Instant Travel Agent?

I bumped into a prospective student at the mall the other day and she shared some interesting news with me. This lady had asked a lot of very intelligent questions about the process of becoming a travel agent (home based) along with the training and licensing requirements.

She was now a professional travel agent, fully credentialed and ready to make a ton of money selling cruises, tour packages and airline tickets. A business card with a company name, website and her title of “referring travel agent” was proudly handed to me. This instant agent even offered to help me with any upcoming travel plans.

It was aggressive marketing and sales pitch on her part but her business card, in my mind, omitted some key business details. There was no business address, no telephone or fax contacts, not even an email address. It just listed her name along with that of her company and a booking website.

I asked the simple question of how you get started. Her response was “I paid a start up fee in the $500.00-$600.00 range plus a monthly $50-$100 charge and I had become an instant travel agent. She was now a true professional ready to advise her clients on the intricacies of the travel business.

Is that all it takes to become a professional travel agent? Just a website? A business card?

Travel is big money and scams are ever present so stay tuned as there is more to follow on this topic!