As more consumers look to travel advisors as experts in the field, travel agencies are seeking to add to their staff to meet the demand. They are also dealing with the dual effect of many of their most experienced advisors leaving during the pandemic and the prospect of even more that might be getting ready for retirement. And though agencies want to hire, they are also struggling to attract new qualified applicants.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that travel advisor positions will rise by three percent from 2022 until 2032, with 8,600 openings projected each year on average. These new advisors will need to be trained to approach their positions with the knowledge needed to succeed and service their customers.
“Consumers—especially Millennials and Gen Z—are realizing the abundant benefits of working with a travel advisor,” says Kathryn Mazza-Burney, Chief Sales Officer of American Marketing Group, which consists of three travel advisor networks: TRAVELSAVERS, NEST and The Affluent Traveler Collection. “They don’t want to do it themselves any longer and are increasingly seeking out the services of a professional advisor. Just as people are discovering the superior experience of working with an advisor, they’re also encountering a shortage of professional travel consultants. It’s critical to attract newcomers to the field who have the right qualities to succeed.”
Consumer research conducted in 2023 by the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) found that 50 percent of travelers are more likely to use a travel advisor after the pandemic, which is a seven-point increase from 2022, according to Mark Meader, Senior Vice President, Industry Affairs & Education of ASTA. He adds: “Simply put, we need more travel advisors to meet the demand.”
During the pandemic, 36 percent of travel agencies lost seasoned staff, according to The Travel Institute’s The Changing Face of Travel Agents 2023 survey. Some 44 percent reported replacing them with a combination of experienced and new-to-the-industry agents, and more than half—some 56 percent—state that they did not replace them. “The survey also showed 66 percent of experienced advisors are over the age of 50, so more likely to stay where they are or retire near-term,” says Diane Petras, CTIE, President of The Travel Institute.
“Recruiting new agents is only half the challenge,” adds Petras. “Consumers expect travel agents to be capable of maximizing their travel budget return on investment and supporting them throughout their travel experience. This means we need to ensure frontline agents are truly capable of servicing the travelers they interface with. As an industry, we need to meet the demand with that critical point in mind.”
Finding Qualified Applicants
A recent survey of TRAVELSAVERS and NEST consultants from American Marketing Group reports that while 69 percent of agencies plan to or may hire advisors in the coming year, only seven percent say it’s easy to find qualified applicants. Two-thirds of these agencies want to fill more than one position and about one-third of the agencies that say that they are hiring report that they would like to bring on as many good candidates as they can find.
“Many of the candidates applying for travel advisor positions lack the necessary skills and training to succeed, making it challenging for agencies to find suitable hires,” says Meader. “This is compounded by the fact that some candidates are more interested in the perceived perks of the job, such as traveling for free, rather than the business and client service aspects of the role.”
LuAnn Lisell, Owner of Lisell Travel, says that “many candidates are passionate about travel but often lack industry knowledge and personal travel experience.” She adds that important new advisor traits include not only an understanding of the travel industry, but basic geography knowledge, technical proficiency, strong verbal and written communication skills, organizational skills and attention to detail, and an adaptable personality to serve diverse clients.
Elizabeth Gates, a new travel advisor for Empire Travel Inc., feels “training is imperative for new advisors to succeed because travel is a lot more broad than people might think. Training is a great way to build a foundation for the start of any travel career, between using the different systems or even how to answer the phone and greet clients.”
Petras stresses that “as an industry, we emphasize the fact that ‘anyone’ can become a travel agent, no experience is necessary and no training is mandatory as a barrier for entry.” She adds: “This allows the industry to cast a wider net for new talent, which is a positive for hiring organizations as long as they understand they need to one, ensure these industry newcomers are truly interested in a travel career and two, provide comprehensive training before tasking them with maximizing a consumer’s return on investment for travel. It takes much more than a love of travel for new and experienced agents to succeed.”
The Importance of Training
American Marketing Group’s survey of TRAVELSAVERS and NEST advisors states that 94 percent say that “training is essential or important for new entrants to the profession”. Agencies reported that they have a varied approach to training their new advisors. Some 54 percent offer a job shadow with colleagues, 53 percent use supplier programs, 31 percent use industry webinars, 26 percent opt for their own agency specialized program, 23 percent use an industry program such as The Travel Institute, and 15 percent depend on KORE, American Marketing Group’s advisor education curriculum designed specifically for new travel advisors. (See sidebar for more details on KORE.)
“The travel advisor profession is complex,” says Mazza-Burney. “To be successful in this always evolving field, new advisors need the basics such as geography and how to book different supplier types. They also need cutting-edge skills such as how to use technology, run a business and market effectively to prospects and clients. A wide-ranging training program can provide new advisors with the full array of skills and knowledge they need to be successful in their careers.”
Petras says training is “critical.” She continues: “Agent success takes hard work, sustained effort, adaptability and, of course, training both when they are new and in order to stay capable and advance. It takes significant and sustained effort to provide agents with the educational tools they need to ensure adaptability and longevity throughout their careers as they evolve into true professionals.”
Petras adds that studies show educated agents are more successful. The Travel Institute’s The Changing Face of Travel Agents 2023 survey showed that travel professionals certified by The Travel Institute earn 24.3 percent more in annual income than travel agents lacking any industry certification. It also states that many surveyed agents plan further training through 2024 on topics including destination knowledge (70 percent) and supplier products (63 percent.)
Meader agrees that “training is crucial for all travel advisors.” He adds: “ASTA's goal is to emphasize the importance of reputable and responsible travel advisors who prioritize ethical principles. Successfully trained advisors prioritize their responsibility to protect, assist and care for their clients. And they’re committed to developing their business and growing their career.”
New Advisor KORE Training
KORE, American Marketing Group’s travel advisor educational program, is designed to help new travel advisors with the skills they need to succeed. Created in partnership with The Travel Institute, the flexible, fully-digital, 16-module comprehensive curriculum is self-paced enabling new advisors to train when it’s most convenient for them. It includes real-world insights from industry experts and focuses on both essential travel knowledge and details on owning a business.
“KORE’s training is unique in the travel industry,” says Kathryn Mazza-Burney, Chief Sales Officer of American Marketing Group. “KORE’s curriculum is extremely comprehensive—the equivalent of a college-level course. It educates people how to be both travel advisors and successful business owners in this ever-changing industry.”
KORE includes such topics as technology tools, social media marketing, and industry compliance and fraud protection. It covers the basics such as geography and booking different types of travel. KORE also trains prospective advisors in essential business skills such as sales, branding, and customer service.
Students in the KORE program not already affiliated with an agency are paired with an agency owner or manager as a mentor and are given the chance to work with an agency after graduation.
LuAnn Lisell, Owner of Lisell Travel, is a KORE mentor. Her agency “prioritizes hiring graduates from qualified training programs like KORE, or experienced advisors who can immediately contribute to our team.” She continues: “As a KORE mentor, I provide guidance, support and encouragement through the coursework and education process. After graduation, as a member of our team, I help new advisors navigate our agency's processes, understanding our preferred suppliers, and technology. I work with them individually and with other team members, to ensure their success in building a thriving business.”
Lisell says her agency successfully recruited a new agent who completed the KORE program and that “the comprehensive knowledge and skills she gained from this program have been invaluable, allowing her to quickly adapt to our operations and deliver exceptional service. Her readiness has saved us considerable time and resources that would otherwise be spent on extensive training, making her an immediate asset to our team.” She adds that “the program’s FAM opportunities, that were offered to KORE graduates, have also enhanced [the new agent’s] destination knowledge and helped to build industry connections.”
Mazza-Burney has found that “KORE graduates say the program has been an incredibly positive experience for them. They head into their new advising career with the solid foundation, relevant knowledge, and self-confidence needed to prosper in the industry.”
Elizabeth Gates, a full-time college student in the Air National Guard and a new travel advisor for Empire Travel Inc. who went through the KORE training, feels it “helped me get a better understanding of all aspects of the industry”. She continues: “KORE was more focused on aspects of running a travel business compared to other trainings I’ve had, which was good because I had no idea how much actually went into selling travel. KORE familiarized me with the ideas of sales techniques, customer service, booking processes, itinerary planning, and keeping good relationships with our suppliers.”
When Santina Edge, a world traveler, retired from the corporate world of accounting and finance, she decided to become a travel advisor and is now the owner of Edge World Travel. She recommends the KORE program. “KORE helped me to learn about setting up my own travel advisor business, to learn ‘travel advisor language’, about suppliers, accommodations, insurance, how to sell, and so on. It is a very comprehensive course.”
For more details on KORE, visit www.koretraveleducation.com.