With online studies, your career as a travel agent starts with a laptop, access to the internet, and a click.
If you spend hours daydreaming about the perfect vacation and love being a part of every last planning detail, a career in travel is right for you.
If you want smooth sailing and to help vacationers’ trips go off without a hitch, a travel agent career is for you.
Start turning travel dreams into a reality for clients.
How do you get the certification and training you need to launch a career as a travel agent?
Check out these best online travel agent training programs.
Contents
- Best Online Travel Agent Training Programs
- What Courses Are in an Online Travel Agent Training Program?
- Can You Earn an Online Travel Agent Training Program Certification Completely Online?
- How Long Does it Take to Earn an Online Travel Agent Program Certification Online?
- How Much Does an Online Travel Agent Training Program Certification Cost?
- Bottom Line
Best Online Travel Agent Training Programs
Most online courses prepare you to sit for the Travel Agent Proficiency TAP exam to earn your travel and tourism certification.
The TAP test takes two hours to complete.
The test consists of 100 multiple-choice questions.
Or, continue your education to get your Bachelor of Science BS degree in hospitality.
After obtaining the necessary credentials, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 66,300 jobs in travel await those who pursue them, with an anticipated 3 percent job growth.
Travel agents earn an average of $46,400 annually, or $22.31 per hour.
The American Society of Travel Advisors, ASTA, and The Travel Institute developed the TAP certification examination.
Pass the TAP to launch your travel agent career.
Earn your TAP certification and then continue your education by attaining your Certified Travel Associate CTA certification.
Or, specialize in specific types of travel like the following:
- Family travel
- Accessible travel
- Rural tourism
- Pet-friendly travel
- Cruise lines
- Sustainable travel
- Eco-friendly travel
- Solo travel
- Luxury travel
- Romantic getaways
- Destination weddings
- Honeymoon travel
Take a look at the best options for online travel agent training programs.
Check out the following top online training programs:
1. Penn Foster
Penn Foster Online offers courses at levels from high school to college degrees.
Learn everything you need to understand about the travel and tourism industry through this accredited school.
Penn Foster offers an affordable and accredited online Travel Agent Career Diploma.
The program prepares students for entry-level travel agent careers.
Study at your own pace with access to a dedicated faculty.
The Penn Foster online program prepares students for the TAP Travel Agent Proficiency certification exam.
Studying through Penn Foster also allows you free enrollment in a Destination Specialist course at The Travel Institute to help prepare you for the Destination Specialist certification exam.
Fast-paced learners complete the course in as short of time as nine months.
The average student takes 15 months to prepare for work as a travel agent.
Go on to work in an agency, a tour company, an airline, or any travel agent capacity.
The travel agent certificate online program usually costs $989.
Catch a sale to find it as low as $799.
2. The Travel Institute
The Travel Institute has a history of preparing individuals for successful and rewarding careers in the travel industry since 1964.
More than 25,000 students claim success through learning with The Travel Institute.
With more than 50 years of training travel agents, the Travel Institute offers certification as a non-profit organization.
The online program aims to develop travel professionals who will better the industry and benefit travelers.
The online training offers their own TRIPKIT Travel Industry Introductory Program.
The Travel Institute also offers certification courses and training in areas of specialization in the travel industry.
Before deciding on a course, sign up for one of many free Webinars.
Gain a solid foundation of knowledge to kick-start your career in travel in up to 12 months of study.
Become a Certified Travel Counselor CTC for $550.
Or, if you already have five years of industry experience, take the Fast Track course.
The Travel Institute also offers Certified Travel Associate CTA and Certified Travel Industry Executive CTIE courses.
3. Stratford Career Institute
Stratford Career Institute is privately owned and established in 1991.
The Institute offers quality at-home vocational training programs to students in North America.
Stratford foresaw the need for emerging education for busy adults and offers distance learning.
SCI provides the opportunity for students to learn in the convenience of their own home with a flexible schedule.
This online school is a member of the United States Distance Learning Association, the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education, and the International Council for Open and Distance Education ICDE.
SCI also has academic affiliations with Institutional Accountants ICIA and The Travel Institute.
If you love to travel and want to turn travel planning into your career, Stratford Career Institute online offers a comprehensive travel and tourism course.
Learn the basics and then move into more advanced topics.
Delve into sales and marketing with this self-paced course.
Complete the course in a year or shorter.
Some students are ready for the next step after six months.
The Stratford Career Institute Travel and Tourism online course will prepare you to sit for the TAP test.
Learn everything you need about landing a job and continuing work as a successful travel agent for $1,049.
Catch the course on sale for $499 during Black Friday or other sales throughout the year.
4. Travel Agent Campus
The Travel Agent Campus is a highly sought-after travel agent/advisor online training and certification program.
Train with lessons developed by innovators of their independent home-based travel agent learning platform.
Learn from instructors who offer more than 30 years of training to those new to the travel business.
The Travel Agent Campus allows you to work at your own pace.
Learn everything you need to know to earn your online travel agent certification in two weeks.
Or, take less time.
Most students finish the course in about three to ten days.
Pay $995 in full, or break it down into monthly payments.
Once you start your travel career, earn as much as 70 percent to 90 percent commission.
Learn at home about the vast travel industry and tourism at your own pace in partnership with TPI Travel Planners International.
Get started in your career of planning, researching, and booking trips with the help of this online course.
5. Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University GCU offers a private for-profit university.
GCU is the largest Christian university in the world, teaching 70,000 online students and 20,000 on-campus learners.
Take your time and earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality Management.
By attaining a BS in Hospitality Management, you open doors to a solid career in travel.
With Grand Canyon University, earn your degree after studying 120 credit hours at approximately $485 per credit.
The online courses each last eight weeks and are self-paced.
You may participate in Web chat sessions or view lectures online throughout the courses.
If you have already earned college credit, transfer credit hours to reduce your overall expenses.
Apply for scholarships to save more on tuition costs. Also, enjoy extensive discounted tuition for active military personnel.
6. IAP International Association of Professions Career College
Study online to receive your travel consultant certificate from a program featured by Oprah, ABC, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal.
IAP Career College offers a private online career learning opportunity.
This online college allows students to develop skills to advance their careers or start a business.
Learn the principles and techniques of the travel industry through an affordable online program.
IAP Career College online Travel Consultant Certificate Course takes approximately six weeks to complete.
Some students get done faster, by four weeks.
Others take a full 12 weeks to complete.
Work online at your own pace without teaching assistance.
The IAP course costs approximately $377.
Catch a special sale to get it for as inexpensive as $149.00.
7. Ashworth College
Ashworth College offers career education that teaches practical skills employers want without breaking the bank.
This online school is among the most affordable online schools available to gain travel agent certification.
All of the career-focused courses at Ashworth College include books, lessons, study guides, and academic guidance.
Earn your certification among more than 300,000 students who have graduated from Ashworth.
Ashworth College offers an online travel agent training program to prepare you for work in the travel industry.
The course of study covers reservations, customer service, and geography.
Study entirely at your own pace to prepare for the TAP test certification in less than a year.
Earn your travel and tourism diploma to work with planning tours and management positions.
Pay $989 with monthly payments of $799 paid in full.
Ready yourself to take the Travel Institute Travel Agent Proficiency Test after completing the course.
Ashworth College additionally provides a toolkit with resume templates and other resources to help you land a travel career.
What Courses Are in an Online Travel Agent Training Program?
Online travel agent training programs offer courses that teach everything you need to prepare you as a travel agent.
Some of the typical courses included in travel agent training programs include:
- Air travel ticketing, reservations, and baggage handling, including North American Air Travel
- Geographic studies, including popular travel destinations, cultures, customs, and top attractions while exploring the world
- Tourism and the History of tourism, including types of tourism and how travel impacts the economy
- TAP Travel Agent Proficiency Certification studies include customer service, consumer-focused professionalism, specialized travel sales techniques, marketing, office skills, and time management.
- Advanced skills in journey pricing and ticketing
- BSP Agent billing reports and agent remittance procedures
- Learn about required documents for international trips
- Intro to Tourism Management to establish a foundational understanding of the tourism business
- Delve into the challenges of the hospitality industry as a career
- Aspects of Transportation Learning how to navigate domestic and foreign transportation systems such as air, railway, or cruises
- Convention and Special Event Planning, including conferences, trade shows, arranging travel, lodging, booking the best venue, and organizing food services
- World Regions, including time zones, weather, and climate
- International Travel Documentation
- Customer-focused selling and understanding customer needs
- Customs
- Accepting and processing payments
- Travel Insurance
- Car Rentals
- Tour Sales and Niche Marketing
- Hospitality
- Global Distribution System GDS and establishing Passenger Name Record PNR
- Career Options in Travel
- Types of Tours and Tour Operators
- Fares and ticketing
- How to start an at-home travel agency
- Business Ethics and writing skills
- The Art of listening and communicating
Can You Earn an Online Travel Agent Training Program Certification Completely Online?
Yes.
Several online colleges, universities, and career training centers offer a complete program to attain the skills needed in the travel industry.
How Long Does it Take to Earn an Online Travel Agent Program Certification Online?
One of the benefits of studying online is that you learn at your own pace.
Earning an online travel agent certification varies in how long it takes.
Spend a few days, two to three weeks, or stretch it out.
Combine your studies with an Associate’s or a Bachelor’s degree, and take two to four years.
Pursue one or all of the travel agent certifications, including the following:
- Travel Agent Proficiency TAP
- The Certified Travel Associate CTA – Requires one year of industry experience or completion of the Travel Agent Proficiency TAP exam.
- Certified Travel Counselor
- Certified Travel Industry Executive
- ASTA Verified Travel Advisor VTA from the American Society of Travel Advisors ASTA
- International Air Transport Association IATA
- Travel Industry Designator Service TIDS
- Certified Cruise Counselor CCC from the Cruise Lines International Association CLIA
- Accredited Cruise Counselor ACC
- Master Cruise Counselor MCC
- Elite Cruise Counselor ECC
How Much Does an Online Travel Agent Training Program Certification Cost?
Online training costs in the travel industry vary based on how long the program is, whether the institution is accredited, and any specializations you pursue.
It ranges in cost from approximately $100 to about $1,000 to complete certification.
Some online programs include an exam fee, so expect to spend about $2,000 or more.
Once you obtain the certification, expect ongoing studies to maintain the certification.
Agents must earn ten continuing education credits CEUs per year.
Bottom Line
Pursue your dream of adventure and love for travel.
Obtain your certification to start work in the travel and tourism industry fast.
Study through the best online travel agent training programs.
Start your career as a travel agent with the convenience of online training programs that offer flexibility and preparation for certification exams.