Learning how to become a travel agent in Dallas is not complicated. Like any other jobs there are educational requirements and various duties you will need to perform. Aside from this, you want to make sure to avoid the scams that are out there. Another deciding factor when considering the occupation of travel agent is the compensation and salary. You will find a lot of information on this page that will answer some of your questions. Traveling is one of the many things travel agents get to do for their job. For this reason alone there are many people interested in becoming travel agents. You will also find out that traveling is not the only thing a travel agent does.

As a travel agent you will easily be able to refer Dallas visitors to the Sixth Floor Museum, Reunion Tower, and Dallas World Aquarium and Zoological Garden, all of which are top rated tourist attractions. In the same way, you should be able to refer your customers to tourist attractions in their chosen travel destination. Especially with the rise of Internet travel websites such as Expedia.com, Kayak.com and Priceline.com, travel agents nowadays have to become experts when it comes to travel. They have to be available to service their customers not just before their trip, but also during their trip. http://www.planetware.com/top-tourist-attractions-/dallas-us-tx-d.htm http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm

If you are contemplating becoming a travel agent, the information below might be helpful to you.

As with any profession, to become a travel agent you will need to have the required education. To become a travel agent in Dallas you will need at least high school diploma or the equivalent to it. The Mahalo page How to graduate high school can be of some help here. Knowledge of computers is also required, since you will be utilizing a computer to do your job. Vocational training might therefore also work in your benefit. Some people even get a bachelor's or master's degree in tourism and travel. Other beneficial courses include world history, geography, computer science, and foreign languages. Employers often prefer to hire people who have followed specific training geared towards becoming a travel agent. Courses for becoming a travel agent can be found online, in community colleges and in Public adult education programs. Texas has many schools that teach classes geared towards the hospitality trade. A school in Dallas that you can look into is:

• ■ Richland College, 12800 Abrams Rd, Dallas, TX 75243-2199, General Phone: (972) 238-6106. This school was founded in 1972 and offers classes geared towards various travel services. http://www.citytowninfo.com/school-profiles/richland-college

If you prefer a home study course you can look into online schools such as:

• ■ 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: Dallas, San Antonio, and Fort Worth are the three cities in Texas where the travel agent profession is most common. They also have the most job opportunities. [[McAllen], Corpus Christi], and El Paso have the least employment opportunities for aspiring travel agents. When looking for a job in Dallas, don't expect to start working as a travel agent right away. Most travel agents start out as receptionists or reservation clerks at travel agencies. These entry level positions can lead to that travel agent position over time. Another way to get your foot in the door is by offering to work for free as an intern. This is a good way to get the work experience needed and it will look good on your resume. http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/travel_agent.htm http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents/texas

SALARY: When you first start out working as a travel agent, don't expect to make a lot of money. You will have to build up your client base first. The 2010 base annual salary for a travel agent in Dallas is estimated at $30,542. Dallas together with Austin and El Paso are the cities in Texas with the highest average salaries for travel agents. If you decide to start your own travel agency from home your income potential is unlimited. You get out of your business, what you put into it. http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents/texas http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?op=salswz_psr&jobfamilycode=23&txtKeyword=travel+agent&hdOmniNarrowDesc=Materials+Management&hdZipCode=75202&hdOmniTotalJobsFound=20&pagefrom=selectjob&hdJobCategory=AR02&hdGeoLocation=Dallas%2C+TX+75202&countertype=1&totaljoblistnum=2&joblevelcode=&hdCurrentPage=1&hdNarrowDesc=Hotel%2C+Gaming%2C+Leisure%2C+and+Travel&hdLocationOption=1&hdViewAllRecords=0&hdJobTitle=Travel+Clerk&hdSearchByOption=0&hdKeyword=travel+agent&rdbSearchByOption=0&hdStateMetro=46&jobcounter=8&hdSortBy=0&hdJobCode=OF13000058&hdJSBoolDisplayAdvertisement=&hdAjaxKeyword=travel+agent&hdAjaxKeywordWithOR=%23travel%23+OR+%23agent%23&hdAjaxDisplaySection1=0&hdAjaxDisplaySection2=1

LICENSING: To sell travel as a travel agent in Dallas, Texas you do not need a travel seller's license. There is no state administered test that you have to pass like there is for the real estate and insurance industry. Some states do have a travel seller's registration program that you might be required to join in order to be recognized as a legitimate entity by suppliers. Because laws keep changing, it's best to contact the state office of the Attorney General or Department of Commerce to find out what the current requirements are. http://www.careeroverview.com/travel-agent-careers.html

SCAMS: When you start looking for a job as a travel agent in Dallas, you might come across host companies that offer to have you sell travel for them right from your home. They advertise it as if it's the ideal job, where you can work from home either part time or full time. They even mention that you will be able to enjoy discounted travel. Look out for these companies because some of them are scams only after your money. They glamorize the job and only mention the benefits of joining. Many of these scams require a payment of several hundred dollars up front. Some even offer you commission to recruit other affiliates. You don't want to get involved in this unless you want to become a multi level marketer. When you do deal with a host company, make sure they are reputable. http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/scams.htm

Duties: If you want to become a travel agent, make sure you know what the job entails. What is expected from you and what can you expect. Maybe there are still areas that you might need some training in. As a travel agent you will have the following duties:

• ■ You will have to assist, communicate with, and inform customers about their desired travel destinations. A travel agent should be able to inform them about air fares, accommodations, rental cars, climate/weather, points of interest, required vaccinations, travel documents and customs regulations.
• ■ When working for a tour operator your duties might include promoting, developing, arranging and selling the company's own travel services and package tours through direct mail, the Internet and presentations.
• ■ Travel agents provide brochures and publications to the customer about their chosen destination.
• ■ You will have to book hotel reservations and transportation either by using their telephone or terminal.
• ■ Researching publications and online sources for information on flights, fares, group discounts and quality of hotel accommodations is another task at hand.
• ■ You have to be able to calculate costs of the fares, hotel stay, transportation and you should be able to quote various travel package prices.
• ■ Travel agents also print tickets and answering the customer's questions.