The Travel Institute, celebrating its 60th anniversary, has partnered with Royal Caribbean to send ten lucky advisors aboard Royal Caribbean’s new ship, Utopia of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean, a long-time supporter of The Travel Institute’s non-profit initiatives to promote education and professional development for agents, has offered up a great opportunity to preview the new ship.

The ten advisors chosen will receive a free, double-occupancy stateroom aboard the preview sailing in July 2024 of Utopia of the Seas. An excellent chance to experience and report back to clients on your travels.

To qualify for this drawing, advisors must:

• Enroll in the CTA® program by March 31
• And, complete the Bachelor of Adventure program through Royal Caribbean University by April 15

“At Royal Caribbean, we value agent success and are committed to supporting them. The Travel Institute’s CTA serves as the foundation for their success and is widely recognized in the industry as the pinnacle of professionalism. Obtaining their CTA, agents demonstrate dedication to the highest standards of excellence in the travel industry, gaining confidence, expertise, a competitive edge, and the potential for higher sales.”

It’s a complicated world out there and travel is getting more difficult. So it’s no surprise that the value of a professional travel advisor is on the rise.

Indeed, a new study from The Travel Institute shows the value of education for travel advisors. Those who are certified earn almost 24.3% more per year then those without any certification—and they book 26.5% more in annual sales, according to the Changing Face of Travel Agents 2023 survey.

When it comes to advanced training, travel advisors who have earned the Destination Specialist or Lifestyle Specialist designation from The Travel Institute have annual incomes averaging 17.8% more than those who have no industry certification, and 6% more than those with other certifications.

Beside formal training, the study noted, travel advisors stay current with what’s happening from supplier communications (87%); trade media (66%); and social media (65%).

A whopping 96% of travel advisors used Facebook, followed by 61% on Instagram; 34% on YouTube; 30% on Linked In; and 18% on TikTok.

Travel Institute president Diane Petras noted that advanced training of travel advisors benefits suppliers as well as clients. “As an industry, we’ve re-earned travelers’ trust in recent years and we need to continue to support quality agent education to ensure we keep it,” she said.

Looking forward, she noted that in 2024 travel advisors are expressing the most interest in courses involving destination knowledge (70%), followed by supplier products (63%).

The Travel Institute provides both free and for-purchase educational options for travel advisors at all levels, including new agent training, certification, specialization and destination courses, free webinars, and an unlimited, and continued learning program through the Premium Access online library.

The Travel Institute, the only dedicated education provider in the travel industry, has launched the TRIPKIT℠ 5th Edition introductory training course. This extensive program packs the equivalent of one college semester into an easy-to-follow, 19-lesson self-paced course. TRIPKIT℠ is a cost-effective, 60 to 80-hour online program including three key areas of study: travel career development, destination knowledge, and a “how to” on establishing and running a home-based agency. Read the rest of this entry »

The Travel Institute and AmaWaterways have launched a new, additional $50 bonus commission for all travel professionals who successfully graduate with their CTA, CTC, or CTIE in 2022 and subsequently book and deposit a new AmaWaterways river cruise within 90 days of their certification date.

“Certification from The Travel Institute has propelled many travel advisors’ forward giving certified advisors the knowledge, know-how, and confidence they need to best advise their clients. We want to recognize those advisors for making this investment in their careers and striving to be their best for our mutual guests by giving them something extra to recognize this achievement,” shared Diane Horan, CTC, director of Strategic Partner Networks with AmaWaterways.

Horan, a longtime advocate of agent education and The Travel Institute, said the new bonus commission applies to any new booking for travel in 2022 or 2023 and is combinable with some additional promotions that may also be available at the time of booking. For advisors who graduated earlier in 2022, the program is retroactive to January 1 allowing 90 days from announcement of the bonus program for early 2022 graduates to complete a new AmaWaterways river cruise client booking.

According to Guida Botelho, CTIE, director of training for The Travel Institute, the AmaWaterways bonus commission in effect decreases the cost of certification by approximately 10%. “We applaud AmaWaterways, the leader in luxury European river cruising, for their efforts to support, recognize and reward travel professionals who go above and beyond to achieve a higher level of professionalism, career success and satisfaction via certification. Together with our graduates, they are creating truly amazing travel experiences,” she said.

To receive their $50 USD, pre-paid digital Visacard,* graduates must first register for the commission and then email AmaWaterways providing their date of certification along with the passenger’s full name and booking number. The card can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted and is redeemable for one year from date of issue; full details for the commission plan are available online at registration.  Learn more at The Travel Institute.