If you like to travel and see more of the world, you might want to consider becoming a travel agent. Learning how to become a travel agent in Maine is not difficult if you know the correct steps to take.

The rise of travel websites like Travelocity.com, Expedia.com and Priceline.com made it so that people can become their own travel agents. They can book their flights, accommodations and rental cars with the click of a button. 30 Percent of the adult population in the United States goes online for information on travel. Because of this, travel agents nowadays have to be experts when it comes to travel. As a Maine travel agent you have to be able to provide your customers with information that they cannot find themselves. Just as you would be able to tell people that Arcadia National Park and the Victoria Mansion are popular tourist attractions in Maine, you should be able to tell them about tourist attractions in their desired travel destination. Travel agents might also attract customers because they often have access to special discounts and promotion that are not available to the general public. http://www.khalsaweb.com/internetarticles/travel-onlince.html http://www.planetware.com/top-tourist-attractions/maine-usme.htm

Taking trips to various travel destinations is not the only task that travel agents have, there are many more. There are also numerous requirements to become a travel agent. Hopefully this page will answer some of the questions you have.

EDUCATION & TRAINING: If you want to become a Maine travel agent the first thing you have to do is make sure to get your high school diploma or the equivalent to that. A high school diploma is the minimum requirement. Some people go on to get a college associates or bachelor's degree in tourism and travel. Employers generally prefer to hire people who have had some training geared towards becoming a travel agent. This means you will have to take some additional classes or courses. Some school offering travel agent classes in Maine include Andover College and Beal College. You can also take classes from online schools like Penn Foster Career School, Strayer University Online, Stratford Career Institute, and Central Pennsylvania College. Some additional classes/courses that might also work to your benefit are world history, geography, computer science and foreign languages. Vocational school is another good option. http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents/maine http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/travel_agent.htm

DO I NEED A LICENSE? To sell travel in Maine you do not need a license. Unlike real estate agents, travel agents do not need to pass a state administered test. They don't have to be licensed or have a certain certificate. Anyone can basically become a travel agent. However, if you decide to start your own business selling travel from your home, some states require you to become part of part of a Travel Seller's registration program. You usually do this in the form of a financial contribution. Registration is mainly necessary so that you are recognized by suppliers as a reputable entity. http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/FAQ.htm

WHERE TO WORK: One you have completed your education and additional training you can start looking for a job in Maine. Unless you are well traveled, don't expect to find a job as a travel agent right away. You might start out as a receptionist or reservations clerk at a local travel agency. The benefit of this is that you will be able to see the day to day activities of other travel agents and learn from them. Over time, you might get more responsibilities leading eventually to you becoming a travel agent. If you aren't able to find that receptionist job, you can try offering to work for free as an intern. This will look good on your resume and might improve future employment chances. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm

SALARY OF A MAINE TRAVEL AGENT: Keep in mind, that a travel agent is dependent on a client base. You will have to start out building your client base before you can start selling travel and make a commission of your sales. Your salary will be dependent on factors such as experience, education, age etc. However, the 2010 base annual salary of a travel agent in Maine is estimated at $28,923.00. For those deciding to start their own business, the earning potential is limitless. Some home base travel agents even make up to 100K per year. http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?op=salswz_psr&jobfamilycode=23&txtKeyword=travel+agent&hdOmniNarrowDesc=Materials+Management&hdZipCode=04101&hdOmniTotalJobsFound=20&pagefrom=selectjob&hdJobCategory=AR02&hdGeoLocation=Portland%2C+ME+04101&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=287&jobcounter=8&hdSortBy=0&hdJobCode=OF13000058&hdJSBoolDisplayAdvertisement=&hdAjaxKeyword=travel+agent&hdAjaxKeywordWithOR=%23travel%23+OR+%23agent%23&hdAjaxDisplaySection1=0&hdAjaxDisplaySection2=1 http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/FAQ.htm

RESPONSIBILITIES: If you think that traveling is your only responsibility when becoming a travel agent, you are in for a surprise. The duties of a travel agent include much more than that. When deciding to become a travel agent it's important to know what will be expected from you. Some of your tasks will include:

• ■ Booking hotel reservations and transportation either by using their telephone or terminal.
• ■ Providing brochures and publications to the customer about their chosen destination. You also have to provide information regarding local customs, points of interest, necessary travel documents, vaccinations
• ■ Calculating the prices of air fare, accommodation and rental cars and making sure it's compatible with your client's budget. Be able to quote various prices for package deals.
• ■ Research publications and online sources for information on flights, fares, group discounts and the quality of hotel accommodations.
• ■ Print tickets and answer further questions asked by your customers.

BEWARE OF SCAMS: When you start looking for a job as a travel agent in Maine, 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 a 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