California is a well known tourist destination with attractions such as Disneyland, Yosemite National Park, San Diego Zoo, and Santa Monica Beach. A travel agent in California must be able to provide information about these and other California tourist attractions. If helping client traveling to California and abroad is desirable, then information on how to become a travel agent in California may help.http://www.planetware.com/top-tourist-attractions/california-usca.htm

With the rise of travel websites like expedia.com, travelocity.com, orbitz.com, hotwire.com and kayak.com, travel agents have to become travel experts. These websites enable people to book their own air fares, hotel accommodations and rental cars without the use of travel agents. All of this can be done right from home with the click of a button. Clients who don't want the hassle to find travel deals and travel discounts prefer the expertise of a travel agent. These clients expect to get information from their travel agent that they cannot find anywhere else. Due to this, it is important that travel agents are well traveled. Some travel agents prefer to specialize in a certain area like cruise travel, group travel, business trips and honeymoons. It is estimated that the job outlook for these agents is good because they have a certain niche. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm

Whether or not one decides to specialize in a certain area of travel, the steps to becoming a travel agent in California are all the same.

High School: The minimum requirement to become a travel agent is graduating high school. If you are very well traveled, you might find a job at a travel agency, however, most employers prefer to hire people with some form of training geared towards becoming a travel agent. Other requirements that travel agents must meet include being courteous, professional, organized, accurate and detail oriented.

Additional Training: After high school, some people prefer to get a college degree in tourism and travel. Make sure to pay attention in school during geography, math, world history, and computer science. It's also a good thing to take up a foreign language. Some schools in California that you can go to for travel agent training include:

• ■ City College of San Francisco, 50 Phelan Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112-1898, Phone: (415) 239-3000. This school was established in 1935 and offers travel service classes.
• ■ Long Beach City College, 4901 E. Carson St., Long Beach, CA 90808-1706, Phone: (562) 938-411. This school was established in 1927 and provides classes various travel service classes. http://www.citytowninfo.com/school-profiles/long-beach-city-college

If you prefer a home study you can look into the following online schools:

• ■ Stratford Career Institute: Established in 1991, offers classes in travel and tourism. http://www.citytowninfo.com/school-profiles/stratford-career-institute
• ■ Central Pennsylvania College: Established in 1881, offers classes in travel & tourism operations. http://www.citytowninfo.com/school-profiles/central-pennsylvania-college
• ■ Penn Foster Career School: Established in 1890, offers classes geared towards becoming a travel/tourism specialist. http://www.citytowninfo.com/school-profiles/penn-foster-career-school

Employment: Travel agent jobs in California are more common in San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, and San Jose. Cities like Fresno, Visalia, and Modesto have the least amount of jobs for travel agents. Keep in mind that you may be starting out by working as a receptionist or reservations clerk at a travel agency. This is a good way to gain work experience and you can learn by watching other travel agents go about their day to day activities. Over time, you may get more responsibilities which may lead to becoming a travel agent. If you cannot get your foot in the door at a travel agency, consider offering to work for free as an intern. This will look good on your resume and will help with future employment.http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents/california http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/travel_agent.htm</ref>

Salary:: When you first start out as a travel agent, you may not make a lot in commission because you have to build up your client base first. The highest average salaries for travel agents can be found in Santa Barbara, San Jose, and Modesto. The 2010 average base salary for a travel agent is estimated at $34,513 per year. If you decide to start your own travel business from home your income potential is basically unlimited. http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents/california

Scams: When looking for a travel agent job in California, you can expect to run into one of the many scams out there. You can mostly find them on the Internet. These companies make the job of a travel agent sound ideal and glamorize the profession. These scam companies that are only after your money. Following are some signs that will help you recognize these companies:

• ■ If the company mentions only the positive aspects of a job as a travel agent, it might be a scam. For instance, focusing on working from home, making your own schedule, making a large sum of money and traveling the world are all signs it could be a scam.
• ■ If the company asks for a large amount of money up front, it could be a scam. There are legitimate host companies that ask for money up front to allow you access to their web portal, so be extra careful here.
• ■ If you are required to recruit new affiliates for the company, you are dealing with a multi level marketing company also known as MLM. They often make it sound like you will be working as a travel agent, when in reality you won't.
• ■ Watch out for companies that issue travel agent ID cards. Some companies make fake ID cards. http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/scams.htm

Licensing in California: Most states don't require a license or certificate to sell travel. There is no state administered test to pass like there is for real estate and insurance. Some states do have a travel seller's registration and California is one of them. Once you register, suppliers will recognize you as a legitimate entity. Since laws constantly change, make sure to check with the office of the Attorney General or the Department of Commerce on what the current requirements are. http://www.careeroverview.com/travel-agent-careers.html

Now that you've read through the guide, you have some grasp on how to become a travel agent in California. Remember that a high school degree is important as is training. Internships at travel agencies can really help out when you're trying to obtain a travel agent position in the future. Keep an eye out for the warning signs concerning scams revolving around travel agencies.