you might have from your agency, host, consortia, trade media partners, supplier education and (yes) your national trade association in ASTA,” said Schottey. “Don’t get so busy selling and working IN your business, that you forget to work ON your business. Setting aside time to do things the right way, learning what those right ways are and building systems and processes that make your work easily pays dividends in the future. If you don’t know how ASTA can help you with those things, my inbox is always open.”
With ongoing educational opportunities such as those offered through Travel Agent Academy, advisors can gain continuing education units, learn how to generate more bookings, receive access to special loyalty programs and become specialists in their chosen niches.
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