Florida makes a great travel destination for everyone from all over the world.
However, people from Florida also want to travel either in their own state or abroad.
This means there’s a steady demand for travel agents, even after the year 2020.
Read this guide if you want to learn how you can become a travel agent in Florida!
Travel Agent Job Description and Duties in Florida
Travel agents in Florida have more job duties and responsibilities one might initially think.
The majority of people think they mostly arrange:
- Transportation
- Accommodation
- Entertainment
However, this cannot be done without knowing the clients’ likes, dislikes, and budgets.
If the agent becomes more knowledgeable about certain types of travel, they can help their clients even more.
Here are the main types of tourism:
- Honeymoon
- Family-oriented
- Business
- Budget
- Cruise
- Luxury
It’s also a common practice to combine 2 or even 3 types of travel.
However, agents help their customers even more by:
- Reviewing visas, vaccinations, and other travel necessities
- Understanding the needs and desires of their clients
- Keeping accurate records
- Finding solutions to issues and emergencies
- Handling payments and deposits
- Promoting the various packages resorts, hotels, and cruise companies offer
- Negotiating with hotels, resorts, cruise companies, and more
These specific tasks will ensure their experience will be better and even safer.
Of course, there are other duties that could be assigned to you from time to time.
Requirements to be a Travel Agent in Florida
One should know that only specific people can become travel agents.
These people have:
- Good communication skills
- Good management skills
- Able to use various computer programs
- Good problem-solving skills
- Great marketing skills
- Able to work full-time
- Detail-oriented
- Being confident
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a clean criminal record
- Be honest
- Have a high school diploma or GED
A penchant for traveling and the possibility to do so are great advantages for the ideal candidates.
Having some previous experience in the field is another advantage candidates could have.
Education and Certification for a Travel Agent in Florida
One can gain experience by attending a course dedicated to tourism.
Such classes will give a future travel agent many of the tools and skills needed for the job.
These are the schools in Florida that offer such programs.
Top 17 Schools in Florida
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Broward College | 4205 Bonaventure Blvd, Weston, FL 33332, |
| Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management | 3000 NE 151st St, North Miami Beach, FL 33181 |
| Florida Atlantic University | 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton, FL 33431, |
| Florida International University | 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33199 |
| Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association | 2540 W. Executive Center Circle Suite 200 Tallahassee, Florida 32301 |
| Florida State University | 600 W College Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32306 |
| Hillsborough Community College | 1206 N Park Rd, Plant City, FL 33563 |
| Johnson & Wales University | 1701 NE 127th St, North Miami, FL 33181 |
| Strayer University | 5650 Breckenridge Park Dr Suite 300, Tampa, FL 33610 |
| Strayer University | 4902 Eisenhower Blvd N, Tampa, FL 33634 |
| Strayer University | 14479 Miramar Pkwy, Miramar, FL 33027 |
| Strayer University | 2200 N Alafaya Trail Suite 500, Orlando, FL 32826 |
| Strayer University | 8375 Dix Ellis Trail Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32256 |
| Strayer University | 699 W Gaines St Suite 106, Tallahassee, FL 32304 |
| University of Central Florida | 4000 Central Florida Blvd, Orlando, FL 32816 |
| University of Florida | 1478 Union Road 222 Criser Hall - P.O. Box 114000 Gainesville, FL 32611-4000 |
| Valencia College | 1800 S Kirkman Rd, Orlando, FL 32811 |
It’s pretty natural to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in tourism, though some undergraduate programs also exist.
You’ll also have the possibility of attending classes online or in person.
Paying attention you meet the enrollment criteria should go without saying.
A high school diploma or a GED is the basic prerequisite for most schools.
Additionally, future students will need minimum grades in specific classes they attended in high school.
The tourism courses are focused on these topics:
- Introduction to the travel industry
- Professional Skills
- Basic/International geography
- Destination geography
- Introduction to international travel
- Introduction to air travel
- Transportation
- Career development
- Sales and marketing for travel
Travel Agent Salary and Employment in Florida
Finding employment as a travel agent is not very difficult in Florida.
In fact, with the right credentials, you could be working as an independent agent from anywhere you like.
Regardless of who you work for, you’ll need to do some traveling.
This will help you give better advice to your clients.
You cannot work without getting paid.
In this state, salaries a generally higher in Miami, Hialeah, and Fort Lauderdale.
| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
$33K | |
$36K | |
$43K |
Average Salary of Travel Agents in Florida
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Jacksonville | $36,382 |
| Miami | $37,369 |
| Tampa | $36,536 |
| Orlando | $36,516 |
| St. Petersburg | $36,543 |
| Hialeah | $37,081 |
| Tallahassee | $34,816 |
| Port St. Lucie | $36,229 |
| Fort Lauderdale | $37,276 |
| Cape Coral | $35,694 |
Regional Salary
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 110 | $51,920 | $24.96 | $79,560 | $30,180 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | 140 | $47,390 | $22.78 | $78,750 | $31,060 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 80 | $43,350 | $20.84 | $60,070 | $26,890 |
| Gainesville, FL | 30 | $46,210 | $22.21 | $70,320 | $29,070 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 150 | $49,040 | $23.58 | $71,360 | $30,650 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 4,070 | $50,420 | $24.24 | $67,870 | $31,230 |
| Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL | 110 | $53,150 | $25.55 | $76,220 | $36,160 |
| North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL | 100 | $51,130 | $24.58 | $74,630 | $31,860 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 2,910 | $40,550 | $19.49 | $51,170 | $27,260 |
| Panama City, FL | 40 | $37,730 | $18.14 | $48,170 | $22,880 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | 50 | $47,980 | $23.07 | $70,250 | $29,180 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 450 | $47,430 | $22.81 | $73,760 | $28,490 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Additional Information for Travel Agents in Florida
The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is one of the several resources travel agents can use to progress in their careers.
Other associations and organizations do exist, and all of them charge a fee to become a member.
Florida is known for its vibrant tourism industry and offers a wealth of opportunities for travel agents. You can specialize in various niches, from theme parks to luxury getaways, catering to diverse client preferences.
I’m passionate about travel, and this post gave me a clear step-by-step guide on how to turn that passion into a career as a travel agent in Florida. It’s exactly what I needed!
I’ve been considering a career change, and becoming a travel agent in Florida sounds perfect! This post made the process seem so much more approachable with all the licensing info and tips.
This post answered all my questions about starting a travel agency in Florida! Now I feel confident about the next steps I need to take to get my business up and running.