Information on how to become a travel agent in Iowa, can be found right here on this page. There are educational requirements and certain abilities one must possess to be successful as a travel agent in Iowa. By reading this article you will get an idea of what you can expect and what will be expected of you.

Some of the top cities for a career as a travel agent include Chicago, New York, Seattle, Houston, Atlanta and Boston. However, this doesn't mean that you cannot have success as a travel agent in Iowa. Iowa has tourist attractions like the Science Center of Iowa, Brenton Skating Plaza, Union Pacific Museum, and Bluedorn Science Imaginarium. Being from Iowa, you will able to tell people which places to visit and what hotels to stay in. As an Iowa travel agent you should be able to tell people about other destinations just like how you would be able to tell them about Iowa.http://www.traveliowa.com/ http://career.qandas.com/jobs/what-are-the-top-cities-for-travel-agent-careers.html

With the growing use of Internet travel websites such as priceline.com, expedia.com and orbitz.com, the use of a travel agent might seem unnecessary. People become their own travel agent. To prevent losing your business to these online travel sites, it's good to become an expert on various popular travel destinations. You want to be able to provide information that the general public will not have access to. Some travel agents prefer to focus on one particular area of travel. There are agents specializing in cruises, business trips, various trip targeted to a select demographic, honeymoons and more. Whatever field you choose, make sure that you stay up to date of all the latest trends since they do keep changing. Be aware of new hotels and new attractions that might be of interest to your clients. http://career.qandas.com/jobs/what-are-the-job-duties-of-a-travel-agent.html

Schooling: Becoming a travel agent in Iowa requires at the very least a high school diploma or equivalent. Many employers prefer to hire people who have had some sort of targeted training geared towards becoming a travel agent. Some people therefore follow courses through online studies, community colleges or public adult education programs. Some people even get a master's or bachelor's degree in tourism and travel. Various courses that are good to take include geography, world history, computer science, and foreign languages.

Some schools offering programs for aspiring travel agents in Iowa include Kaplan University, Stratford Career Institute, Central Pennsylvania College, and Strayer University Online. Some are actual physical schools that you can go to, and some are online schools where you can study right from the comfort of your own home. Whichever you choose, any additional training you can get will benefit you and increase your chances of finding a job as a travel agent. http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents/iowa http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/travel_agent.htm

A good knowledge of computers will also come in handy because travel agents spend a lot of their time researching information on the Internet. They look for the best rates, deals and special promotions. Aside from this they can also find information on various locations. Other traits that a good travel agent must have include being organized, accurate, professional and detail-oriented.

Getting a Job: Many people that want to become travel agents start out by working as a reservations clerk or receptionist at a local travel agency. By doing this they get their foot in the door as well as gain experience by being around other travel agents. They can see the day to day activities the job requires and eventually they might get more responsibilities resulting in becoming a travel agent. Even if you have to offer to work as an unpaid intern at a travel agency, the experience you gain will look good on your resume and will increase your chances of being hired as a travel agent.

Salary: When you first start out working as a travel agent it takes a while to build a good client base. The 2010 base salary for a travel agent in Iowa is estimated at $30,348.00 per year. Keep in mind that the commission of most of the sales you make ranges from 10-20%. Usually there is no commission for air fares. http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?op=salswz_psr&hdOmniNarrowDesc=Materials+Management&hdOmniTotalJobsFound=20&pagefrom=selectjob&redbird=&jobfamilycode=23&joblevelcode=&hdLocationOption=1&hdSearchByOption=0&hdKeyword=travel+agent&hdJobCategory=AR02&hdZipCode=50309&hdStateMetro=52&hdGeoLocation=Des+Moines%2C+IA+50309&hdCurrentPage=1&hdViewAllRecords=0&hdSortBy=0&hdJobCode=HS08000037&hdJobTitle=Travel+Coordinator&hdNarrowDesc=Hotel%2C+Gaming%2C+Leisure%2C+and+Travel&hdJSBoolDisplayAdvertisement=&jobcounter=3&countertype=1&rdbSearchByOption=0&txtKeyword=travel+agent&totaljoblistnum=2&hdAjaxDisplaySection1=0&hdAjaxDisplaySection2=1&hdAjaxKeyword=travel+agent&hdAjaxKeywordWithOR=%23travel%23+OR+%23agent%23 http://www.thetravelinsider.com/travelplanning/beatravelagentscams.htm

Do I Need a License?: Some people prefer to start their own business and sell travel from their home. The only state that requires a license to sell travel from your home is Rhode Island. Iowa and the remaining other United States, don't require a license to sell travel. There is no state administered test to pass, so anyone can basically sell travel. Some counties, cities and towns might have licensing provisions for people selling travel from their home. This usually comes in the form of income taxes. It's a precautionary measure to make sure you are not involved with dangerous chemicals and such. http://hometravelagency.com/travel-agent-articles/travel-agent-license/

Duties:

• If you are still hesitant about whether becoming a travel agent is for you, maybe you should review some of the duties that will be expected from you.

• ■ An Iowa travel agent needs to consult with and advice the client about various destinations, transportation, travel dates, financial considerations, and accommodations required. The travel agent should be available to answer questions and provide information where needed.
• ■ The travel agent has to provide brochures and publications about the customer's chosen destination. Additional information regarding local customs, points of interest, necessary travel documents, or foreign country regulations should also be provided.
• ■ Travel agents should be able to book hotel reservations and transportation either by using their terminal or the telephone.
• ■ You should also be able to calculate costs of the fares, hotel stay, transportation and quoting various travel package prices is also a requirement.
• ■ A travel agent should be able to research online sources and publications for information on flights, fares, group discounts and quality of hotel accommodations.
• ■ If you work for a tour operator it might be required that you arrange, develop, promote and sell the company's own package tours or travel services. This is usually done through direct mail, presentations and the Internet. http://www.careerplanner.com/Job-Descriptions/Travel-Agents.cfm

Scams:

• There are many advertisements out there offering job opportunities where you can work from home and sell travel. The advertisements usually say you can work either full or part time and still make lots of money. To start all you will have to do is pay a few hundred dollars which will give you your own website to start selling travel. There are legitimate agencies that recruit people to independently sell travel for them; however, some of these advertisements are scams. They only want to take your money for something that sounds too good to be true. Make sure you are dealing with a reputable agency before getting involved. http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/scams.htm