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Home Based Travel Agent Resource Guide

What you need to know BEFORE you start a Home Based Travel Agency

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What you need to know BEFORE you start a Home Based Travel Agency.

What's Inside...

Travel Agent Job Opportunities - Travel Agent Articles - Travel Agent Education -

Travel Agent Host Agencies - Selling Cruises - Read Travel Agent Books - Travel Agent Resources

How to start a home-based travel agency.

How to Travel Agents Make Money with Google Adsense

Top 3 Travel Industry Educational Websites

Top 3 Travel Industry Trade Publications

Top 3 Travel Industry Associations 

Home Based Travel Agent Opportunity

Home-Based Travel Agents Resource Guide

For New And Experienced Agents

Did You Know? The travel business is changing from a store front or office, business to a business that is

supported by over 40,000 home based travel agents.
This is your information resource about becoming a home-based travel agent. Home-based travel agent positions by host agencies offer either a part-time or full-time home-based travel agent job. Or consider starting your own home-based travel agent business.
"The travel industry is exploding with opportunity and is expected to be the number one contributor to the U.S. gross national product within the very near future. Airlines, cruise lines, hotels, resorts and other travel infrastructure are growing at an unprecedented rate and the common thread between all of the growth is distribution. Suppliers are looking toward the retail travel agent community to create the future demand necessary to continue the growth and prosperity.

At the same time, trends within the travel industry are evolving a network of home-based travel agents and their host agency partners. With the Internet came the opportunity for niche specialization for thousands of travel agents and their host agency partners. Today, a home-based travel professional can expect to make an excellent living."

The cruise business offers an outstanding potential for growth and profitability for cruise specialists.  Browse the companies noted to get the details  and everything you need to know to start making money in the cruise industry as a home based cruise specialist.  Starting a cruise-oriented travel business is a modest investment and you can earn excellent commissions. If you have thought about selling cruises Visit the companies found in the resource for complete details.

Visit the Home Based Travel Agent Information Center to continue your exploration of the opportunities in the travel industry. This valuable online resource is essential if you intend to start your agency. Here are some articles worth reading...

Articles About Travel Marketing
 Articles About Travel Marketing On-Line
 Articles About Travel Automation
 Articles About Travel Suppliers
 Articles About Being Home-Based
 Articles About Host Agencies
Articles About Cruising 
Articles About Selling Groups
 Articles About Travel Industry Education
 Articles About the Travel Industry in General
 Articles About Legal Issues

Click here to read Credit Suisse First Boston's equity research report focused on travel agents!

 

How to Start a Home Based Travel Agency  ( great link )

The 15 Areas of Great Opportunity for Home-Based Travel Agents

 

Google Adsense - Is It  Really The Easiest Money To Make Online?

A 3 part series on how travel agents can use Google's Adsense Program

 to generate income.  

What's Inside...

Part 1 

1. Google Adsense - Is It Really The Easiest Revenue For Travel Agents To Make Online is with Adsense Google?
2. Everything a Travel Agent ever wanted to know about Google Adsense.

Part 2 
3. Understanding Adsense Google and how you can maximize, your websites earnings and what to avoid.
4. Travel Agents learn the basic ways of starting to earn from Adsense Google with a travel-related site.
5. Some Great Ways Travel Agents Can Maximize Their Google Adsense Earnings.

Part 3

6. What Exactly is Google Adsense?
7. Why Google Adsense make dollars and cents for Travel Agents

How to become a home-based travel agent

Learn how to become a home-based travel agent and earn money without leaving your home. Here are 3 easy starter steps.

Step One

Affiliate with a travel agency. You’ll be booking vacations through them and they will pay you for the business you generate. Most home-based travel agents are independent contractors and are free to affiliate with more than one agency, while others prefer to work with only one travel agency. As an affiliate, you work independent from the agency. As a home-based independent travel agent,  you're not just a travel agent – you’re the chief in charge of marketing, the one and only accountant and the seller of travel.

Step Two

So, how do you get started?  The first thing to do is to contact your friends and family. Let them know about your new  business venture  Sell a few all-inclusive vacations or cruises, just get your feet wet. There easy to sell and offer high guest satisfaction. It’s a great way to get started before working with customers you don't know.

Step Three

Always be mindful of the needs of your guest. That's right your guest, not your "customer". Treat them like a guest ( just like at Walt Disney World ) and they will appreciate your service more. Ask about what they’d like to do , and what they don't want to do while on vacation. Fit there needs to a travel product you know is going to satisfy them.  It’s the features and benefits of their chosen destination and travel product that will give them satisfaction and convinces them that they’ve made the right decision by choosing you and your vacation recommendations.
 

Helpful Tips

  • Listen to your guest. The more they tell you about themselves and there needs the better. Sometimes it's what they say and don't say that will close the deal.
  • Host a vacation or cruise night promotion, Invite people to meet you and theme the evening or afternoon around tried and true destinations.
  • The amount of money you can earn will be limited only by the investment in time you make in developing and servicing your clientele and marketing your services.
Travel Industry Links

Top 3 Travel Industry Educational Websites

www.cruisereviewsonline.com Cruise Reviews Online: Read hundreds of cruise line reviews and cruise ship reviews by travelers and cruise experts on today's most popular cruise ships. Unbiased and unedited, they share their cruise experience with you. Cruise Reviews Online, one of the most recognized leading resources for fair and objective cruise review information about cruise travel. Over 8,700 sailings ,213 Cruise Ships ,29 Major Cruise Lines ,1,600 Deck Plan images ,2,500 itinerary maps ,Hundreds of port descriptions ,Hundreds of In-Depth Cruise Reviews , Cruise Ship Ratings Professionally-written reviews by our staff. Great learning tool.

http://cruisenews.blogspot.com  Cruise News Blog: Your Ultimate Cruise Guide. What To Know Before You Go. Tips and tricks to have a successful cruise vacation. Such as our Ultimate Packing List. The definitive cruise guide. A must read, before you plan your next cruise...read about exciting locales in Destinations Uncovered..or read about readers favorite cruise lines for taking the kids and teens. Add your own article.. share the experience.
This growing site will be invaluable to you.

http://www.hbtacommunity.com  Home Based Travel Agent Community: This community is for the sharing of information and experiences among travel professionals who benefit from the participation of its members. It is free to join and participate in this community and it is open to all travel professionals. You will find open forums, private discussion groups, upcoming events, video and picture libraries, extensive member profiles and much, much more. A great, travel agent friendly chat board

 http://www.cruisetravelermagazine.com Cruise Traveler Magazine: An online cruise magazine offering an unbiased cruise guide, latest cruise news, cruise reviews, tips, feature cruise articles, and need to know information about cruising. Featuring community member -contributed content. Editorially independent of travel providers or cruise lines.

Top 3 Travel Industry Trade Publications

www.TravelTrade.com  Best trade publication for new or seasoned experienced travel agents

www.TravelWeekly.com  a twice weekly national publication

www.TravelAgeWest.com  The focus is on Travel Agents from 11 western states.

Top 3 Travel Industry Associations

www.NACTA.com   NACTA is The association for home based travel agents, cruise oriented travel agents and independent contractors. NACTA's Cruise Seminars: 2009 Seminars at Sea! These are rated the best seminar at sea cruise experience in the travel industry.

www.ASTAnet.com  ASTA (the American Society of Travel Agents is the largest association of travel agents in the world.

www.cruising.org Cruise Lines International Association. The world’s largest cruise association and is dedicated to the promotion and growth of the cruise industry. CLIA is composed of 24 of the major cruise lines serving North America.

Others

http://www.ossn.com OSSN is the Premier Travel Industry Trade Association representing and supporting the Independent Travel Agents, Home Based Travel Agency, Independent Contractor Seller of Travel and the Outside Sales Travel Agent.
 

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