snowrooster..There is special certification available for travel agents.But most owners do not require it.In my experience thru my own trusty TA,most owners want agents who will generate commissions for them.They dont really care how it is done within legal llimits of course.There is no "license" as such.But in order to partake of any discounts offered to the agents, there is a process they have to go through to become "registered' I think would be a good term.All they have to prve is that they are in fact what the say they are--a Travel Agent.This is what is called the 'IATAN"card.It's kind of a license I guess.It is obtained thru IATA and the cost is almost negligible.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm

According to this site, all you need is a HS diploma but read for further information.

Thank you! Like I said, I'm just coming up w/ideas and even if I'm going to start trying some travel writing for regional publications, it would be nice to privy to all the "professional" info.

snowrooster - sorry if I misunderstood you re the freebies/discounts, etc. It's just that you started the first two of your messages with that question, and I naturally assumed that's what you were primarily interested in.

And as for your comment, "Personally, I see the traditional role of a travel agent being phased out in our society as from what I know it doesn't seem they offer much more than anyone could find out on their own through a little research"....well, you may be right...and then again, you very well may be wrong.

Yes, some people do research...look at this website for example. All these people asking for someone else's opinions. I like that. But you have to realize that even though some people do research, they don't trust their OWN opinions. And also look at the variations of opinions listed here. And also look at the trolls... One thing I always try to remember, though: one trip does not make a person an expert. Lots of people use computers for research. And that's a blessing. If I never have to hear another client say, "I don't know where I want to go, I don't know when I want to go, but how much is it going to cost me???" I will scream. I say it's a blessing because we now have a more educated consumer. I like people who know what they want. And even though these people have lots of information, the one thing they're still looking for is human contact; the sitting down face to face and relying on the expertise of a travel expert. And if they have a problem with their vacation, they want to know there's someone there to help them...and not a nameless "someone" at the other end of a computer. One they can't reach in time of need.

So yes, I expect that the job of a travel agent will change over time. It certainly has in the many years I've been in this business. But will the job of travel agent cease to be in the future? I certainly hope not. And for one particularly nice reason: making people's dreams come true is rather rewarding in and of itself.

As far as being a travel writer, please remember that places change, and your best bet in getting published is to have been to these places recently.

I wish you luck and bon voyage in whatever decision you come to.

I would think one requirement to being a travel agent would be diplomacy. Dealing with the public is never easy, yet anyone successful in the service industry must be able to listen without jumping to conclusions, appease without being critical, and be willing to let the customer have the last word. Being the liason between a customer and a provider requires a great deal of patience, compromise, and discretion. It's definitely a postion that requires team-players.

snow,
In the business I was in for years (In Groups), Travel Agents were our customers...the most successful seemed to be Group Leaders/Tour Conductors...they would organize one or two groups a year, usually the same company or student groups, have their ducks in a row, be extremely organzied and firm and made themselves some good $$ by implementing the right rules and policies for their groups and negotiating low rates & perks. Our company chartered planes and negotiated with hotel vendors so it was easier to enjoy the perks and empty space, but that is usually not the case...good luck !

kamahinaohoku - Thanks for your feedback. I guess I just see the role of the travel agent changing. More of a travel counselor than someone who you rely on to do your bookings. Since I come from a sales background (I was a regional mgr for several years before starting a family) I think more about asking questions to determine needs and fill those needs than about actual bookings. My inlaws have lots of money but really need someone to hold their hand when planning a trip - it is scary and stressful for them.

Regarding travel writing, I agree completely that you should write about places visited recently. I was thinking about little family trips or even one day outings we take and writing about them for local/midwest publications. I still have a year before both of my kids are in preschool so I have time to figure this out.

Maybe some of the travel pros on this thread can weigh in on this one:
I traveled to Chicago from Hartford for business last week. This was the first time I had to fly on business for my company. I was told I HAD to use American Express to make my flight reservation. I went on line (Expedia or one of the others) and found an airline/flight that fit my schedule. The cost of the flight (didn't matter which airline) was about $300. I called Am Ex. A very polite and pleasant agent told me that the flight I wanted on United was $378. However there was a flight on American for $337. The American flight timing was no good so I said ok to the United one since my company was paying for it anyway. I was skeptical that the two flights weren't the same price at least - I know the prices change all the time. So I book the flight and Am Ex e-mails me a receipt. I didn't bother to read the fine print except to note that it was a "negotiated rate". Later, I came to find out my credit card was charged twice - once directly from United for the $378 cost of the flight and once from American Express for an additional $46 "transaction fee". So my company ends up paying more for the flight and has to pay an additional fee to Am Ex for doing absolutely nothing. So can someone out there tell me where the "value added" of the TA is in this situation??

snowrooster, try this website:
http://main.travelwriters.com/

Lots of info. Good luck.

An alternative to being an actual agent but still getting ALOT of perks is being a Corporate Meeting/Event Planner. I have been doing this since 1990 and have planned events as small as 4 and as large as 10,000. The perks? You get to visit great hotels (site inspections) before the event and during the event. All of the hotels offer great Meeting & Incentive programs for meeting planners (sort of like ff points that you can use at your leisure) and of course you get ff points when you travel to all of these places, AND since your job requires you to travel, you don't have to worry about using your vaca days! I usually travel a few days before the event and a day after to wrap things up - so I actually get a lot of free time. My husband has joined me on alot of trips (at our cost, not the co's). It's a great way to see the country (world) and stay at FABULOUS resorts on someone else's dime !!! But, it is very stressful - you have to be very efficient, very cost conscious, be able to negotiate and manage people (sometime 100's/1000's) while smiling - and a lot of times the client/company does not realize just how much work it takes to put on a great event. I love it, and now work from my home and make more $$$ than when I was working in an office!