Most travel advisors were inspired to start their careers based on their personal travel experiences, and the majority have had no formal education or certification before joining the industry, according to recent research by TravelAge West.
The survey — part of the Need to Know series — examines the responses of nearly 400 advisors nationwide. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents say their personal travel experiences inspired them to become a travel agent, while 61% have had no formal education or certification. Most of those surveyed (40%) have been in the industry more than 10 years.
Sixty-one percent of advisors say they received no formal education or certification before entering the industry.
Credit: 2024 TravelAge West
“This reflects a deeper issue: the misrepresentation of our profession,” said Jenn Lee, president of Vacation Planners. “Marketing that portrays travel advising as a carefree ‘laptop lifestyle’ attracts those seeking an easy side hustle, rather than dedicated professionals. This misconception leads to a transactional mindset, overlooking our work’s complex, knowledge-intensive nature that demands continuous learning and skill development from the beginning.”
Of the advisors who have had formal education, 14% received that training through a consortium or host; 12% have a degree in a travel-related field; 12% have an official certification through a professional organization (such as The Travel Institute or American Society of Travel Advisors); 11% learned from more experienced agents; and 8% took online courses.
Most of the respondents either started their careers as an independent contractor with a host agency (58%) or as an employee of an established agency (33%). The majority (47%) are currently a member of both a consortium and a host agency and operate as an independent contractor (57%).
According to the survey, the biggest challenge to new advisors is lead generation (58%), and most respondents (68%) feel that mentorship from experienced advisors was the most helpful resource when they started their careers. This response was followed by industry conferences and events (55%); host agency/consortia resources (48%); and online forums and communities (42%).
Sixty-eight percent of respondents say mentorship from experienced advisors was the most helpful resource when starting out.
Credit: 2024 TravelAge West“This clearly underscores why host and franchise models have seen tremendous growth,” Lee said. “These structures provide a built-in collaborative community of advisors at various experience levels, fostering an environment of continuous learning and support. This peer-to-peer mentorship, combined with structured training programs, offers all advisors the most promising path to success in our complex and ever-evolving industry.”
More than three-fourths (77%) of advisors feel that a lack of consumer awareness about their profession is the greatest challenge facing the industry today.
Seventy-six percent of advisors feel the lack to consumer awareness about the profession is the biggest challenge they face.
Credit: 2024 TravelAge West“The ‘consumer conundrum’ in our industry stems from our emphasis on individual advisor uniqueness, leading to diverse processes and service levels,” said Lee. “This fragmentation, while allowing for personalization, has created a significant hurdle: We still need to establish a consistent baseline for the consumer experience. Without standardized expectations, potential clients are left confused about what the travel-planning process should entail and how to select the right advisor, perpetuating the very lack of awareness.”
Need to Know Survey Series
“Need to Know” is a research series from TravelAge West that tracks the responses of travel advisors as they relate to various travel trends and topics. This survey recorded the responses of 366 advisors across the U.S. See more Need to Know stories here.
