While most companies look for some form of qualification when recruiting travel agents, the consensus among local industry players seems to be that experience outweighs qualification. Travel agencies also tend to offer their own in-house training, with prior qualifications deemed advantageous.
Kim Botti, Director of supply chain, logistics, and travel recruitment agency Lee Botti & Associates, told Travel News that most travel agencies looked for some sort of travel qualification when recruiting but, more specifically, for experience, especially in working on GDS systems such as Amadeus, Galileo, or Sabre.
Flight Centre Travel Group offers a comprehensive three-week training programme during induction, where new starters learn about the organisation, systems, and sales. This is followed by a year-long development pathway, featuring quarterly training sessions designed to enhance skills and adaptability.
“We provide comprehensive in-house training, ensuring that new team members are equipped with the necessary skills for success. This approach allows us to welcome individuals without prior qualifications, reflecting our commitment to developing talent and fostering a supportive workplace environment,” Samantha Davidson, Learning & Development Business Leader at Flight Centre Travel Group South Africa, told Travel News.
Flight Centre Independent, on the other hand, requires ITCs to have a minimum of three years’ bona fide travel agency experience in booking leisure and/or corporate travel, as well as GDS certification, experience, proficiency, and knowledge. Among its requirements are an understanding of fares and ticketing (preferably Amadeus).
“Flight Centre Independent’s ITCs are highly qualified and experienced travel advisers with an existing client base. From there, they could join either our branded or unbranded (the full suite, land-only independent or air-only independent) solutions tailored to their individual business objectives,” said Chantal Gouws, GM of Flight Centre Independent South Africa.
Personal skills
Regardless of qualification or experience, travel agencies focus heavily on good personal skills before hiring aspiring travel agents.
“Travel agents are generally ‘people’ people, with great interpersonal and excellent organisational skills. Nowadays, companies seeking to employ – and this is not just limited to the travel industry – look for accountability and individuals who take ownership of their roles to ensure excellent customer service delivery. Attention to detail is also important as mistakes usually result in unnecessary costs,” said Botti.
Davidson said Flight Centre placed a lot of value on a set of core attributes in its prospective travel agents and ITCs.
“Key qualities include perseverance, patience, and an exceptional customer service ethos. We also look for hardworking individuals, who have a strong sales personality and are approachable. Above all, a genuine passion for travel is essential.”
Travel suppliers also value practical time spent in hands-on training for their own consultants. Thaybz Khan, Head of Product at Cruises International, said while a Travel and Tourism Diploma or similar certification would be advantageous, she believed experience certainly trumped qualifications.
“A deep understanding of the cruise industry is critical. With that said, our motto at Cruises International is to hire on attitude and train on product. Each of our brands offers its own training and webinar programmes to ensure our own agents are well-versed in all aspects of selling a cruise holiday.”
Khan added that Cruises International looked for consultants with high attention to detail, adaptability and problem-solving skills due to the dynamic landscape of the cruise industry, as well as a customer-centric attitude, plus a passion for travel and technological proficiency.
Professional training
Cheryll Watt, Director of Development & Training Strategies (DTS), said its scheduled courses, as well as in-house training, were offered to travel agencies, tour operators, and domestic and international airlines.
“Travel agent training could be extremely important. DTS offers training as an in-house option, where, after discussion with the client, we tailor-make the course material for the client’s specific requirements.”
DTS’s training is facilitated using a GDS (either Amadeus or Travelport) to make the training relevant and as close to the work environment as possible.
Classes are kept relatively small, to allow interaction/questions and practical exercises. The most popular DTS tailor-made courses are International/Domestic Fares and Ticketing; International/Domestic Reissues; International/Domestic Refunds; and Quick GDS shortcut entries.
“Because the courses are practical and GDS-based, on completion of the seminar the consultants feel confident to use the knowledge that they gained on a practical basis, in the work environment. DTS has found that because our courses are very practical, in-person training is the preferred medium for both the client as well as for DTS,” said Watt.
DTS also offers scheduled courses, such as the 10-day Amadeus Novice course and the 10-day Travelport Galileo course, for learners who have attended a travel and tourism course but need the GDS course to find employment.