14 Key Attributes Travel Agents Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Noah Smith

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Travel agents plan and sell transportation and accommodations for travel agency customers. Determine destination, modes of transportation, travel dates, costs, and accommodations required. They may also also describe, plan, and arrange itineraries and sell tour packages. They may also assist in resolving clients' travel problems.

The core tasks that travel agents are likely to carry out include:

Collect payment for transportation and accommodations from customer.
Converse with customer to determine destination, mode of transportation, travel dates, financial considerations, and accommodations required.
Compute cost of travel and accommodations, using calculator, computer, carrier tariff books, and hotel rate books, or quote package tour's costs.
Book transportation and hotel reservations, using computer terminal or telephone.
Plan, describe, arrange, and sell itinerary tour packages and promotional travel incentives offered by various travel carriers.
Provide customer with brochures and publications containing travel information, such as local customs, points of interest, or foreign country regulations.

In order to successfully forge ahead with their careers, analysts in a survey carried out by U.S. Department of Labor (via O*NET) have marked out the following as important attributes that travel agents would need. These attributes have been selected from characteristics and requirements strongly associated with the occupation. They are

Abilities: Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance
Interests: Preferences for work environments. Occupational Interest Profiles (OIPs) are compatible with Holland's (1985, 1997) model of personality types and work environments. Six interest categories are used to describe the work environment of occupations: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. An OIP consists of six numerical scores indicating how descriptive and characteristic each work environment (or interest area) is for an occupation
Knowledge: Organized sets of principles and facts applying in general domains
Skills: These include basic skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge. Plus cross-functional skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate performance of activities that occur across jobs
Style: Personal characteristics that can affect how well someone performs a job

We have listed out attributes which were scored 80% or more in terms of importance by the analysts.

Having a strong preference for enterprising work environments. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 100%

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 90%

Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 88%

Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 87.6%

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 87.6%

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 87.6%

Being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 87.4%

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Attribute Type: Knowledge Score: 86.4%

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 85%

Being honest and ethical.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 83.8%

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 82.6%

Being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 82%

Having a strong preference for conventional work environments. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 81%

Actively looking for ways to help people.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 80%