What does a travel consultant do?
A travel consultant is responsible for organizing travel arrangements by recommending travel packages, inclusive of all details such as location, travel costs, amenities, and other related factors. Travel consultants confirm the client's preference, ensuring the execution of plans based on their best interests. They arrange the itineraries, reservations, and other specifics for the client's security and comfortability. Travel consultants should also consider factors that may affect travel plans, such as weather conditions and other booking complications, immediately notifying the client on plan adjustments.
Travel consultant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real travel consultant resumes:
- Manage small scale projects to ensure profile databases and scripts properly transfer information in GDS.
- Negotiate contracts, book event/meeting space; manage corporate housing for independent contractors, including RFP's and ROI's.
- Collaborate with other offices on VIP and unusual international reservations for better quality of reservations.
- Provide customer service by providing administrative support to associates using the online reservation booking tool Apollo.
- Modify business travelers airline, car and hotel reservations including exchanging tickets in emergency and non emergency situations.
- Book transportation and hotel reservations using a computer or telephone, collecting payment for transportation and accommodations from the customer.
- Coordinate transportation/reservations, utilize Apollo reservations software
- Operate Amadeus global distribution system to build air itineraries.
- Conduct monthly centrally bill account (CBA) reconciliation in DTS.
- Help arrange both corporate and leisure reservation using the Amadeus CRS system.
- Review all authorization and vouchers within DTS for errors prior to approval.
- Facilitate all airline contracts from start to finish; group air ticketing, passport and visa.
- Monitor and sort global distribution system (GDS) queues (or similar program) to maintain quality control.
- Conduct RFP's, and negotiate discounts with agencies, airlines, car rental companies and hotels as necessary.
- Utilize WorldSpan travel and reservation software.
Travel consultant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 33% of Travel Consultants are proficient in Reservations, Booking, and Car Rentals. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Travel Consultants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Reservations, 33%
Modified business travelers airline, car and hotel reservations including exchanging tickets in emergency and non emergency situations.
- Booking, 12%
Provided customer service by providing administrative support to associates using the online reservation booking tool Apollo.
- Car Rentals, 6%
Coordinate domestic/international flight arrangements, hotel accommodations, car rentals, train tickets and limo service.
- Hotel Reservations, 4%
Provide information and prepared and book all air, car, and hotel reservations for frequent business travel members.
- Corporate Travel, 4%
Cultivated customer relationships by providing superior service in all aspects of corporate travel, ultimately increasing potential for repeat business.
- Travel Industry, 4%
Tracked marketing demographics and performed related accounting functions using advanced travel industry software.
Common skills that a travel consultant uses to do their job include "reservations," "booking," and "car rentals." You can find details on the most important travel consultant responsibilities below.
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a travel consultant to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "travel agents must listen to clients’ travel needs and offer travel advice and information that meet those needs." Travel consultants often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "manage direct communication with tour operators, resort/property managers and transportation vendors (airline, rail and ground). "
Customer-service skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling travel consultant duties is customer-service skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "travel agents must be able to interact with clients and respond to questions and complaints in a friendly, professional manner." According to a travel consultant resume, here's how travel consultants can utilize customer-service skills in their job responsibilities: "provided vacation information and arranged travel reservations for customers utilizing points earned on various credit card redemption programs. "
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for travel consultants to perform their duties. For an example of how travel consultant responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "travel agents must ensure that the reservations they make are for the dates, times, and locations that match travelers’ schedules." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a travel consultant: "created detailed client profiles in the sabre program. ".
Organizational skills. travel consultant responsibilities often require "organizational skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "travel agents often work on itineraries for many clients at once." This resume example shows what travel consultants do with organizational skills on a typical day: "performed multiple tasks and organizational skills enhanced communication and customer service skills developed and organized sales material to increase client base"
Sales skills. Another common skill required for travel consultant responsibilities is "sales skills." This skill comes up in the duties of travel consultants all the time, as "travel agents must be able to persuade clients to buy transportation, lodging, or tours." An excerpt from a real travel consultant resume shows how this skill is central to what a travel consultant does: "checked in and assisted members with maps, books and any related sales of travel through aaa special preferred suppliers. "
The three companies that hire the most travel consultants are:
- BCD Travel158 travel consultants jobs
- Vail Resorts35 travel consultants jobs
- Accenture30 travel consultants jobs
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Compare different travel consultants
Travel consultant vs. Tour agent
A corporate travel agent assists people in planning, choosing, and arranging holidays. Corporate travel agents will work to the budget set out by those planning the holiday. They provide opinions and advice on the places to go as well as local tourist attractions, customs, and events. The characteristics of agents include enthusiasm, resourcefulness, people skills, and professionalism. They offer foreign and domestic travel services for their corporate clients. Also, they coordinate international and national travel for clients.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a travel consultant are more likely to require skills like "strong problem-solving," "booking," "car rentals," and "corporate travel." On the other hand, a job as a tour agent requires skills like "telephone messages," "sales floor," "data entry," and "crs." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that tour agents earn slightly differ from travel consultants. In particular, tour agents are 1.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a travel consultant. Additionally, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Travel consultant vs. Corporate travel expert
Each career also uses different skills, according to real travel consultant resumes. While travel consultant responsibilities can utilize skills like "strong problem-solving," "corporate travel," "travel reservations," and "airline tickets," corporate travel experts use skills like "gds," "customer service," "travel arrangements," and "real estate."
Corporate travel experts earn higher levels of education than travel consultants in general. They're 6.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Travel consultant vs. Corporate travel agent
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from travel consultant resumes include skills like "strong problem-solving," "car rentals," "corporate travel," and "travel reservations," whereas a corporate travel agent is more likely to list skills in "rental cars," "corporate travel arrangements," "corporate travel policies," and "tour packages. "
Most corporate travel agents achieve a similar degree level compared to travel consultants. For example, they're 2.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Travel consultant vs. Traveler
Types of travel consultant
Updated January 8, 2025
