Work From Home Travel Agent: Is it Possible?

If you are thinking about becoming a work from home travel agent and want to know if it is possible then this article is for you. Have you been applying for positions in traditional offices but are finding that there are no jobs available? This is the case for many people who are applying for these jobs so do not feel like you are alone in your search. With all of the travel websites at the fingertips of travelers it is now harder than ever to land a job in an office. Many people have started looking into how to be an at home travel agent and are finding that it is working! Here are a few things you need to know if you are considering this option.

One thing that you will need in order to work from home as a travel agent is experience. You do not have to necessarily have experience as an agent, but you will have to know a lot about traveling and vacation destinations if you want to be successful. People do not want to attempt to book their next vacation with someone who does not have experience or who does not know what they are doing. If you want to get some experience you can either take a travel agent training course or you can do some volunteer work with a local agency.

Something else that you will have to have in your repertoire is marketing and sales experience. You need to have marketing experience in order to get your business in front of the people who are looking for your services. You need to have some sales experience in order to sell vacation and travel packages to the people who are looking for them. Since you will either be working on commission or percentage of each trip you book, you want to make sure that you are good at closing the deals you make.

If you want to be a work from home travel agent then you are going to need to have more experience and skills than you would have to have if you worked in a traditional office. Working from home for yourself is like having your own business, so you will want to take the time to learn every aspect of the travel industry that you possibly can. If you will take the time to obtain the skills you need then you can be very successful working from home.

Book Online or Use a Global Travel Agency

Here is the low down and quick comparisons on whether to use a global travel agency to book your adventure overseas or to just book it yourself online.  This will streamline your process and make it quick and easy for you to make a decision.


Here is the big debate.  A global travel agency will defend that they have the best deals because they are professional and they have access to deals with hotels and booking agencies that the public does not.  They are professionals and know what they are doing.  They are essentially doing the work that you do not want or know how to do.  The advantage by using an agent for worldwide travel is leverage.  You use their time and effort to create the trip of your dreams.


The down side is that many times they have their own interest in mind and want to book you a vacation that will pay them well and will give them kudos with the companies that they work with.  Always remember that they are working for you.  You are paying them (or someone is) to find YOU your dream vacation.  Don’t be afraid to say no to them.  Tell them what you want.  If it is important to you they should be able to make it happen.  Also know that you can shop different agencies for your worldwide travel.  Feel free to shop around and see which can give you the best deal.


Now booking your travels on your own come with their own advantages and disadvantages.   You have control and can shop to find the best deal.  Some travel agencies claim only they can find the best deals, however from experience I have found better deals than they quote.  Another advantage is that you can create your own schedule and decide exactly what you want to do.  For me I like the adventure of not knowing what I am doing or where I am going.  Some people like schedule and structure and that is okay.  A travel agent can give you that.


Keep in mind exactly what you are looking for.  I believe that a trip overseas is a big deal to the traveler and they should not have to compromise on what they want.  This is the trip of your life, and you should get exactly what you want.