A lot has been said in recent years about the ‘death of the travel agency’ like a fait accompli to be accepted. Thanks to the proliferation of travel blogs and automated agencies, the travel consultant has often been perceived as a dying profession. In reality, the phenomenon witnessed at an economic level is rather the growth of large chains, the acquisition of smaller ones: the Australian brand Flight Centre, for example, recently expanded its range of action to Europe by acquiring the famous virtual travel agency, e-Dreams. But the industry overall seems to be enjoying excellent health.
Then there was talk about the advent of covid-19 spelling the end to the category of travel agents, but even this alarm did not seem so worrying for one of the longest-living industries in modern history, which, you may recall, had its genesis with the opening of the first travel agency in the mid-18th century and survived catastrophic periods like the great depression, world wars and the global financial crisis. On the contrary, the role of an expert consultant in routes, itineraries and safety is today considered a valuable asset, compared with the alternative of ‘do it yourself’, using information published in a blog, full of persuasion and little responsibility and virtual agencies that can prove to be efficient in collecting payments and untraceable for most of the rest of the experience.
The successful travel consultant today is probably an individual who has embraced the values of entrepreneurialism, that is the willingness to offer oneself as a ‘business within the business’ endowed with their own collection of knowledge, experience, client networks and channels of visibility. Although it is often not considered necessary, the training qualification actually lends authority not only in terms of credibility in an interview, but particularly for those who intend to be independent travel consultants and want to show their clients that they are not unprepared. Needless to say, languages are of considerable help.
Qualification: Certificate III / Diploma of Travel & Tourism
Skill Level: 2 o 3
Profession: 451612 TRAVEL CONSULTANT
Course program:
https://training.gov.au/TrainingComponentFiles/SIT/SIT30116_R2.pdf (Certificate)
https://training.gov.au/TrainingComponentFiles/SIT12/SIT50112_R3.pdf (Diploma)
Description: the choice of study at level 3 (certificates) or 2 presents fairly clear differences. The Certificate III in Tourism & Travel is rich in operational aspects, at some schools even very practical aspects, such as conducting guided tours and refuelling operations. In any case, of the two qualifications, it has geographically greater contents. The Diploma however elevates the qualification to one of a managerial type and every school can offer a different specialisation (international tourism, business tourism, guided tours, events, b2b, info point). Acquiring a Diploma or Advanced Diploma is a strong sign to the labour market, but be prepared to not only enjoy the evocative subjects as to sit through those dedicated to methodology.