Do Travel Advisors Have a Tough Time Finding Mentors?

Despite some issues, mentorship in the travel advisor profession is a well-accepted and respected approach to becoming a professional.

According to recent research — part of TravelAge West’s Need to Know series— most advisors (54%) have had a mentor at some point in their career. Another 11% of the nearly 300 respondents say they are currently seeking a mentor.

“Given that there are many types of mentorship arrangements, I would think this number could even be higher,” said Jackie Friedman, president of host travel agency Nexion Travel Group. “With so many advisors working on their own, there is more need for them to connect and collaborate. I believe that there is a lot of informal mentoring going on out there, both online and offline that respondents may not have labeled a formal mentorship program.”

Advisors are split on how accessible mentorship opportunities are within the travel industry. Nearly one-third of advisors (30%) feel that finding a mentor is somewhat challenging, 24% think it is neither challenging or not challenging; and 21% say it’s not easy, but there are options available.

Of the advisors who have not had a mentor, the overwhelming majority (59%) say it is because they are unsure where to find one.

“There are a few recommendations I have for advisors who are looking for a mentor,” Friedman said. “First, if they are American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) members, there is a new formal program that launched last year that they may be able to participate in. They should also check to see if their host agency or consortium has a mentorship program. Finally, there are online Facebook groups where experienced advisors provide advice to those that are newer to the industry. That may be a good place to connect with someone who could engage in a more formal mentorship experience.”

Advisors who do have a mentor prefer either one-on-one meetings (36%) or virtual meetings (32%), with most meeting weekly (31%). The majority of these agents (54%) met a mentor through their host agency. 

According to respondents, a mentor serves many purposes. Sharing best practices was the top survey response (36%), followed by helping set measurable career goals (24%), supporting professional development (15%), assisting with client management and relationship building (14%) and providing encouragement (11%).

Nearly two-thirds of advisors feel the most sought-after quality for a mentor is industry experience (63%), followed by availability (16%) and ability to provide constructive feedback (12%).

When it comes to judging the success of a mentorship experience, advisors look to personal growth before more tangible results. The top response was personal growth and an increase in confidence (41%), followed by increased revenue or sales performance (29%) and achievement of specific career goals (21%).

“I believe that the key to success in any mentorship arrangement is for the mentee to have clear goals on what they want to get out of the engagement before they start,” Friedman said. “The true measure of effectiveness is the successful achievement of the goals that were established.”