Travel Agents

A surge of newcomers are setting up shop as travel advisors — with some of them unprepared for the realities of the job. Host agencies and consortiums are ramping up efforts to give them the education they need.

With an influx of newcomers seeking careers as travel advisors, host agencies and consortiums are responding with new professional development options. Much of it emphasizes business skills, giving a reality check to those who view a travel career as an easy endeavor with lots of perks.

Ensemble Travel Group demonstrated a clear commitment at its 2019 International Conference by driving home the message that sustainability and climate change are the biggest issues facing the travel industry today. That the consortium took steps to offset the conference's own carbon footprint shows it's talking the talk.

Ensemble Travel's partnership with Cool Effect enables travel advisors to help clients offset their carbon footprint by donating to sustainability projects. It's a step that other travel agency groups should take as well.

Sustainable travel was the overriding theme at Ensemble Travel Group's 2019 International Conference, which CEO David Harris called the most important issue facing travel advisors and their clients. The importance of capturing sales data and strong alliances with travel industry organizations also emerged as top priorities.

From airport screening to hostile destinations, travel poses particular difficulties and humiliations for transgender people. Travel advisors need to be aware of the potential pitfalls when serving transgender clients.

Traveling is tough when you’re transgender, but it can also be very risky for travel advisors who could unwittingly send their clients into some hostile environments if they don’t know what they’re doing.

Congressional legislation in the United States that would bar hotels and short-term rental sources from advertising rates that don't include resort fees is getting support from the American Society of Travel Advisors. Advocating for transparency in pricing is an important cause for travel industry organizations to take on.

The American Society of Travel Advisors' show of support for the Hotel Advertising Transparency Act of 2019 indicates growing distaste among agencies, as well as the general public, for resort fees, particularly when they are not disclosed up-front. Such support is a logical step for the organization, which has long advocated for pricing transparency.

Consumers are so overwhelmed by choice these days, they sometimes simply give up on travel plans altogether. Brands like American Express Travel are hoping to end that lamentable state of affairs by combining old-school service with new technological tools that make the complete “customer journey” both high tech and high touch.