Learning how to become a travel agent in Minnesota is not difficult if you know the correct steps to take. If you are professional, accurate, well organized and possess good communication skills you are halfway there. On this page you will find information regarding travel agent educational requirements, salary, benefits, scams and duties.

As a Minnesota travel agent, Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, the Cathedral of St. Paul, Summit Avenue, Guthri Theater, and Nicollet Mall are some Minnesota tourist attractions that you will easily be able to tell your customers about. Just how you are able to tell your customers about these attractions, you should be able to tell them about tourist attractions in the travel destination of their choice. With the increasing popularity of internet travel websites such as Expedia.com, Priceline.com and Travelocity.com, travel agents have to be experts when it comes to travel. They have to be able to give their clients information that they will not be able to find by themselves. http://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/minneapolis-us-mn-minn.htm

30% of the population in America turns to the Internet for information on travel. However, using a travel agent still has benefits. Travel agents often have access to special discounts and promotions that are not available to the general public. If something goes wrong during your travel you can always call your travel agent. If you have aspirations to become a travel agent this page might answer some of your questions. http://www.khalsaweb.com/internetarticles/travel-onlince.html

EDUCATION: A high school diploma, or the equivalent is required to become a travel agent in Minnesota. Employers prefer to hire people who have some form of travel agent training. Some people go on to college and obtain a bachelors or associate's degree in tourism and travel. For additional training, make sure to look into online classes, community college and public adult education programs. Some schools in Minnesota offering travel agent classes include the Art Institutes, Minneapolis Business College, and Dakota County Technical College. There are also online school classes available from schools like Penn Foster Career Schoo, Strayer University Online, and Stratford Career Institute. Some classes that might work in your benefit include world history, geography, foreign languages and computer science. http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents/minnesota http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/travel_agent.htm

EMPLOYMENT: Don't expect to start working as a Minnesota travel agent right away. Many people start out as a receptionist or reservations clerk at a travel agency. Not only does this allow you to learn the business, but you also have one foot in the door. As time goes by you can request more responsibilities which might eventually lead to becoming a travel agent. If you cannot find a job at a travel agency, you can always offer to work for free, as an intern. You will gain experience, and it will look good on your resume. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm

COMPENSATION: As a Minnesota travel agent, you will have to start out by building your client base. This might take a while during which you will not make any commission. The 2010 base annual salary of a Minnesota travel agent is estimated at $32,230.00. http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?op=salswz_psr&jobfamilycode=23&txtKeyword=travel+agent&hdOmniNarrowDesc=Materials+Management&hdZipCode=&hdOmniTotalJobsFound=20&pagefrom=selectjob&hdJobCategory=AR02&hdGeoLocation=Minneapolis%2C+MN+55402&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=110&jobcounter=8&hdSortBy=0&hdJobCode=OF13000058&hdJSBoolDisplayAdvertisement=&hdAjaxKeyword=travel+agent&hdAjaxKeywordWithOR=%23travel%23+OR+%23agent%23&hdAjaxDisplaySection1=0&hdAjaxDisplaySection2=1

LICENSING: To become a travel agent in Minnesota, you will not need a license or certificate. Unlike a real estate agent, there is no state administered test you will need to pass to sell travel. Anyone can basically sell travel. However, if you decide to start your own business selling travel from your home, some states require you to become part of the 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

SCAMS: Once you start looking for that travel agent job in Minnesota, you might come across some scam companies that glamorize the job of being a travel agent. They want you to pay an upfront fee to become an affiliate and they make it sound as if you will be selling travel using their sources. However, some of these companies are multi level marketing operations and only want you to recruit other people. Before signing up for anything, do your research and make sure you are dealing with a reputable company. http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/scams.htm

DUTIES: Some travel agents do get to travel after about 6 months on the job. However, the job of a travel agent entails more than that. In order to decide whether or not becoming a travel agent is for you, why not look at some of the duties that are expected of you.

• ■ Advice travelers about their chosen destinations: Be knowledgeable when informing them about the climate/weather, attractions, currency, required travel documents, necessary vaccinations, customs and possible accommodations. Clients expect information they can't find anywhere else. They expect you to answer their questions
• ■ You will have to research publications and online sources for information on flights, group discounts, fares, and quality of hotel accommodations.
• ■ 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.
• ■ Print tickets and answer further questions asked by your customers.
• ■ If you work for a tour operator you might also have to develop, promote and sell the company's own travel services and package tour. This is usually done through direct mail, presentations and the Internet.
• ■ If a customer's flight is delayed, or if they run into problems during their trip, you will have to assist them. Travel agents assist before and during the trip.