Post job

Best travel consultant certifications

Travel consultant certifications allow job seekers to demonstrate their competency as an travel consultant to employers. However, not all travel consultant certifications provide the same value for job seekers.

The best certifications for a travel consultant are Travel and Tourism Professional (TTP), Certified Travel Associate (CTA), and Certified Travel Counselor (CTC).

Below is a list of the best travel consultant certifications. Obtaining an travel consultant certification will give you a leg up when you apply for jobs and increase your potential salary.

9 best travel consultant certifications

1. Travel and Tourism Professional (TTP)

Travel is an exciting, multi-faceted business for service oriented professionals that want to work independently or for a variety of employers.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? Yes
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)

2. Certified Travel Associate (CTA)

The Certified Travel Associate (CTA) program teaches front line travel professionals how to close more sales, improve efficiency, expand geography knowledge and fine-tune customer service skills, all while earning widely recognized industry credentials.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? Yes
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)
Certifying website
Certified Travel Associate
Certifying organization
The Travel Institute

3. Certified Travel Counselor (CTC)

The Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) program teaches agency owners and managers how to analyze new business opportunities, develop marketing strategies, negotiate, and manage more effectively. Graduates will learn how to grow their business while earning recognized industry credentials.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? Yes
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)
Certifying website
Certified Travel Counselor
Certifying organization
The Travel Institute

4. Travel Agent Executive (TAE)

The Travel Agency Executive (TAE) Certification is for management-level, travel agency professionals with a current CLIA Affiliate Agency who are may or may not also be full-time selling travel agents. This certification is for people in the role of executive, director, accounting manager, marketing manager, ecommerce manager, or someone who works in a leadership capacity.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? Yes
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? No

5. Certified Travel Industry Specialist (ABA,)

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? No
  • Renewal required? 
Certifying organization
American Bus Association

6. Certified Management Accountant (CMA)

The CMA (Certified Management Accountant) is the advanced professional certification specifically designed to measure the accounting and financial management skills that drive business performance.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? Yes
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)

7. Certified Destination Specialist (CDS)

Our Destination Specialist programs span the globe providing you with essential knowledge for you to understand the destination as well as help you create the kinds of experiences your customers expect. Our courses focus on the geography, culture, essential sites and attractions, travel tips, and sample itineraries that will help you create memorable trips for your clients. Along the way, your study will provide you with information to enhance the traveler's appreciation of what they will be seeing, tasting, experiencing, and even help guide them on what they may choose to bring back for souvenirs.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 5 year(s)
Certifying organization
The Travel Institute

8. Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)

With experience, the RHIT credential holds solid potential for advancement to management positions, especially when combined with a bachelor's degree. Although most RHITs work in hospitals, they are also found in other healthcare settings including office-based physician practices, nursing homes, home health agencies, mental health facilities, and public health agencies. In fact, RHITs may be employed in any organization that uses patient data or health information, such as pharmaceutical companies, law and insurance firms, and health product vendors.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
  • More than two years of work experience required? No
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? Every 3 year(s)

9. International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA)

ACAT seeks to ensure that all accredited individuals possess both the theoretical knowledge and the practical knowledge necessary to be successful practitioners. For that reason, candidates for accreditation must satisfy an experience requirement before becoming fully credentialed: three years of related work experience, up to two of which may be satisfied through college credit. Related work experience includes verifiable experience in accounting, financial services, or other field requiring a practical and theoretical knowledge of the subject matter covered on the ACAT Comprehensive Examination for the International Accredited Business Accountant. Those who pass the exam but who have not met the experience requirement may market themselves as having passed the ACAT Comprehensive Examination for International Accredited Business Accountant, but are not entitled to use the IABA designation.

Certification details
  • More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
  • More than two years of work experience required? Yes
  • Oral or written exam required? Yes
  • Renewal required? No

What is the best certification for a travel consultant?

The best travel consultant certification is Travel and Tourism Professional (TTP). The Travel and Tourism Professional (TTP) is awarded by the International Air Transport Association. This certification is great to have as it shows an improvement in your competency to perform your role. You can earn this certification at the beginning of your career, as it often doesn't require a minimum education level and work experience.

Here's a bit more background on how to obtain this travel consultant certification:

  • To become a certified Travel and Tourism Professional (TTP), you need to pass the exam.
  • This certificate requires more than two years of work experience.
  • Renew certification every 2 year.

What are some of the most in-demand certifications for travel consultants?

The most in-demand travel consultant certification is Certified Travel Associate based on all active job postings. Having this travel consultant certification will give you access to more travel consultant jobs with higher salaries.

Best certifications

The most common combination of travel consultant certifications include: Travel and Tourism Professional (TTP), Certified Travel Associate (CTA), and Certified Travel Counselor (CTC).

Online courses for travel consultants to earn certifications

Advertising disclosure

1. International Travel Preparation, Safety, & Wellness

coursera

Whether you've traveled before or not, living and working overseas can be challenging. Learn how best to prepare and make the most of your time internationally. This course will prepare you to work and live overseas. It explores the epidemiology of common morbidity and mortality among travelers and examines key prevention, safety, and travel medicine principles and services to contextualize risks and maintain wellness. The course reviews applicable interventions, appropriate vaccines, and...

2. Adding a Phone Gateway to a Virtual Agent

coursera

This is a self-paced lab that takes place in the Google Cloud console. In this lab you will continue working on your Pigeon Travel virtual agent and add a phone gateway to allow users to call into your virtual agent...

3. TRAVEL Hacking for Beginners: Cheap, Smart & Safe Travel

udemy
4.5
(306)

60+ World Travel Tips: Cheap Travel. Fear of Flying. Travel Motivation & Safety. Negotiation. Social Success Abroad...

4. Executive Travel Planning for Virtual Assistants

udemy
4.6
(412)

Manage flights, hotels, and car services for corporate travel like a pro! PLUS travel changes during a global crisis...

5. Building Virtual Agent Fulfillment

coursera

This is a self-paced lab that takes place in the Google Cloud console. In this lab, you will continue working on your Pigeon Travel chat agent and add context as well as setup fulfillment to lookup and store reservations entries in Firestore...

6. Travel Management Course (Skill-Based)

udemy
4.3
(396)

#1 Travel Management Course in the Industry .All you need to know to step into the Travel & Tourism Sector...

7. How to get Paid to Travel The World

udemy
4.1
(601)

Build an online brand from scratch and get paid to travel the world Full Time...

8. Travel Writing: Explore the World & Publish Your Stories!

udemy
4.7
(1,551)

Highest Rated Travel Writing Course ~ Ranked #4 on Buzzfeeds List of 23 of the Coolest Online Classes on this website...

9. Travel Photography: Take Beautiful Photos on Your Adventures

udemy
4.4
(454)

Capture amazing photos with our complete A-Z guide to travel photography: Equipment, Shooting, Editing, Sharing...

10. Travel Journaling: How to Write Extraordinary Travel Diaries

udemy
4.5
(1,048)

From the author of Globejotting: How to Write Extraordinary Travel Journals (and still have time to enjoy your trip!)...

11. Travel Hacking and Credit Card Reward Basics!

udemy
4.4
(263)

Credit cards offer HUGE sign up bonuses!...

12. DIGITAL NOMAD MASTERY - How to Travel The World for Free

udemy
4.3
(302)

How You Can Explore the World in Luxury or On a Shoestring as a Digital Nomad...

13. Start Your Traveling Ministry - Itinerant and Evangelistic

udemy
4.6
(390)

Ministry Training Institute. How do you get started with a traveling ministry?...

14. Travel! The Ultimate Crash Course to Living on the Road

udemy
4.7
(597)

How You Can Afford a Life of Travel and Adventure!...

15. Sabre GDS Training Sabre GDS Course Sabre GDS Tutorial

udemy
4.1
(464)

Sabre GDS Course from Basics to Advance Level Sabre Reservation Course Sabre GDS Course...

16. How To Work For Yourself And Travel The World

udemy
4.5
(472)

How to find your focus, determine the value you can offer the world, and focus on creating the life you want...

17. Learn Most Common Thai For Travelling. In Just 40 Minutes!

udemy
4.6
(311)

Learn Practical Thai in Just 40 minutes!...

18. Step by Step Mobile Phone Travel Videos

udemy
4.4
(373)

Smart Phone Video Creation made Easy...

19. Amadeus GDS Training Amadeus Course Amadeus Tutorial

udemy
4.1
(567)

Amadeus Course Step by Step Amadeus Course Amadeus GDS Training Amadeus GDS Reservation Course...

20. How to Market Yourself as a Coach or Consultant

udemy
4.7
(1,091)

Learn a Proven, Step-by-Step Process You Can Use to Package, Brand, Market, & Sell Your Coaching or Consulting Services...