If you would like to learn how to become a travel agent Illinois, this page can serve as an excellent source of information.

Many people want to become travel agents because they think they get to see the world and visit all kinds of different countries for discounts or no money at all. This is true to a certain extent, but there are more factors that come into play when becoming a travel agent.http://www.times10travel.com/Articles/agentbenefits.htm

An Illinois travel agent has to be able to tell their clients about many different locations, including the Raging Rivers Water Park, the Alto Vineyards, Rock Island Arsenal Museum, Brookfield Zoo or the Sears Tower Sky Deck (all in Illinois). In addition, they have to be able to give detailed information about the customer's choice of any other national or international destination. http://www.illinoisbeautiful.com/ http://www.planetware.com/top-tourist-attractions/illinois-usil.htm

With the presence of various self service travel websites like priceline.com, orbitz.com and expedia.com, the travel agent has to become even more of an expert on various travel destinations and the accommodations available. People expect their travel agent to answer their questions and to provide information that they could not have found by themselves. Today there are even travel agents that specialize in cruises, business trips, honeymoons, trips geared towards a certain demographic, and more.

If you aspire to become a travel agent, keep reading to see if you have what it takes.

Required Education: There are travel agents who have only high school diplomas, and some who have gone on to get their master's or bachelor's degrees. College degrees can be in tourism and travel. Most employers prefer to hire people who have been trained to become a travel agent. As a travel agent you have to know how to use a computer because you will be researching various rates, locations and such. Vocational education will therefore be in your benefit. Courses you can follow that will work in your favor include world history, geography, computer science, and foreign languages. You can take classes either online, in community colleges or in public adult education programs. Some schools Illinois residents can use to follow travel agent training courses include Central Pennsylvania College, Penn Foster Career School, Stratford Career Institute, Strayer University Online and The Art Institutes. http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents/illinois http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/travel_agent.htm

Additional Talents: Besides having the required educational background, a travel agent also has to have some additional talents that can be applied on the job. These include sales skills. As a travel agent you are providing a service, but you are also trying to sell travel. Don't forget that you get a commission that ranges from 10-20% of almost everything you sell. Being well-organized, detail-oriented, accurate, professional and courteous are some of the other trades that will benefit you during your career as a travel agent.

Licensing: Almost anyone can become a travel agent. It's not like getting a driver's license or real estate license because there is no state administered test that you have to pass. You don't need a license or certificate to sell travel.

In Illinois, you are require to register as a travel agent. This is usually in the form of some sort of tax you have to pay. Often, they just want to make sure that your business doesn't involve dangerous chemicals and such. They generally will not tell you that you cannot run your travel business. http://www.careeroverview.com/travel-agent-careers.html

Salary: The salary of an Illinois travel agent depends on their experience, education, age and other factors. The 2010 base salary for a travel agent in Illinois is estimated at $34,271.00 per year. Keep in mind that it might take a while before you start making commissions from your sales. You will have to build a client base first. http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?op=salswz_psr&hdOmniNarrowDesc=Materials%20Management&hdOmniTotalJobsFound=20&jobfamilycode=23&joblevelcode=&pagefrom=selectjob&hdZipCode=&geometrocode=34&hdLocationOption=1&countertype=1&jobcounter=3&hdJobCode=HS08000037&hdJobTitle=Travel%20Coordinator&hdJobCategory=AR02&hdNarrowDesc=Hotel,%20Gaming,%20Leisure,%20and%20Travel

Benefits: Many people think that travel agents get to travel all over the world for close to nothing. This is frequently one of the reasons people consider becoming a travel agent. Yes, travel agents do enjoy travel, accommodations, rental cars and other discounts up to 80 percent of the regular price. Usually you will have to earn it by making substantial sales at the travel company you work for. They are not going to send you off on your first day of work. It takes a while to get to this point. The trips you take are called familiarization visits. You basically need to be able to come back and tell your clients about certain locations, hotels, airlines and such. Selling something by speaking from personal experience will work to your benefit. http://www.times10travel.com/Articles/agentbenefits.htm

Duties: If you are thinking of a career as a travel agent, you should be aware of some of the duties that will be expected from you. This way you will be able to see if you need to improve in certain areas. Here are some of the duties expected:

• ■ A travel agent has to communicate with the client. Tell them about attractions, climate/weather, currency, customs and possible accommodations, required travel documents, necessary vaccinations, and such. Be knowledgeable about rental cars, rates and airlines. Clients expect you to be able to answer their questions and do any research required.
• ■ The travel agent provides the client with brochures and information about their destination. You also assist them with booking of the trip, accommodations and other reservations and print out their tickets for them.
• ■ Publications and online sources is where you will turn to when looking for various information. Being computer savvy and organized will help you here. Educate yourself about flights, group discounts, fares, and quality of hotel accommodations.
• ■ Travel agents may have to arrange, promote, develop and sell travel services and package tours if they work for a tour operator. You will have to be able to promote through direct mail, presentations and the Internet.
• ■ To service your customers it's also important to keep up to date of ever changing trends of various destinations. There can be new hotels, attractions and such that you can inform them of. http://career.qandas.com/jobs/what-are-the-job-duties-of-a-travel-agent.html http://www.careerplanner.com/Job-Descriptions/Travel-Agents.cfm