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How to start as a travel agent?

  • 04-03-2006 12:49am
    #1
    Parsons
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13 ✭


    To cut a long story short, I'm enthusiastic about becoming a travel agent working from my home. Is an IATA qualification necessary? I did mail an US-based company by the name Global travel Int'l (GTI) but haven't heard from 'em yet. Need your inputs folks :confused:


Comments

  • #2
    Ruu_Old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    I dont think you need any special qualifications but you obviously have to know a little bit about how the travel industry works and if you want to make your business work you have to really work at it. The number of people booking their own holidays nowadays and so on. best of luck anyway.


  • #3
    Benedict XVI
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,377 ✭✭✭Benedict XVI


    Parsons wrote:
    To cut a long story short, I'm enthusiastic about becoming a travel agent working from my home. Is an IATA qualification necessary? I did mail an US-based company by the name Global travel Int'l (GTI) but haven't heard from 'em yet. Need your inputs folks :confused:

    I don't think qualification are needed by I do believe you have to get a license before you can leaglly trade, this I presume is for insurance reasons etc.

    There was a case last year regarding a Limerick woman running trips to 6 Nations games for Munster fans without a license, the report is below

    http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2005/02/10/story510165630.asp


  • #4
    Parsons
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13 ✭Parsons


    I appreciate your responses Ruu and Benedict XVI.. but what I meant was starting off with a franchisee-like setup where the booking is done by a propah licenced travel agent and I'd be getting commissions (around 2%). And I've no interest in setting a brick-n-mortar office; instead set up a website with the booking search engine & the works... Is there any travel agency offering this sort of independent travel agent opportunity in Ireland like what Global travel Int'l does?

    I'm printing my business cards anyway :eek:


  • #5
    babaduck
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 488 ✭✭babaduck


    First of all, without experience, you'd find it v. hard as a travel agent (been there, have the t-shirt etc).

    Any travel agency here should be ITAA bonded which protects consumers against the agency going into liquidation - I would never need with a non-bonded agent - membership is not easy to come by. Also if you plan to issue airline tickets, you need to be an IATA member - there's various requirements in place for you to attain membership.

    I don't mean to rain on your parade, but its becoming harder & harder to stay in the travel game now that airlines have slashed commissions, Budget don't deal with agents etc. Business travel is a more lucrative area but a right PITA (hated doing it because it was always last minute panic from clients trying to change flights/routing tix).

    I don't think you've done adequate research into what is required in Ireland to operate as a travel agent...


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