Do people even use Travel Consultants to book travel anymore?

The short answer is yes! Travel Consultants still serve a purpose especially when booking complex itineraries, group travel, or travel to a new or exotic location.  While online bookings have taken away the cheap or easy to book trips, this means that Travel Consultants can focus on trips that need more TLC.  You might be surprised to know that even 42% of millennial (those people who are glued to technology) use Travel Consultants to book their vacations.

What does a Travel Consultant do?

A career as a Travel Consultant can be very exciting, but it is also a position that requires a lot of attention to detail.  It is both challenging and rewarding.  First and foremost this is a sales and customer service profession.  A basic explanation of a Travel Consultant’s job is someone who researches and books travel on behalf of their client via a supplier.  The Travel Consultant will also be required to build invoices for their clients, take payment, send out e-tickets, and answer any question that the client may have.

How does a Travel Consultant make money?

Travel booked through a supplier typically has commission built into it, and in the odd case where it is not you will charge a booking fee.  The supplier pays the commission to Flight Centre who in turn pays West Canadian Travel.  As a Sub-Contractor of West Canadian Travel, you earn a percentage of the commission based on the travel bookings you complete, as outlined in our compensation agreement.  You will get a pay statement at the beginning of each month that includes all commission that was received for your sales in the previous month.  Commission is paid to you by West Canadian Travel on the 15th of each month.

Do I have to build my own client base or will I receive sales leads?

The majority of your business will come from your own networking and referrals.  Sales leads that are generated from West Canadian Travel marketing initiatives are distributed among Travel Consultants who are actively working to grow their businesses.

Will I be required to work specific hours?

No!  The number of hours and even the place that you work is completely up to you.  You could work from the comfort of your own home, no long commutes, and spend more time with your family (actually watch your kids grow while making money!).  This being said, if you do not have at least 10 hours weekly to learn and grow your business you may find it difficult to keep up with this ever-changing industry and build your client base.

What kind of equipment or supplies will I need to purchase in order to do this job?

This is a business that is simple to operate and has a very low overhead cost.  You will need a phone, computer, and access to the internet – that’s it! All booking systems are web-based and you can login to them from anywhere in the world.  You will also be eligible for tax write offs for everyday work expenses (please speak to an accountant for exact details).

There are other travel agencies I could work with as a home based Travel Consultant, why work with West Canadian Travel?

When you compare us to other host agencies that will fully train you and does not require previous Travel Consultant experience, it is easy to see the advantage in being part of our team.

• Generous commission structure – other agencies that do not require previous experience will offer you 40% minus a marketing fee on each booking, which will actually average out to 33% commission split.  We can offer more commission as we have lower overhead costs and no brick and mortar stores.
• Commission paid out when it has been received – other host agencies will only pay out your commission after the client has departed, which means you could actually wait months before earning any income, we pay commission when it has been received from the supplier.
• Partnership with a highly recognized travel retailer – Flight Centre is a global travel company, their large buying power means that you will earn more commission, have more product choices, and a terrific support team.
• Extensive training opportunities – Some host agencies will only teach you how to sell a specific product, such as cruises.  We will teach you to sell all types of travel so that you will truly become a full service Travel Consultant.-
• Rewards, incentives, and recognition – We do like to have some lighthearted competition!  In addition to smaller monthly incentives, we also have a large yearly incentive and yearly awards.
• Access to exclusive FAM trips and discounted travel – A reward for your hard work, there are always opportunities to take advantage of industry familiarization trips and discounted travel for yourself and your family.
• Very low start up costs, annual and monthly fee – Our start up fee will include your training and training materials, 1 box of business cards, set up of e-mail, personal web page, accounting and technical support.  The start up fee is $650* plus GST.  A $39 monthly fee is collected quarterly and is waived for your first two months of selling, however Travel Consultants who meet a minimum sales target will receive a refund for their monthly fees.  A yearly errors and omissions insurance fee of $150 is charged in March.  This insurance fee is mandatory to be able to sell travel and will protect you from any costly mistakes. If you are already an experienced Travel Consultant, please contact us to learn about discounted start up fees.
• Join a fun team! – our team of Travel Consultants enjoy attending events together and helping each other succeed.