How to be a Travel Agent in 2024

Summary

In this video, Cindy Williams, CEO of Wandless Campus, shares how to become a travel adviser in 2024. She provides insights into the industry's requirements, different training paths, and what to avoid, including travel MLMs. Cindy emphasizes the importance of passion and dedication, explaining the commitment needed to succeed. She discusses options like tourism degrees, certifications, and working with host agencies, while highlighting the resources offered by Wandless Campus. Cindy also promotes a holiday gift guide contest, with proceeds supporting a scholarship fund.

Takeaways

• ✈️ Becoming a travel adviser in 2024 is possible and there are several paths to get started.
• 💼 The travel adviser business offers perks such as discounts, free travel, and fam trips, but it's essential to be genuinely passionate about the industry.
• 📚 Proper education and learning are critical for success, whether through certifications, degrees, or hands-on experience.
• 🎓 Options for becoming a travel adviser include earning a tourism degree, traditional certifications, or programs like those offered by Wandless Campus.
• 🖥️ Wandless Campus offers a 12-week certification that includes instructor-led classes, a mentor, and on-demand learning, without ongoing certification fees.
• 🚫 Be cautious of travel MLMs (multi-level marketing schemes), as they often focus more on recruiting rather than actual travel advising skills.
• 🤝 Many travel host agencies offer limited support due to legal restrictions, so learning how to operate independently is key.
• 🎯 The industry requires personal responsibility for business development, including marketing, sales, and service automation.
• 💡 Understanding your personal goals is important when choosing the right path and model for becoming a travel adviser.
• 🎁 The video includes a holiday gift guide and a contest to win travel-related prizes, with proceeds supporting scholarships.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the video, and what is her background?

The speaker is Cindy Williams, founder and CEO of Wandless Campus. She helps individuals become certified travel advisers and launch travel businesses from home.

What is the main topic discussed in the video?

The main topic is how to become a travel adviser in 2024, including the steps involved, challenges, and options available to those interested in the travel industry.

What are some of the benefits of becoming a travel adviser?

Some benefits of becoming a travel adviser include perks such as discounts, free travel, fam trips (familiarization trips), and the flexibility to run a business from home.

What does Cindy recommend to individuals who are serious about entering the travel industry?

Cindy recommends taking her 'Travel Master Class,' which provides detailed information on building a successful travel business, avoiding mistakes, and understanding the industry structure.

What are the different ways someone can start their career as a travel adviser?

There are several ways to start as a travel adviser, including earning a tourism degree, completing industry certifications, working with a host agency, or enrolling in specialized programs like those offered by Wandless Campus.

What is the main difference between Wandless Campus' certification program and more traditional certification options?

The Wandless Campus certification can be completed in 12 weeks, provides ongoing updates without extra fees, and offers hands-on support, including instructor-led education and mentoring, unlike traditional programs that may take years and require ongoing fees.

Why does Cindy caution against relying solely on travel host agencies?

Cindy explains that travel host agencies may not provide adequate training or support since travel advisers are typically contractors, not employees, meaning they are responsible for their own training and business setup.

What risks are associated with joining a travel MLM (multi-level marketing) program?

Cindy warns against travel MLMs because they often emphasize recruiting others rather than focusing on building a legitimate travel business, which may not be taken seriously within the industry.

What does Cindy suggest as a starting point for anyone considering becoming a travel adviser?

Cindy suggests starting by reflecting on whether you're truly passionate about travel and committed to the learning and work involved. She advises taking the 'Travel Master Class' to avoid common pitfalls.

How can people interested in the travel adviser field learn more about the programs offered by Wandless Campus?

Interested individuals can visit travel school.com for more information on Wandless Campus programs or make an appointment with the enrollment team at cisonvacation.com to discuss their specific goals.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Starting Your Journey as a Travel Adviser in 2024

The speaker introduces the topic of becoming a travel adviser in 2024, highlighting the steps to take, potential pitfalls, and a detailed process on how to get started. She sets the stage by encouraging viewers to keep watching for more insights and welcomes them to the show. The speaker, Cindy Williams, introduces herself as the founder of Wanderlust Campus and shares how her platform helps people become certified travel advisers. She also mentions a contest for the holiday season and a gift guide with prizes, linking it to a scholarship fund for students in need.

05:00

🎁 Exciting Holiday Contest and Gift Guide Announcement

Cindy announces the launch of a holiday gift guide tailored for travel lovers, mentioning that many items are personally tested by her. She shares details about the annual contest where 10 prizes from the guide will be given away, highlighting how the affiliate proceeds will go to a scholarship fund for students. This contest is part of her commitment to giving back to the community every holiday season. She encourages viewers to check out the gift guide and take part in the contest.

10:02

🧳 Becoming a Travel Adviser: Different Pathways and Avoiding Pitfalls

The video shifts back to the topic of becoming a travel adviser. Cindy explains the various ways to enter the industry, starting with a suggestion to take a comprehensive travel industry orientation class that her platform offers. She emphasizes the importance of avoiding mistakes and taking a structured approach to getting into the business. Cindy shares that her platform doesn't host agents, allowing for a more unbiased perspective in the travel industry. She invites viewers to check out a masterclass that covers landmines to avoid and successful business-building strategies.

🌟 Is a Career as a Travel Adviser Right for You?

Cindy encourages viewers to evaluate if they have a real passion for travel and if they are committed enough to make it a full-time career or profitable side hobby. She stresses that, unlike the past, becoming a travel adviser now involves setting up your own business. This requires a willingness to learn, do the work, and manage operations independently, as travel advisers typically work as contractors or independent agents. She advises prospective advisers to ensure their dedication before jumping into the field.

🎓 Traditional Tourism Education vs. Modern Certification Programs

Cindy compares traditional tourism degrees and certifications to the modern approaches available, such as her 12-week certification program at Wanderlust Campus. While a degree offers permanence, it may not provide practical, real-world skills. She contrasts this with her certification program, which is designed to teach students how to set up a business from home. She also emphasizes the benefits of her program, such as updates without extra fees and personal mentorship, which aren't typically offered by traditional programs.

📚 Hands-On Learning and the Benefits of a Support System

In this segment, Cindy explains how Wanderlust Campus provides hands-on personal support through instructor-led education and mentorship, helping students set up their businesses successfully. She highlights the contrast between her program and other certifications that may lack practical business setup guidance. Her program also offers on-demand learning with live classes, helping students feel supported throughout their journey. Cindy encourages potential advisers to explore all available options and choose the one that resonates with their preferred style of learning.

🚧 The Pitfalls of Relying on Travel Hosts

Cindy discusses the limitations of working with travel hosts, noting that while hosts may offer a quick path into the industry, they often don’t provide the formal training and support needed to thrive as an independent contractor. Due to legal constraints, hosts can’t offer the full training experience necessary to run a successful business, leaving many agents feeling lost. She warns viewers about the challenges of this model and the potential for feeling overwhelmed when the support is lacking.

🎲 Navigating Travel MLMs: Proceed with Caution

Cindy warns against travel multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes, which often disguise themselves as legitimate travel opportunities but ultimately focus on recruiting others rather than building a genuine travel business. She advises viewers to carefully read contracts and avoid being misled by false promises of easy profits through recruitment. She suggests taking her masterclass to learn how to avoid falling into such traps, urging viewers to stay informed before making any decisions.

🎯 Make Decisions Based on Your Goals

Cindy wraps up her advice by encouraging viewers to focus on their personal goals when deciding their path in the travel industry. She emphasizes trusting your instincts and thoroughly vetting available options. For those interested in learning more about Wanderlust Campus, she provides links to connect with the enrollment team and explore how their program can help launch a successful travel business. Cindy concludes by wishing the audience good luck and encouraging them to pursue the career if it aligns with their passions.

📹 Stay Tuned for More Travel Industry Insights

In the closing section, Cindy invites viewers to explore more content on her channel, including case studies from successful students, offering proof of her platform’s effectiveness. She encourages viewers to stay connected for travel tips, business growth strategies, and a behind-the-scenes look at her travel brands. Cindy ends the video with holiday greetings and reminders to participate in the gift guide contest.

Keywords

💡Travel Adviser

A travel adviser is a professional who helps clients plan and arrange travel experiences. In the video, Cindy Williams discusses how to become a travel adviser in 2024, exploring different pathways and options available for those interested in starting a travel business. She emphasizes the importance of passion for travel and the willingness to learn and build your own business.

💡Certification

Certification refers to the process of earning a formal recognition of skills and knowledge. In the context of becoming a travel adviser, Cindy talks about different types of certifications, such as those offered by universities or industry programs. Her company, Wandless Campus, offers a 12-week certification program to equip aspiring travel advisers with the necessary skills to succeed, distinguishing it from longer, traditional programs.

💡Host Agency

A host agency is an organization that provides independent travel agents with support, resources, and access to suppliers. The video discusses how some people choose to work with host agencies to kick-start their travel business. However, Cindy warns that host agencies don't always provide the necessary training and that agents must still operate as independent contractors responsible for their own education and business protection.

💡MLM (Multi-Level Marketing)

MLM is a business model in which individuals earn money not only from their own sales but also by recruiting others into the business. Cindy expresses caution regarding travel MLMs, as they can sometimes mislead aspiring travel advisers into a recruitment-based model rather than a legitimate business. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the contracts and avoiding businesses that push recruitment over providing quality travel services.

💡Fam Trips

Fam trips, short for familiarization trips, are promotional trips provided by travel suppliers to travel advisers, allowing them to experience destinations or services firsthand. In the video, Cindy highlights these trips as one of the perks of becoming a travel adviser, though she stresses that passion for travel must extend beyond just the perks and discounts.

💡Scholarship Fund

A scholarship fund is a pool of money set aside to help students pay for their education. Cindy mentions the Pink Pineapple Scholarship Fund, which is supported by proceeds from the holiday gift guide she promotes. This fund is designed to assist students in need who are looking to become certified travel advisers through her program.

💡Portable Business

A portable business refers to a business that can be operated from anywhere, often remotely. Cindy emphasizes that becoming a travel adviser offers the flexibility to run a business from home or while traveling, making it an attractive option for those seeking location independence.

💡Holiday Gift Guide

The Holiday Gift Guide is a curated list of travel-related products and services that Cindy has tested and recommends. In the video, she promotes this guide as a helpful tool for travelers and gift shoppers alike, and mentions that proceeds from purchases go toward the Pink Pineapple Scholarship Fund. The guide is also part of a contest where participants can win prizes.

💡Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is the process of starting and running a business. The video revolves around the concept of travel advisers being entrepreneurs who set up their own independent businesses. Cindy provides insights into the necessary steps, challenges, and rewards of running a travel advisory business, emphasizing the need for self-motivation and continuous learning.

💡Learning Curve

The learning curve refers to the time and effort required to acquire new skills and knowledge. Cindy discusses how becoming a travel adviser involves a steep learning curve, especially for those new to the industry. She contrasts the DIY approach, where individuals may feel overwhelmed trying to learn on their own, with more structured programs like the one offered by Wandless Campus, which provides guidance and support.

Highlights

Wondering how to become a travel advisor in 2024? This video covers all the steps to get started and what you need to avoid.

Cindy Williams is the founder and CEO of Wandless Campus, a platform that helps people become certified travel advisors and launch their travel businesses from home.

The video shares a holiday gift guide for travel lovers, with 10 amazing prizes up for grabs. All proceeds go to the Pink Pineapple Scholarship Fund for students in need.

Becoming a travel advisor offers perks like discounts, free trips, and fam trips, but it requires dedication and hard work to succeed in the industry.

Cindy stresses that starting a travel business today means working as a contractor or independent travel advisor rather than an employee.

Key advice: Passion for travel isn't enough—you must be ready to learn, work, and protect your own business.

One pathway to becoming a travel advisor is earning a tourism degree, but this traditional route may not teach you how to run a real-world business.

Wandless Campus offers a 12-week certification program with study guides and support, contrasting with longer, more expensive industry certifications.

A unique feature of Wandless Campus: updates and new information are provided for free after certification, with no ongoing fees.

Many traditional travel certifications lack real-world business setup guidance and personal support, which is where Wandless Campus fills the gap.

Cindy warns against relying solely on travel hosts, as they can't provide comprehensive training due to employee-contractor tax laws.

Half of the students at Wandless Campus come because they felt lost or overwhelmed in a hosting model, unable to grow their business.

Cindy advises avoiding travel MLMs, warning that they can turn into recruitment models rather than legitimate travel businesses.

Wandless Campus offers both instructor-led education and a personal mentor to guide students through the certification and business setup process.

Cindy recommends starting with clear goals and choosing a program that aligns with those goals to succeed in the travel industry.

Transcripts

let me guess you've been thinking about

becoming a travel adviser and you're

wondering is that possible for you in

2024 well Wonder no further we're going

to share all the Deets today what do you

need to know what are the things that

you should avoid and exactly step by

step how do you get started that sounds

like fun keep on watching that's what

we're doing on the show

[Music]

today

all right guys welcome back don't forget

to take a moment like subscribe and ring

that notification Bell over on YouTube

if you are new to the channel you might

not know who I am my name is Cindy

Williams and I am the founder and CEO of

wandless Campus we help people just like

you become certified travel advisers and

launch your travel businesses from home

you can find all of our information over

at travels school.com if you want to

learn more about that but today we're

talking about how do you become a travel

adviser in

2024 is it for you you I don't know

we're going to kind of explore that

today before we get started in today's

content I have one more big announcement

I want to share for all of our regular

followers I want to say happy holidays

we have a contest going on that you guys

do not want to miss um if you haven't

already heard we launched our holiday

gift guide this is an amazing guide that

is going to give you not just everything

that you need to know shopping wise for

probably yourself because I know you

guys it's all travel lovers that the

channel so a lot of things on this list

are things that I want but most of them

are things I already have I've tested

for you and it is a perfect gift guide

for Holiday Shoppers now when you get

the gift guide you're also going to be

registered in our annual contest and I'm

going to be giving away you know if you

guys have been following me for a while

you know every November December we do

stuff to give back to our community this

is part of that Journey um we're going

to be giving away 10 different amazing

prizes from the gift guide this is one

of the headbands that we're showing off

on the gift guide that's just one of

like a million things on there um but

we're giving away 10 things from the

gift guide and also if you do any

shopping from the links on here all of

the proceeds all the affiliate dollars

that are earned are going into the pink

pineapple scholarship fund that will

help students who are in need we going

to be able to dedicate some scholarship

dollars towards that so you're doing

good you're getting your shopping done

and who knows you might win one of those

fun prizes so definitely uh take time to

do that if you haven't already all right

let's get back to the topic at hand so

we are talking about how do you become a

travel adviser so look guys there's lots

of different ways you can become a

travel adviser if you are someone who's

watching this video because you're just

Googled how do you become a travel agent

and this video popped up that's great we

actually have a full kind of travel

industry orientation that I would

recommend that you grab that's really a

a great place to start it's our full

travel Master Class the blue the

blueprint to become to building a

portable profitable travel business to

seven figure sales and Beyond this is

going to tell you all of the landmines

you can walk into things you want to

avoid alt together and it's also going

to go through a very detailed uh kind of

different ways to get started in the

industry I'm going to talk about that on

today's video as well but if you're

really serious about getting in the

industry and you want to make sure you

don't make any mistakes please get that

travel uh class first we don't host

agents we don't hire agents so um you

know we're kind of um objective when it

comes to kind of how you start that

process or who you decide to work with

in the industry as you get started so

definitely do that I'll link that down

below so you have that Master Class as

well or you can visit charism

vacation.com

masterclass so let's talk through if

being a travel adviser is even for you

so the thing that I want to you to ask

yourself is am I passionate about travel

and not just travel for the perks and

the discounts which of course are an

amazing side benefit of working in this

industry that we do get perks and we do

get discounts and sometimes we do get

free travel or free events or we get to

go on these things called fam trips all

of that is very sexy and very exciting

and everybody wants to do that stuff but

are you really dedicated to the point

that you want to make this a career or a

really profitable side hobby either one

of those is fine but you have to also be

willing to do the learning that's

required the work that's required and

this really is setting up your own

business this is not like the models

when I started in the industry 30 years

ago where you would go to travel school

and you would work for a call center or

a mom and pop agency or one of these uh

kind of outfits out in the world that

would hire you as an employee you are

going to be operating as a contractor or

potentially even an independent travel

advisor working with suppliers directly

there's a few different ways to kind of

structure your business and get started

so there's different options options but

in all of the options you have to do

your own learning you have to do all you

know protect your own business and do

those extra steps that will be required

the good news is you can learn that

information and it is doable I just want

to make sure that it's on your heart big

enough to do it in a way that you can be

dedicated to it you can really put the

effort that it's going to take to get

into the industry so if you said yes

check on that check on one and check on

two then I would say go ahead and

continue your journey take the master

class as kind of the next step in

learning more after you watch this video

today so let's talk through a couple of

the different setups when you were out

there in the industry so first and

foremost you could go with the most

traditional which is go through you know

a four-year University where you're

earning a tourism degree a lot of people

don't like that because it takes four

years it's how you can't start earning

money a few months from now and so that

makes it more difficult no one can take

that degree away from you so that's

always a positive but I will say we have

just just as many students come through

our programs that have uh degrees or

backgrounds in travel um that just don't

know how to make it relevant in the

actual real world because when you're

earning that tourism degree it doesn't

always teach you how to run your

business in the real world and so

there's a little bit of a gap there even

once you earn your degree you still have

to figure out how to set up successfully

from home same thing with some of the

longer uh certifications available in

the industry now we offer a a

certification as well in our

certification you can earn that in a

12we period um we give you the study

guides all the information that you need

to earn your certification I think one

of the biggest differences between our

certification and some of the more

traditional certifications in the

industry would be that yes you have to

go through the process of earning it

it'll be more of an e program with the

other guys um and it can take one to two

years to earn your certification and

then once you earn it they will bill you

an ongoing certification fee every

single year you have to take a test to

keep your certification up and relevant

every one or two years depending on

which one you pick the difference with

wandless campus and through the charism

vacation certification becoming a travel

adviser you do it once and when we

update and give new information we give

it to our students we don't charge you

an extra fee for that so there there'll

be a difference there just in terms of

you have to figure out the long-term

commitment so there's there's that piece

as well now with um the traditional

certifications outside of you know

tourism uh degree uh the more

traditional certifications um there's

not a lot of how to set up your business

in those certifications right how do you

work in the real world how do you

actually get your business up and

running and there's certainly no

Hands-On personal support to do that

process with you so that can be

sometimes a struggle for people as well

um now if you're working with wandless

campus we have a full team of course

that's going to help you with that

you're working working with real humans

and ours is the only program where you

actually can get instructor-led

education you can also get a private a

mentor that works with you through that

process as well so again it's really how

you like to work look at all the options

and see what feels good to you what

resonates best um and then our learning

is on demand as well but you can show up

to those live classes so lots of

different things to consider there now

the one option we haven't talked about

yes yet is actually just working with a

travel host a lot lot of people think

this is going to solve all their progam

problems they're going to work with an

agency an agency will hire them and

they're going to give them all the

training and all the support and all the

tools and all the resources that they'll

need while that sounds good in theory

what I want everyone to really

understand is how our industry works

again you are not being hired as an

employee so you are a contractor which

means you are responsible for all of

your training you are responsible for

protecting your own business you're

responsible for making sure you do

everything anything required when you

are in a contract or relationship it's

actually not allowed that hosts provide

you with formalized required training in

any capacity because that would make you

an employee and that would violate the

employee contractor laws that are set up

by tax code so that's a really risky

situation for them to provide training

which they're they're kind of in a

catch22 some of them I'm sure would love

to give you amazing training but they

they're not really allowed to do that or

make it require

and what that creates is they can sign

you up and call you a travel agent

tomorrow but it doesn't mean you

actually know how to do the job of being

a travel agent it doesn't mean you know

how to protect your own business as a

contractor it doesn't know it doesn't

mean that you know how to set up the

real systems like Marketing sales

service automation things that you

really need to have in your environment

to make your suc make yourself

successful in today's environment and

that's where that model sometimes breaks

down and can be really difficult and

overwhelming we have two types of

students that come to wandless campus

half come because they're brand new and

they're like I just want to do it right

from the beginning teach me how to do it

do all the things right um and their

brand new agents are learning how to

become an agent and how to set up their

business they just kind of want to get

to the answers and then the other half

of the students that come to us usually

they have started in a hosting model but

they found that they're overwhelmed

they're lost they're confused the stuff

isn't coming together and some of these

hosting models have 20 people some of

them have 10,000 people and so it's

really easy to feel lost in those

environments and you sign up and you're

paying a monthly fee but if you're not

seeing any growth is it really a

profitable even hobby for you so that

becomes difficult as well so you have to

decide early on in this journey if

you're in that kind of aspiring phase

decide which type of person you are more

comfortable kind of moving ahead with do

you want to get all the proper

information training support from day

one and just do it right one time or do

you want to kind of gamble roll the dice

and try one of these other methods and

kind of DIY until you kind of figure it

out just budge it in a much longer

learning curve because you will be doing

it in a silo uh kind of on your own and

so that becomes difficult for a lot of

people so we like to give you all of the

options then one that I didn't really

talk about today it goes into it more in

the in the master class but I'm not a

big fan of travel mlms there's a lot of

mL of course they don't call themselves

mlms and I'm not going to mention them

by name just by that's not kind of what

we do here from a business perspective

but I will say you need to be very

cautious about reading hiring contracts

reading terms and conditions making sure

you're not getting into more of a

recruit your friends kind of model you

that you know and sometimes

unfortunately what we're seeing happen

even from students that come in to

wandless campuses they say well I

thought it was going to be this because

they told me this but then I got in and

they said well where you make the real

money is recruiting your friends why

don't you do XYZ and what it really is

is kind of like you know one of those

pyramid deals that's not you know the

the those types of Agents just aren't

taken really seriously in the industry

and the sad part about it is some of you

guys don't even realize you're signing

up for those until it's too late and

then you're in a contract so really

really be careful again take the master

class it will give you some more

information on really how to avoid those

situations and to help you on your

journey so my role as an indust as an

educator in the industry and the founder

of wandless Campus is to just give you

the information and make the decision

that's right for you I always want you

to start with what your goals are if you

start in the place with what your goals

are you will you will always make the

right decisions start with what your

goals are and then trust your gut as you

vet different options that are out there

in the industry if you want to learn a

little bit more about what we do you

definitely can reach out to uh to us at

travels school.com or if you want to

talk to our enrollments team go to cison

vacation.com

readynow and you can make an appointment

with our enrollments team so we can

learn about what your specific goals are

and if it's a match to work together

we'd love to talk to you about what we

do at cism vacation and wandless campus

to help you get your travel business

launched and started the right way and

get you into uh earning while learning

mode that's what we're kind of known for

in the industry and of course check out

all of our case studies here on YouTube

we have the most industry case studies

uh showing the types of results that we

get for our clients we have well over

200 of those documented right here on

YouTube so guys I hope this was helpful

for you if you were thinking about

getting into the industry in 2024

whether you're working with us or not I

wish you so much love so much abundance

I wish you the world as you get started

it really is an amazing industry to be a

part of and I hope you'll join us soon

so I'll see you guys next week happy

holidays again don't forget to sign up

for the holiday gift guide as well I'm

going to put all the link links that we

talked about in the videos down below

I'll see you guys next week bye

[Music]

guys hey guys Cindy Williams here if you

like that last video make sure you check

out all of the other content on our

Channel and if you want to follow along

and travel with me around the world and

see how I run my amazing travel Brands

and get some great tips on how to grow

your own

make sure you check out that other

content I'm going to drop a couple

videos here click those links I'll see

you next time bye

[Music]

[Music]

guys