Travel Planner Job Description
Travel planners, or travel agents, held more than 105,000 jobs in May 2008. People look to travel planners to help them get the best deals on travel packages and advise them on where to go. Having travel experience and an interest in traveling is beneficial to becoming a successful travel planner.
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Job Duties
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Travel planners help their clients make the best decisions about travel arrangements. They make suggestions on where to go, methods of transportation, car rentals, hotel accommodations, tours to take and attractions to see. Many planners will also promote travel packages available to them through specialty groups or resorts.
Travel planners also advise clients about their chosen destinations. For example, a travel planner might discuss weather conditions, local customs and attractions with her client. She might also provide important information to international travelers, including information about required documents or currency exchange rates.
A travel planner might even be responsible for visiting resorts, hotels and restaurants to evaluate the quality of each facility. She can then make informed recommendations to her clients based on personal experience. A travel planner's job may also involve selling and marketing travel packages and services offered by her place of employment.
Working Conditions
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A travel planner spends most of his time in an office environment behind a desk filling out paperwork, communicating with clients, contacting hotels and booking flights. He'll spend much of his time on the phone and the computer. During especially busy traveling times, a travel planner will face a considerable amount of pressure. He may have to reschedule flights or cancel hotel reservations as needed. Travel planners who are self-employed may frequently work extended hours, although some may be able to work from home.
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Education
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Those with formal training, excellent communication skills and extensive computer skills will be given preference in the job market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Many vocational schools offer full-time travel agent programs." Some adult education programs may also offer courses, either at a community college or online. Students will study geography, marketing, sales and key elements of the travel industry. Some colleges even offer travel and tourism bachelor's or master's degrees, which will give prospective travel planners a definite edge over the competition.
Those interested in the travel industry should show their interest by attaining a background in foreign languages, geography or world history. For those who aspire to have their own company, business courses are extremely beneficial. In addition, since most travel arrangements are now made online, computer skills are essential.
Earnings
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The factors that influence a travel planner's salary are agency size, sales ability and experience. In 2008, the median annual wage for a travel planner was $30,570, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest 10 percent of travel planners earned more than $47,860, while the lowest 10 percent earned less than $18,770. Those who work for an agency may enjoy benefits like reduced rates for airfare and hotels. In some cases, planners may even get to travel at exceptionally low costs or none at all if they're visiting destinations to evaluate their quality. Self-employed travel planners' salaries will depend mostly on commission, and they may not get the same benefits afforded to travel planners employed by an agency.
Advancement Opportunities and Job Outlook
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Employees may start out as receptionists or clerks in a travel agency but could move up to become travel planners or agents with some training and experience. Experienced travel planners can advance to managerial positions or may decide to start their own business. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employment of travel agents is expected to decline by 1 percent over the 2008--2018 period." The Internet makes it increasingly easy for travelers to book their own travel arrangements without the use of a planner. Plus, demand may decline when the economy is experiencing downturns and fewer people are able to travel. However, as more and more people decide to travel to exotic locations, the expertise of a travel planner will be in great demand. Those with the most experience, education and specializations will have the most success nailing a job.
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References
- Photo Credit travel Venice image by alfablu from Fotolia.com
