Interest in Becoming a Travel Advisor Is on the Rise: What Does This Mean for the Travel Industry?

According to a LinkedIn news article published earlier this year about the fastest-growing jobs in the U.S., the role of the travel advisor is on the rise. LinkedIn’s annual Jobs on the Rise list takes a look at rapidly growing roles over the past three years. Out of the 25 jobs listed, “travel advisor” came in at number five this year.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Despite the endless comments from friends and family members asking if “travel agents are still a thing,” we know full well the industry only continues to get bigger and stronger. We’re seeing new advisors join us here on the VAX VacationAccess platform every month, and there are lots of new faces at industry events throughout the year.

It’s common for professionals to find a career as a travel advisor after working in other industries, but we’re also seeing young professionals dive right into this unique option right after school.

What Does This Mean for the Travel Industry?

We’ve seen it happen time and time again — someone claims they are a travel advisor too soon; a client has a horrible experience, and travel agents get a bad name. But maybe that person just needed some guidance and didn’t know where to turn.

While it’s always important to welcome newcomers to ensure everyone feels included and supported, in this case, it can also help change the industry for the better. As people who have been in the industry for 20, 30, 40 years begin to eye up retirement, we need knowledgeable advisors to take their places, and we need to make sure they are capable of doing so.   

According to Michael Schottey, Vice President of Membership, Marketing and Communications at the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), it’s important for the association to engage with these new advisors whether they are 25 or 85.

“First and foremost, we're engaging them with education, ethics and professionalism, things that we feel are very important to the travel advisor community,” Schottey said. “I think regardless of age, it's important to meet advisors early on in their career as our trade association, but I think it's especially important to engage younger advisors because there is such a need for youth in this industry.”

There are lots of different routes to becoming a travel advisor — joining a host agency, working at a brick and mortar, becoming an independent contractor — and ASTA supports each and every route.

“We don't care how you join the industry, but we want you to be ethical. We want you to be professional, and we want you to have the education and have the tools to succeed,” Schottey said.

College Courses for Aspiring Travel Advisors

Over the summer, ASTA announced a partnership with Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The collaboration is meant to inspire students and introduce them to the travel advisor profession. With this partnership, students have access to ASTA’s Roadmap to Becoming a Travel Advisor and Geocultural Guide for Travel Advisors programs.

“Travel is at the core of hospitality and brings people together for memorable moments in their lives,” said Michael Cheng, Dean of the Chaplin School. “We are excited to partner with ASTA to offer this essential and unique opportunity to the future leaders of hospitality.”

In addition to the coursework, students also have access to a complimentary one-year ASTA membership at the Future Travel Professional level, which includes webinars hosted by suppliers, ASTA events, mentorship opportunities and more.

“It’s our job, as the American Society of Travel Advisors, to make sure that these college kids know that there's a career for them in selling travel,” Schottey said. “And I don't think that's something a lot of kids in college know, unless they've got a parent in it or they've got family friends in it. Unless they've traveled a lot themselves, they don't know that selling travel can be a very, very lucrative career.”

While FIU is the first major college ASTA has worked with and the only one Schottey can point to now, he mentioned others may be around the corner.

Verified Travel Advisor Program

Last year ASTA thoughtfully enhanced its Verified Travel Advisor (VTA) certification program, redesigning it to accommodate the modern travel advisor and increase consumer confidence, and this is another educational opportunity new advisors can set their sights on.

Putting an importance on being a reputable travel advisor with ethical principles, ASTA has set mandatory eligibility criteria for all advisors new to this program to meet. “You have to have some actual sales. You have to have years in the industry. You have to have some expertise that not only do you gain, but have to maintain,” said Schottey.  

Following the VTA overhaul, ASTA took its support for advisors a step even further by introducing VeriVacation, a tool that connects consumers with trusted travel advisors to plan their vacations. This lead generator is offered exclusively to Verified Travel Advisors. 

“As the complexities of travel continue to grow, travelers need a trusted resource to help them navigate their journeys,” said Zane Kerby, President & CEO of ASTA. “VeriVacation is the answer, offering access to top-tier professionals who provide unparalleled expertise and personalized service.”

Emerging Leaders Award

While it’s important for veteran advisors to guide and mentor the newbies coming into the industry, it’s also wise to be open to learning from them as well. Many people joining the industry come with unique new ideas of their own, whether it’s using new tools to make things more efficient or introducing new processes.

Recognizing this, ASTA and Travefy have partnered to introduce the ASTA Emerging Leaders Award. The recognition celebrates rising travel professionals, age 45 and under, who are contributing to the industry and redefining what it means to lead in the travel space.

“These are people who are changing the industry today,” Schottey said. “These are people who have ignored the idea that they should wait in line. They've ignored the idea that they should wait for their turn, and they're doing things that are transforming the industry.”

Winners will be recognized on stage with an award at the ASTA Globes awards ceremony in Chicago.  

Advice for New Travel Advisors

“I think the biggest piece of advice I would give an advisor is never stop getting better,” Schottey said, adding that there’s always another FAM to attend, supplier meeting to have, new connection to make and ASTA conference or industry event to go to.

“Don't stop learning. I think you can get really busy working in your business, and you forget to work on your business. Part of your business as a travel advisor is continual professional development … and that's really what separates us from Googling the trip of your dreams,” Schottey said. “If you are doing that, there's nothing that AI can ever take from you. There's nothing that an Instagram travel influencer can ever take from you. If you are a true advisor, if you are truly a professional, you will always, always, always win.”