Many questions arise when looking into how to become a travel agent in Nevada. You might wonder about salary, commission structures, licensing, employment and such. On this page you will find answers to many questions you might have. Hopefully it will be of some help to you.

Priceline.com, Travelocity.com and Kayak.com are all travel websites that enable people to become their own travel agent. You can book your own flights, hotels and rental cars with the click of a button. 30 Percent of the population of the United States goes online for travel information. This doesn't mean there is no need for travel agents anymore. A travel agent assists their client before and during their trip. They can provide information that you will not be able to find elsewhere and they have access to discounts and special offers that are not available to the general public. If you are dealing with problems during your trip, your travel agent will be able to help you out, unlike any travel website. http://www.khalsaweb.com/internetarticles/travel-onlince.html

Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, the Stratosphere Tower, and the many Las Vegas shows are all tourist attractions that travel agents would refer to their clients when traveling to Las Vegas. Just how you would be able to recommend Nevada tourist attractions, as a travel agent, you have to be able to recommend attractions at various different vacation destinations all over the world. Some travel agents choose to specialize in certain areas such as cruises business trips and honeymoons. It's estimated that agents whom specialize in certain areas have a good job outlook over the coming years. http://www.planetware.com/top-tourist-attractions-/las-vegas-us-nv-lv.htm http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: The first thing to do if you want to become a travel agent in Nevada is to finish high school and get your diploma or the equivalent to a high school diploma. Employers prefer to hire people with some form of travel agent training. Look into classes and courses given online, at community colleges and in public adult education programs. If you desire, you can even go to college to get a bachelor's or associate's degree in tourism and travel. Some beneficial classes you can look into include world history, geography, and foreign languages. A Nevada school that teaches travel agent classes is the College of Southern Nevada. Another option is to take online classes. Some online schools to consider are Penn Foster Career School, Strayer University Online, Stratford Career Institute, and Central Pennsylvania College. http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents/nevada

As a travel agent you will spend a lot of your time behind a computer doing research on rates, hotels, and travel destinations. Because of this computer and Internet knowledge will come in handy. Vocational school can help with this. Besides educational requirements, you also have to be well organized, detail oriented, professional, courteous and accurate to perform well as a travel agent. If you are well traveled, it will benefit you also. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm

EMPLOYMENT: Once you have some travel agent training and you have graduated high school, don't expect to start working as a travel agent immediately. It is more likely that you will start as a receptionist or reservations clerk at a travel agency. This is one way to get some experience in the field by observing the day to day tasks of other travel agents. Over time you can request more responsibilities and ultimately you might end up as a travel agent. Another option to get your foot in the door with a travel agency is to offer to work for free as an intern. This will look good on your resume and it is beneficial for future job searches. http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/travel_agent.htm

SALARY: A travel agent needs to first build up a client base before making commission of their sales. The percentage of commissions depends on the agency you work for and the commission structure they go by. In general, the standard commission on travel sales ranges from 10 - 20 percent. There is also no commission on air fares. According to salary.com the 2010 base annual salary for a Nevada travel agent is estimated at $31,044.00. Before working for any company, make sure you understand their commission stucture. http://www.thetravelinsider.com/travelplanning/beatravelagentscams.htm http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?op=salswz_psr&jobfamilycode=23&txtKeyword=travel+agent&hdOmniNarrowDesc=Materials+Management&hdZipCode=89109&hdOmniTotalJobsFound=20&pagefrom=selectjob&hdJobCategory=AR02&hdGeoLocation=Las+Vegas%2C+NV+89109&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=89&jobcounter=8&hdSortBy=0&hdJobCode=OF13000058&hdJSBoolDisplayAdvertisement=&hdAjaxKeyword=travel+agent&hdAjaxKeywordWithOR=%23travel%23+OR+%23agent%23&hdAjaxDisplaySection1=0&hdAjaxDisplaySection2=1

AVOIDING SCAMS: When you start looking for a job as a travel agent, you are bound to come across one of the many scam companies out there. Travel agent scams are mostly advertised online and pretend to be legitimate business opportunities. Not all companies are scams, but you want to make sure to do your research before committing to them. Here are some ways you can recognize a scam company:

• If the company claims that they are successful, they usually aren't.
• A company that focuses mainly on the fun benefits of being a travel agent and promises discounted travel is usually a scam. They focus on working from home whenever you want and not having the hassle of a commute.
• If you are required to pay a large fee up front, you need to question this immediately. What will you be paying for?
• Scam companies often require that you recruit new affiliates for a commission. You are not a multi-level marketer. You want to sell travel.
• Some scam companies even go as far and issue a fake travel agent ID. http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/scams.htm

DUTIES: If you want to become a travel agent it's best to prepare yourself so you know what is expected from you. Some travel agent duties include:

• ■ Consulting with and advising the client about various destinations, transportation, travel dates, financial considerations, and accommodations. The travel agent should be available to answer questions and provide information where needed
• ■ Providing 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.
• ■ Booking hotel reservations and transportation either by using a terminal or the telephone.
• ■ Calculating costs of fares, hotel stay, transportation and quoting various travel package prices is also a requirement.
• ■ Printing the tickets and being available to your customer before and during their trip.