Learning how to become a travel agent in Rhode Island is not difficult. You just need to find out what the requirements are when it comes to education, licensing, and travel agent training. Beside the requirements, there are also other factors that come into play when deciding to become a travel agent. You want to know how much you'll earn, what benefits there are, what is expected from you, and how to avoid travel agent scams.

With the rise of travel websites such as Expedia.com, Priceline.com and Travelocity.com people are now able to book their own flights, hotels and rental cars. You might think that this eliminates the use of a travel agent, but this is not true. Travel agents add much more to your trip. They are available to you before and during your flight. If something goes wrong during a trip, a travel agent can be contacted and assist their customer by rearranging the travel plans. When you book your own travel online, you will not have this option. Some travel agents specialize in a certain area. There are those specialized in honeymoons, business trips and cruises. Often travel agents are well traveled and able to talk to their customers from their own experience. Because of this it's important that the travel agent stays up to date of changing trends in the popular vacation destinations. http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/travel_agent.htm

If you are thinking about becoming a travel agent, this page might help answer some of the questions you have.

TRAINING & EDUCATION: A high school diploma, or the equivalent, is the minimum required education to become a travel agent. After high school you can opt to go on to college to get an associate's or bachelor's degree in tourism and travel. Employers prefer to hire people with some form of travel agent training. A school in Rhode Island offering this training is Johnson & Wales University. If it's more convenient for you, there are also online schools that you can look into. Some schools include Stratford Career Institute, Central Pennsylvania College, and Strayer University Online. http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents/rhode-island http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm

Besides education, [travel agents]][ also need to have certain qualities. You have to be accurate, well organized, detail oriented, courteous and professional. A good knowledge of computers and the internet is also desirable. Vocational school can help here.

LICENSING: Most states don't require a license to sell travel. It not like real estate or insurance where a state administered test is required. The state of Rhode Island does have a license requirements. More information about licenses for travel agents in Rhode Island is available from the state Office of the Attorney General or Department of Commerce. Usually a fee is required to obtain a license. Registration is more so to make sure you are not handling dangerous chemicals and such. The other states that have some form of license requirements for travel agents include Washington, Oregon, Ohio, Hawaii, Florida, and California. http://www.careeroverview.com/travel-agent-careers.html

Your First Job: To get their foot in the door, most people will start working at travel agencies as receptionists or reservation clerks. Over time, more duties and tasks can be requested which might lead to becoming a travel agent. During your time at the travel agency you will gain valuable experience in the field that will benefit you in the long run. If you cannot find a job at a travel agency, try offering to work for free as an intern. This will look good on your resume and will also help with future employment. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm

DUTIES: When getting a job as a travel agent it is always good to know what is expected from you. Following are some travel agent duties and tasks:

• ■ You will have to assist, inform and communicate with customers about their desired travel destinations. A travel agent should be able to inform them about air fares, accommodations, rental cars, climate/weather, points of interest, required vaccinations, travel documents and customs regulations.
• ■ When working for a tour operator your duties might include promoting, developing, arranging and selling the company's own travel services and package tours through direct mail, the Internet and presentations.
• ■ Travel agents provide brochures and publications to the customer about their chosen destination.
• ■ Booking hotel reservations and transportation either by using your telephone or terminal will also need to be done.
• ■ Researching publications and online sources for information on flights, fares, group discounts and quality of hotel accommodations is another task at hand.
• ■ You have to be able to calculate costs of the fares, hotel stay, transportation and you should be able to quote various travel package prices.
• ■ You have to print the tickets and answer further questions.

SCAMS: There are many advertisements online offering job opportunities where you can work from home and sell travel. The advertisements usually say you can work either full or part time, avoid commuting, and still make lots of money. 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, however, some of these companies are scams. They only want to take your money for something that sounds too good to be true. Before getting involved, make sure you are dealing with a reputable agency.http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/scams.htm