If you are looking for information on how to become a travel agent in New Hampshire this page might provide what you are looking for.

Many questions arise about becoming a New Hampshire travel agent. For instance, what are the requirements? Which schools can I go to? Do I need a travel seller's license? What are my duties? And most importantly, what will I earn? Keep in mind that 30% of America's population go online to search for travel information. Websites like Kayak.com, Priceline.com and Travelocity.com enable people to become their own travel agent. They can reserve flights, hotels and rental cars, compare fares, and read reviews about their travel destination and its amenities. Because of these travel websites, travel agents nowadays have to become experts on the various travel destinations. They have to continuously educate themselves about the changing trends of various locations. They need to be aware of new hotels and attractions so they can inform their clients. Clients want to feel like they are getting exclusive information that is not available elsewhere. There are some travel agents that specialize in certain areas. There are agents whom are experts when it comes to cruises, honeymoons, business trips and travel geared towards certain demographics. The job outlook for these agents over the next couple of years is estimated to be quite favorable. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm http://www.khalsaweb.com/internetarticles/travel-onlince.html

Before deciding to become a travel agent, make sure you are aware that there are a lot of scam travel companies out there also. You will also find more information about this below.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: As with any job, to become a travel agent, there are certain requirements you need to meet. The first one is to get your high school diploma or the equivalent. After high school, you can go on to college and get a bachelor's or associate's degree in tourism and travel. If you don't plan on going to college, it's a good thing to look into travel agent training, since many employers only hire people who have some sort of training geared towards the profession. Some schools in New Hampshire that teach travel agent classes include Great Bay Community College, NHTI Concord's Community College, and Southern New Hampshire University. You can even take travel agent courses and classes online, from schools such as Penn Foster Career School, Strayer University Online, Stratford Career Institute, and Central Pennsylvania College. Some good classes that might benefit you include computer science, geography, world history and foreign languages. http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents/new-hampshire

YOUR FIRST JOB: Some people that are aspiring to become travel agents start by working as receptionists or reservation clerks at travel agencies. They gain experience by watching the day to day activities from other travel agents and might even get more responsibilities over time. This is one way you might end up as a travel agent. Another is to offer to work for free as an intern. You will get your foot in the door and it will look good on your resume. http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/travel_agent.htm

LICENSING: There is no state administered test that is required to become a travel agent in the state of New Hampshire. Anyone can basically become a travel agent. It's not like a real estate or insurance agent where you have to have a license. If you want to start your own home based business selling travel, you might have to become a part of the travel seller's registration program that is available in some states. Usually a fee is required for this. The benefit of registering is that suppliers will recognize you as a legitimate entity, unlike those who don't register.

SALARY: As a New Hampshire travel agent your salary really depends on the company your work for, your experience and education. Salary.com estimated the 2010 base salary for a travel agent in New Hampshire at $32,154 per year. If you are running a home based travel business, you stand to make 100K or more, depending on how much effort you put into your business. http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?op=salswz_psr&jobfamilycode=23&txtKeyword=travel+agent&hdOmniNarrowDesc=Materials+Management&hdZipCode=03060&hdOmniTotalJobsFound=20&pagefrom=selectjob&hdJobCategory=AR02&hdGeoLocation=Nashua%2C+NH+03060&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=272&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

BENEFITS: Many people associate the profession of travel agent with traveling all over the world. This is indeed correct. However, you do have to have at least 6 months of work put in at a reputable travel agency. After this time, your employer can add you to the list of employees authorized to use their Travel Agent ID card issued by IATAN to get discounts on travel, hotels, rental cars and more. The card has to be turned in upon termination of employment. http://www.travelagenttrainingcenter.com/Travel%20Industry%20Benefits.htm

DUTIES: Before deciding to become a travel agent, you want to look at the duties that are expected from you. This way you will know whether or not your training is sufficient. Some duties include:

• ■ Advising travelers about their destinations: You will have to be able to inform travelers of the climate/weather, attractions, currency, required travel documents, necessary vaccinations, customs and accommodations.
• ■ Researching publications and online sources for information on flights, fares, group discounts and quality of hotel accommodations.
• ■ 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.
• ■ The travel agent has to print out the tickets for the clients and assist them before and during the flight in case complications arise.
• ■ You have to provide your customers with brochures and publications about their travel destination.
• ■ Calculating rates for flights, hotels and rental cars and quoting prices of travel packages is also part of your daily tasks.

SCAMS: During your job search you are bound to come across the many advertisements out there recruiting sales people. Be careful since some of these are scams that are out to take your money. They advertise by glamorizing the job saying you get to travel for discounts and make money right from home. Sometimes these companies are multi level marketing companies that require you to recruit affiliates. Most often they charge an upfront fee. Do research about the company that you work for and make sure they are reputable. http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/scams.htm