The travel industry is booming and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. In 2023, the estimated revenue size of the industry is over $870 billion USD, and it’s only going to get bigger in the coming years. So, if you’ve ever thought about becoming a Marriott travel agent, there’s never been a better time than now. Boardwalk Travel Agency makes it so easy for you to get started, meaning that anyone can realize their dreams of being a travel agent! Boardwalk works with all the major brands, including Marriott. So, if you’re a fan of Marriott hotels and resorts and want to book trips with them, here is what it takes to become an agent today.
What Does a Marriott Travel Agent Do?
A travel agent works as a liaison between the customer and various travel opportunities and companies. As a travel agent, you’re in charge of helping clients plan, book, and enjoy their trip as much as possible. Here’s a quick overview of each step of being a Marriott travel agent, as well as an agent with other major travel brands.
Planning
Most people know where they want to go, but their first question is always, “What can I do there?” Each spot has its own unique amenities and attractions, and it’s up to you to make recommendations based on the client’s needs and wants. For example, let’s say that you field a call from a 35-year-old woman who wants to book a family-friendly vacation in Florida. During the planning phase, you’ll have to ask her for information about elements like:
- Budget – How much is she willing to spend, and how much can she spend on accommodations and entertainment?
- Preferences – Does her family love Disney, or are they more of an outdoorsy group? What kinds of activities do they enjoy doing the most?
- Family Type – Are there small children in the family, or are the kids older? You have to consider children’s ages when planning or booking anything.
- Trip Duration – How long are they staying in their desired location? What are their primary goals for the trip?
This phase is crucial, as it will affect every other stage of preparing for their trip. So, it’s imperative to get as much information as possible so you can do your job properly.
Booking
Knowing what your client wants to do is one thing—booking everything is another. As a travel agent, you have to know who to call and how to book for a third party. You have to consider factors like:
- Timeline – Is your client looking for a last-minute trip, or are they booking far in advance? Some attractions may not sell tickets too far in advance, or they may be sold out if it’s a last-minute vacation.
- Cost – What is your client’s budget, and how flexible is it? Ideally, you can figure out how to get them discounts and perks to help them save more money. Their satisfaction is your gain.
- Restrictions – Some attractions or accommodations may have guidelines and restrictions, so you have to study them before making any final plans. For example, if you’re booking a dinner theater, does the company offer dietary changes as needed? What happens if someone can’t eat dairy or gluten?
- Logistics – How far are the client’s preferred attractions from their hotel? How long will it take to get to these places, and what kind of transportation will they use to get there? You also have to budget for delays and setbacks, as they always happen, particularly if the locale is foreign to the client.
Enjoyment
Once everything is booked and finalized, it’s your job to ensure that your client enjoys their trip as much as possible. The best way to do that is to provide a comprehensive and detailed itinerary. This document should have all the information your client needs to make the process as easy and streamlined as possible.
Some elements that may be included in the itinerary are:
- Flight Information – If you’re booking a flight to a destination, you need to provide your client with dates, times, and airport information.
- Booking or Confirmation Numbers – Many accommodations or attractions require some kind of verification. These numbers should be easily accessible or easy to print.
- Tickets and/or Vouchers – Your client needs tickets with the right names and dates printed on them. If you can secure free vouchers, those also have to be part of the itinerary.
- Timelines – Although you can’t control your client’s moves during their trip, you can provide handy guidelines on when and how they should travel to their next attraction. For example, if a museum or landmark is one hour away with traffic, you can notify them to leave 90 minutes before their scheduled arrival time, just in case.
- Customer Service Calls – If your client has an issue with a booking, you should be available to walk them through the next steps. Since you’re the one who handled their itinerary, it’s easier for you to know what to do if there’s a problem.
Why Become a Marriott Travel Agent?
Although you won’t be working for Marriott directly, you’ll have access to a wide variety of its hotels and resorts around the world. Marriott is one of the top hospitality companies worldwide. With such a quality reputation and an extensive list of properties, it’ll be easier to accommodate your clients and ensure they have the best trip possible. Also, because you’ll be an independent agent with Boardwalk, you can book with other brands like Hilton, Disney, and many more. This means you can expand your customer base and accommodate your clients more efficiently.
Top Benefits of Becoming a Marriott Travel Agent With Boardwalk Travel Agency
As you can see, being an independent travel agent can be a lot of work, but it’s also super rewarding. Best of all, Boardwalk Travel Agency makes it even better for independent Marriott agents with these great benefits.
Flexibility
When you work as a travel agent for a larger company, you have to meet quotas and deadlines to get your next paycheck. At Boardwalk, there are no minimum sales or clients you have to handle. You can work as little or as much as you want. This flexibility makes it easy to add “travel agent” as a side hustle or to create an accommodating work-from-home career. Plus, since you’ll be able to travel more often, you can pick up clients whenever you’re not exploring the world.
High Commission Rates
Another primary downside of being a travel agent for a big company is that they take a large portion off the top. At Boardwalk, we believe in empowering our agents, which is why we offer 70-percent commission rates. Not only are these rates the highest in the industry, but they’re high enough that you can focus on customer service, not closing sales. We believe in having high-quality agents who care about their clients’ travel experiences. So, offering such a high commission ensures you can focus on fewer clients while still bringing in substantial income. Plus, the more you work, the higher your commissions and the more financial freedom you get to experience.
Tons of Support
As we mentioned, being a travel agent can be hard work, especially if you’re juggling multiple clients simultaneously. Plus, if you don’t already have experience as a travel agent, there can be a relatively steep learning curve. So, to help you be as successful as possible, Boardwalk Travel Agency offers comprehensive user support. If you have a question or come across an issue you’re not prepared for, our team can walk you through the next steps. We’ve seen it all, from missing bookings to lost tickets. Don’t worry if a question seems too simple or basic—we’re here to help, no matter what.
Travel Perks
If you’re helping clients book their dream vacations while giving them steep discounts and bonuses, that can be a powerful motivator to travel for yourself. Thankfully, Boardwalk offers travel perks and discounts for agents that meet specific requirements.
These perks can add up to steep reductions in rates and benefits. In many cases, you’ll be able to travel to several dream destinations much sooner than you might think. Plus, as Boardwalk grows and enhances its partnerships with other airlines and related industries, those perks will only become more valuable.
What it Takes to Be a Successful Marriott Travel Agent
Although anyone can become an independent agent regardless of their experience, the job does come with some challenges. You’ll have flexibility and control over your workload, but it’s still imperative to use all the right tools and training services possible to deliver the best service. Here are some tips on what you may need to provide excellent travel agent services and thrive at Boardwalk Travel Agency.
Self-Starter Mentality
Typically, when working as a travel agent, you’ll receive calls or requests from different clients. You must meet certain quotas to stay on the job, and you have no control over who you work with or how many clients get assigned to you.
That said, having full flexibility over your schedule can make it hard to carve out enough time to do your work. Whether this will be a side hustle or your main source of income, you need to maintain a regular workload to succeed. Here are some options to help you get into work mode more often:
- Create a Designated Work Area – Working from home comes with a lot of benefits, but distractions can also come easily. If you set up a designated work area, it’s easier to get into the right mindset and tackle the various tasks on your to-do list.
- Set a Schedule – While you don’t have to clock in and out for a specified shift, it’s still a good idea to have a set schedule. You can start with a couple of hours and then add more time as you get used to the workload.
- Minimize Distractions – Even if you’re in a designated work area, you can still get distracted easily. For example, you can avoid using your phone for non-work-related tasks. Similarly, you can use headphones to eliminate noise distractions and stay focused on work.
People Skills
The main aspect of being a travel agent is working closely with your clients, usually over the phone. While you can correspond via email and SMS messages, phone calls allow you to discuss details more easily. So, you must be able to talk to a variety of people during the work day. Fortunately, since you’re helping them with your travel plans, these conversations should be pretty enjoyable. However, since problems can occur outside your control, you also need to know how to handle complaints.
Another skill that can help you succeed is the ability to make recommendations and sell different travel packages. Because your sales commission is so high, the more you can sell, the more you can earn. Best of all, you’re providing your clients with the best travel experiences, so they’re getting a good deal for their investment.
A Love of Travel
When you love what you do, you don’t have to work a day in your life. As a travel agent, you can share your appreciation of all things travel-related with your clients. When you’re excited about planning and booking a trip, that excitement can help your clients get jazzed up about their own excursions and adventures. Best of all, since you’re working on making plans for other people, it will be much easier to do the same for yourself. Plus, since Boardwalk Travel Agency offers discounts and perks for its agents, you can save money and travel to more places.
Finally, as you start traveling more, you can start pitching packages and offers based on your own experiences. When you’re able to explain how it works from firsthand knowledge, it’s much easier to get other people on board with the idea. It’s a win-win situation.
Basic Hardware
Having the right mindset and personality can go a long way in this industry, but you also need the right tools to do the job. Since this is a work-from-home business, all you need is a computer, an internet connection, and a phone to field calls.
You may decide to invest in other equipment as your business grows (an extra monitor, a headset, an upgraded desk or chair, etc.). But when you’re just starting out, you just need to be able to talk and book. That’s it!
Become a Marriott travel agent With Boardwalk Travel Agency
If you’re ready to make your travel dreams come true, let Boardwalk Travel Agency help you make them a reality. As an independent agent, you can take charge of your life and start earning the money you want while doing a job you love. Get started with our program and start helping clients today!
