Take a closer look at what it means to be a travel agent in the 21st century
20 years ago, when the internet was in its infancy and online travel booking sites were years away from existing, travel agents were found inside travel agency shops where posters of tropical vacations and classic cities donned the walls. You may not see many of these shops anymore, but that doesn’t mean that travel agents have gone extinct–they’ve just evolved with the times.
Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, was founded in 1994 at a time when home-based travel agents didn’t exist and has continued to thrive for more than two decades, even as travel agency storefronts are less prominent and the internet plays a major role in researching and booking travel.
Work From Anywhere as a Travel Agent
A small number of Cruise Planners franchise owners do have actual storefronts, but most Cruise Planners franchisees are home-based, with a home office or the kitchen table serving as their command center. As a Cruise Planners franchise owner, you’ll have the tools to work form anywhere, so you can head to a coffee shop for a change of scenery or even work while traveling.
You can connect with clients however you’d like, via phone calls, texts, emails, in-person meetings or using the mobile chat through your website–however you and your customers prefer. This means your client base can stretch from Alaska to Florida and everywhere in between.
The Importance of Travel Agents
So why is it that people are using travel agents and not booking direct online? At Cruise Planners, we believe the internet is for looking and a travel agent is for booking. With all the different travel sites and destinations out there, Cruise Planners travel agents serve as travel matchmakers, finding clients the ideal vacation that fits their interests and budget, so they don’t spend hours getting lost and overwhelmed on the internet. Best of all, Cruise Planners travel agents provide a variety of in-person and virtual training options, so you build your expertise and experience in the travel industry and provide customized recommendations to your travel clients.
Become a Work From Anywhere Travel Agent
Best of all, being a Cruise Planners franchise owner lets you get to live out your passion for travel while being your own boss, working from home and making other’s travel dreams a reality. Learn more about becoming a travel agent by downloading our virtual brochure or watching one of our upcoming webinars.
