Becoming a travel agent in Texas is a simple process with a little research, planning, and studying of the market. The process involves time for training and licensing but for individuals interested in the travel industry it is time well spent in preparation of a career.

For those considering a career as a travel agent, there are several steps to take. With the rise of Internet websites such as Orbitz.com, Expedia.com and Priceline.com, the customer can now become their own travel agent. With the click of a button they can book air travel, hotels and rental cars. Even with this ease of booking, some people still prefer to use travel agents. They like the fact that the travel agent takes away the hassle of finding vacation packages and cheap travel. Besides this. travel agents often have access to discounts and vacation deals that are not available to the general public.

In order to compete with the public's ability to book their own travel arrangements, travel agents have to be travel experts. Agents must constantly educate themselves on the new trends in various locations. Travel agents must be able to refer their customers to attractions in multiple areas and if a customer desires to travel abroad, the agent must to be able to provide information about the desired travel destination. Often travel agents are well traveled themselves so they can sell a location by speaking from personal experience.

A high school diploma or the equivalent is the first requirement towards becoming a Texas travel agent. Your next options after this are additional training or going to college. For classes and courses you can look into online schools, community colleges and adult education programs. In Texas, there are many schools teaching classes geared towards becoming a travel agent. Some Texas colleges offer classes may be related to travel locations include Central Texas College, Texas A & M University, Richland College, and Houston Community College. If you want, you can also study from home through online schooling from Stratford Career Institute, Central Pennsylvania College, and Strayer University Online. http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/travel-agents/texas Some agents pursue a degree in tourism and travel. Taking a course in world history, geography, foreign languages or computer science will also be beneficial.

Besides educational requirements and training, a travel agent has to have good communication skills. They have to be able to listen to their customer's wishes and try to meet their demands accordingly. Being accurate, well organized, professional, detail oriented and courteous will be beneficial when working as a travel agent.http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/p/travel_agent.htm

You might come across various job openings when looking for employment as a travel agent. Most travel agents start working in entry level positions. They become receptionists or reservation clerks at travel agencies. They gain experience by surrounding themselves with other travel agents and watching their day to day activities. Eventually more responsibilities and duties might come your way, resulting in becoming a travel agent. If you cannot find an entry level position at a travel agency, try offering to work for free as an intern. This way, you can still get the experience needed and it will help with future job searches.

Once you have a job as a travel agent you will make commission and salary. The 2010 base annual salary for a Texas travel agent is estimated at $29,922.00. http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?op=salswz_psr&jobfamilycode=23&txtKeyword=travel+agent&hdOmniNarrowDesc=Materials+Management&hdZipCode=77019&hdOmniTotalJobsFound=20&pagefrom=selectjob&hdJobCategory=AR02&hdGeoLocation=Houston%2C+TX+77019&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=75&jobcounter=8&hdSortBy=0&hdJobCode=OF13000058&hdJSBoolDisplayAdvertisement=&hdAjaxKeyword=travel+agent&hdAjaxKeywordWithOR=%23travel%23+OR+%23agent%23&hdAjaxDisplaySection1=0&hdAjaxDisplaySection2=1If you are self employed, selling travel from home, your earnings exist of commission and fees. Your earning potential is unlimited and can go up to 100K per year. It all depends on how much you put into your business. Most people that start their own business, gained experience beforehand by working for travel agencies.

Besides traveling and gaining knowledge of different travel destinations, travel agents have many more duties. Before accepting a job as a travel agent, it's good to know what will be expected of you. Here are some duties and tasks you might have to perform:

1. Advising, informing, and assisting customers when deciding on where to travel. You have to provide them with brochures and publications of their travel destination. Make sure they know about the location's weather, customs, attractions, vaccinations, visa requirements etc.
2. Book air fare, accommodation, transportation and any desired tours at the destination.
3. Print tickets for the clients
4. Research online to get favorable pricing and additional information. Make sure you have multiple vacation packages to offer the client.
5. If you work for a tour operator you might have to arrange, develop and do presentations to sell and promote the company's travel packages.

In Texas, there is no formal license required to sell travel. Some states do have a travel seller's registration program and might require travel agents to register. Because laws are changing all the time, it's best to check with the office of the Attorney General or the Department of Commerce, to see what the requirements are. Once you register you are recognized as a legitimate entity by suppliers.http://www.careeroverview.com/travel-agent-careers.html