travel agent.

Some of the tasks of a travel agent include:

• planning holidays: as a travel agent, you ensure the entire travel experience for your customers is planned well and stress-free. Travel agents work directly with customers to discuss and determine the best travel destinations. They also arrange transportation and choose the accommodations that suit the customers' needs.

• booking reservations: when a client chooses a destination or travel package, you communicate with the airlines, rental companies and other service providers to book reservations. The client must have reservations for travel, accommodation and rental cars to prevent inconvenience. You can also find reservations for tours and excursions.

• advising clients about the local attractions and weather: you research your client's destinations and share travel advisories or weather forecasts with them. You keep clients informed about current events at the locations and attractions or excursions that may interest them.

• providing information on entry requirements: ensuring your clients have the correct documentation for visiting a destination is vital. As well as a visa and passport, you ensure they meet border entry requirements such as health and safety protocols.

• making alternative arrangements for clients: if an emergency arises during a trip and your client has to change accommodation, you ensure they get new accommodation. You also adjust their travel schedules if they spend extra days or must return before the holiday ends.

Travel agents tend to work indoors in an office setting. You may have a cubicle in a large office with other travel agents. Your work is conducted primarily via telephone or computer to research client destinations and plans and make travel arrangements. This means that having a reliable phone line and internet connection is essential. Travel agents can work from home or a remote location since they conduct business without face-to-face meetings.

Depending on your employer, your colleagues might include tour guides, tour managers and holiday representatives. You might also be working close to tourism officers, hotel managers, and other specialists that could consist of, but not be limited to, retail advisors and customer service representatives.

While travel agents work all year, the busiest seasons are in the summer when people travel the most on holidays. During the busy season, you often call to finalise your clients' plans and make last-minute changes. You also sell holiday packages to new clients. During the slower season, you research future destinations and learn about the latest and most popular accommodations for your customers. Researching for the following travel season during the slower seasons helps you to be profitable when the peak season starts. You work a full-time schedule and often overtime during the peak seasons. Working independently gives you more flexibility in your work hours and workspace.

Due to increasing internet accessibility, the demand for travel agents has dropped. Individuals can research destinations for themselves and easily book their flights and accommodations. Fortunately, some individuals and businesses still prefer to avoid researching or planning trips for themselves and still use travel agents for their travel planning and booking. 

As a travel agent, you can also explore other career options in hospitality and travel. For instance, some agents become tour managers and guides or create content for media and marketing companies on holiday destinations.

Finding your travel agent job through Randstad provides essential benefits such as the following:

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities

• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed

• a range of opportunities in your area

• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job

• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a travel agent is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers every year thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.

To become a travel agent, you require a certificate in travel or a related course to gain the skills needed for the role. It would be best if you also had accreditation from ATAS, which defines the requirements for becoming a travel agent. When you have educational qualifications, work on improving your experience.

As a travel agent, you book trips and plan holiday packages for your tourists and business clients. You create a budget and guide your clients on the best packages. You also source accommodation, transport and entertainment activities.

Travel agents working for travel companies receive monthly or weekly salaries like other employees. However, some companies pay on commission. That means the vendor pays a commission to the travel agent when the client travels. The commission increases depending on the scope of the holiday package, including flights and accommodation.

While the licensing requirements were scraped off, you still require accreditation from ATAS to become a travel agent in Australia. The accreditation dictates the expectations and guidelines for travel agents.

You work full-time or part-time as a travel agent, depending on your responsibilities. Your work schedule is up to 40 hours a week and may include evenings and weekends since people plan vacations during weekends or evening hours.

Applying for a travel agent job is straightforward: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.