So You Want to Be A Travel Agent? Here Are Five Things You Need to Know!

Being a Travel Advisor is the greatest job in the world! But make no mistake, it IS a job.

I was a Travel Advisor affiliated with MEI-Travel & Mouse Fan Travel (the official Travel Partner of AllEars.Net) for 13 years before joining the staff as the Client Relationship Manager. I love my job! I get to spend my days working with over 100 of our incredible Travel Advisors, helping them to make magic for their clients.

I get asked all the time, “Oh my gosh, your job sounds like so much fun! How do I get to go to Walt Disney World for work?!” As much as I love working in the Travel Industry, being a Travel Advisor comes with wonderful perks, but like any job it comes with some challenges. (Hello recent Global Pandemic!)

Here are five things you should know before becoming a Travel Advisor.

Being A Travel Advisor is Magical!

Getting to help people create lifelong memories is 100% the best part of this job. From helping them choose a resort, to seeing the photos of my client’s happy faces when they came home, I loved getting to be a part of their family vacations.

My favorite clients were always the ones who said, “I am only going to Walt Disney World one time. I am not a theme park person!” Challenge accepted! And when they come home and say, “Okay so for next time, we want to stay at a monorail resort”, it is the best feeling ever.

Attention to Detail and being Tech Savvy is Critical for Travel Advisors

Being a Travel Advisor means keeping track of a million little details. Flight information, vacation packages, food allergies, passport requirements, and so many more details. ALL THE DETAILS. Multiply that times dozens or hundreds of clients and it can get a bit overwhelming! Luckily we have tools to help keep track of things so it really helps to be comfortable with technology.

Do you love puzzles? Are you the organized one in your friend group or family? Are you a person who has a wall calendar, Google Calendar, AND a planner? Do you love technology and social media? This job may be for you!

Being a Travel Advisor is Not a 9-5 Job!

While our Advisors typically have regular office hours, emergencies wait for no one! I have gotten phone calls from frantic clients stranded in an airport at 1:00 am, and many phone calls from clients at 6:00 am trying to make their advanced dining reservations.

This is all part of the job!

Cancellations Happen

Real talk – one of the toughest parts of this job can be when you have spent HOURS working with a client, crafting the perfect vacation. Every detail has been mapped out, every payment has been made, and the client is excited.

Then life happens. Someone gets sick, a family wedding gets planned, finances change. And the trip gets canceled. Which means that the Travel Advisor doesn’t get paid. All that work and nothing to show for it.

It happens! (Again – see Global Pandemic.) It can be heartbreaking but it’s the job. And hopefully you learned a lot. And most importantly you were there for your client in their time of crisis. Which means when they are ready to travel again, they contact you!

Travel Advisors Get to Travel!

Oh the sacrifices we make… I mean, I just HAD to cruise on the Disney Wish last fall. And stay in a Club Level Room at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn. It’s research!

But seriously – traveling is an important part of being a Travel Advisor. Clients come to us because we are experts! Part of being an expert is having experienced something first-hand. Our Advisors can make informed recommendations on staying at Disney’s Pop Century versus Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter, because they have been to both!

This means investing in your Travel business, which can be daunting when you start out. But it pays off when you are able to explain the value in that Adventures by Disney vacation!

Still interested in becoming a Travel Advisor? MEI-Travel & Mouse Fan Travel is looking for new and experienced Advisors! Please visit our Join Us page to fill out an application to be considered.

Sara Varney is the Client Relationship Manager for MEI-Travel & Mouse Fan Travel. When at Walt Disney World, you can find her either enjoying a fresh Mickey shaped Rice Krispy treat in Main Street USA, or riding Expedition Everest over and over again!