What Skills do Travel
Consultants Need?
Whether
you are a seasoned traveler or have taken numerous road-trips, you know that
trips of all kinds take planning. There are mountains of details that need to
be handled in order for a trip to be successful.
Families,
groups, and individuals take trips for leisure, humanitarian purposes,
adoption, and business. They all have different expectations of what they
desire to happen on their trip. But one thing is a common factor for all of
them: discovery—discovery of who they are and their lives. They desire to leave
the routine behind to embark on the unexpected. That being said, travelers want to be prepared to know what
to expect before heading into the unfamiliar.
All
travel consultants need to carry specific skills in order to fulfill the desire
of their client. Here are three skills that are imperative:
Communication Skills
Travel
planning involves a lot of details. Therefore, it is imperative that you can
communicate effectively to your client. This is not limited to one form of
communication either. You need to be available to communicate in person,
conference call, email, social media, etc. Spreadsheets, invoices, and other written documentation are
effective in addition to vocal communication. In the world of travel, you have
many cultures to cross barriers with. Therefore, that means more communicating.
Never be afraid of communicating too much! Better to be over-communicative than
not enough. This helps you keep the details in order as well.
Logistical Skills
In
addition to having solid communication skills, it is imperative to have
logistical knowledge and expertise. Travel planning is filled with details.
From flights to accommodations to cultural background, there is an extensive
amount of information that you need to provide to your client , airlines,
hotels, service providers, etc. It is important that you are wired to plan,
plan, plan--to have the details under wraps. You’ll need to be continually one
step ahead of your client’s thoughts—ready to provide all the information they
need for their trip. Excel spreadsheets, charts, and word documents are a key
source. As a consultant, it is advised that you have a daily, weekly, monthly,
& yearly planner. Personally,
I recommend a written planner, as well as an electronic one.
Even
as a student, I would advise that you begin implementing these skills into your
every day life. Have a binder, planner and spreadsheets of trips you are
“planning”.
Cultural Knowledge
Have
you ever been to a place and truly felt like you were “lost in translation”?
Maybe you were in a country where they spoke a different language. Or, maybe it
was just a trip to the city or country an hour away. Either way, you felt out
of your comfort zone. All of us have been there (including travel consultants).
In
order to help you succeed in your skills, it is important that you are
knowledgeable about different cultures. Experience is the best teacher, but you
won’t always have that
luxury. Go to the library. Read up on various cultures, holidays, and
traditions. Volunteer with different people groups. Have a mentor who has
traveled extensively. Learn from them. Watch foreign films. Go to art festivals
of various cultures. The key is to
saturate your mind and soul with other parts of the world. From there, you will
find your area of passion and it will seep into your client’s hearts as you
communicate in helping them with their travel planning.
Communication
skills, logistical skills, and cultural knowledge are the top three qualities
of a travel consultant. The next post will give you some more insight into
skills that will help you grow in your business.
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