The Time is Right for Opening an In-Home Travel Consultant Business

There’s no denying the travel industry suffered major losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes both the tourism travel sector and business travel sector. According to some industry experts, travel for business was reduced to indefinite standby status. Frequent travelers were no longer able to hop a domestic flight from one city to another, like they’d been doing for almost the entirety of their career. 

Not long ago, the U.S. Travel Association predicted that total travel spending in the U.S. alone would drop to 45 percent at the peak of the pandemic. But actual numbers were probably worse. International travel fell a whopping 75 percent. 

There is, however, some very good news on the horizon. A recent article by Inc.com states that as the summer season progresses, along with the number of global citizens who have received their COVID-19 vaccinations, travel is finally on the rise. The TSA reported that April, 2021 was the first month since the pandemic began that realized over one million business and tourist travelers per day. 

That doesn’t mean serious precautions aren’t being taken. The pandemic is still with us which means travelers still require negative COVID-19 tests and vaccinations. But this slight inconvenience isn’t stopping travelers hungry to get back in the air. 

What this means is, the time might be right to start a travel agency or travel consultant business located right inside the safety and convenience of your own home. There also has never been a better time to become travel consultant since you no longer need to attend a traditional brick and mortar school to learn the ins and outs of the industry. With online education now soaring in popularity due to educational facility shutdowns, a person can learn to become for a travel consultant right from their kitchen table.

What is a Travel Consultant? 

Says Career Progress, an online career learning center, travel consultants are able to organize a person’s trips in the most comfortable and economical manner possible. While a license or a specific qualification is not always required of a travel consultant, the pursuit of online coursework in the travel and tourism industry can be indispensable. You can even complete additional comprehensive training that rewards you with a travel consultant certification.  

With travel now booming and predicted to only get stronger as the pandemic weakens (even with the variants that are still plaguing certain populations), becoming an in-home travel consultant is not only a rewarding opportunity, but one that can translate into serious cash. 

Here’s some of the things required to get a travel consultant business off the ground. 

Travel Consultant Business Plan

Researching and writing an in-home travel consultant business plan is a must. If you have no experience in the travel industry, it’s possible you can buy into an existing travel franchise business. Aside from the knowledge gained by your online coursework, an established travel franchise would provide in-home travel consultants with on-the-ground training. They can also provide web tech and web development assistance.

Travel Consultant Business Models

Persons already experienced in business can focus on several in-home travel consultant business models. These include but are not limited to online internet travel, travel incentive programs, and/or group travel excursions. 

Complimentary models can be combined to form niche consultant services such as family travel, adventure travel, honeymooner’s travel, luxury travel, riverboat travel, cruise travel, and more. That said, a comprehensive business plan will help a new consultant establish “baseline factors,” including startup costs, operating costs, salaries, and even the at-home-business’s operational structure.  

Travel Consultant Regulations 

A professional in-home travel consultant must familiarize him or herself with local and federal regulations regarding travel business licensing. In-home businesses are said to be required to register and apply for home business permits. You also need to file your taxes on time and comply with numerous business legality mandates. 

In-home travel agencies must also understand the rules and regulations of the Transportation Security Association (TSA), and other government agencies overseeing and regulating travel. Travel consultants are required to be keenly aware of TSA regulations regarding the items a traveler can and cannot pack, identification forms needed for crossing borders both domestic and international, plus the security issues for boarding planes, busses, and trains. 

In-home travel agents need to be tied into the U.S. State Department travel alerts, which offer up-to-date alerts on travel restrictions and warnings due to things like COVID-19, terrorism, protests and other obstructions that can not only adversely affect travel schedule, but put client’s lives at risk.  

In-Home Travel Consulting is Rewarding

After having been forcibly locked down for so long, brand new in-home travel consultants will feel a special sort of pride by delivering the right travel itinerary to their clients. Travel is all about discovery and it is also about the freedom to explore, even if you are merely taking a short business trip to Chicago. If you love travel, and you have a special interest in helping others with their travel experiences, now is a great time to look into travel consultant coursework. 

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