Travel Advisor Recruits Participate in Host Agency Boot Camps
Photo Credit: Bill Coyle discusses business with a travel advisor at KHM Travel’s Crystal Conference on board the Ruby Princess. KHM Travel
Skift Take
Host agencies are seeing an influx of prospective travel advisors, many coming from other careers, and are creating education programs to ensure the newcomers are up to par. There are a wide range of options out there, so potential agents should do their research before choosing a host.
Host agencies are trying to come up with programs to combat some key challenges: recruitment of younger travel advisors to replace those who are retiring and to ensure that the next generation receives adequate training.
Bill Coyle, director of education and programs at host agency KHM Travel, said it seems like a lot of people are looking to make a career change, especially if it involves traveling.
“It’s just unbelievable,” Coyle said, estimating that between 100 and 120 people sign up monthly, although only about 10 percent of those who sign up end up following through with training programs and starting their own business as an independent contractor with KHM, Coyle said.
People making a career change into travel are coming from the fields of medicine, education, government, finance, and sales, according to representatives from agency groups who spoke with Skift. Others are nearing retirement and are seeking a side business that they can keep going after they leave
