How to Become a Luxury Travel Advisor in 6 Steps

If you love to travel, are willing to work hard to grow and own your own business, and appreciate the finer things in life, you don’t want to miss having a dream career at a luxury travel company.

With Andavo Travel, you experience the Andavo Advantage Program, which includes competitive compensation and commissions, a 20+ year relationship with Virtuoso, and an array of networking opportunities you wouldn’t achieve elsewhere. It truly is travel avising elevated.

But where do you begin? Here are six steps to becoming a luxury travel advisor.

1. Gain Travel Industry Training and Experience

Start looking for a host agency that offers training, resources, and personalized support. Andavo Travel’s Advisor Advantage Program puts you above the rest. With our Professional Development Manager, you will be guided through our comprehensive program, where you will learn about the luxury travel industry, how to work with suppliers, and business acumen. Gaining industry experience in any field is helpful, so consider working for an airline, cruise line, hotel, or traditional travel agency. As you work in the travel field, you’ll gain valuable insights to help your clients when you’re ready to start your business.

2. Nurture a Passion for Advising

Luxury travel companies are good at what they do. They provide clients with unique, one-in-a-lifetime travel experiences. Luxury travel advisors are familiar with the unique and extraordinary facets of travel. Not everyone is familiar with this form of travel, but it doesn’t mean it’s not easy to learn. To familiarize yourself with this form of travel, start by reading high-end travel blogs and books. It also helps to follow luxury travel influencers on social media. Spend some time researching premier hotels, experiences, and destinations.

3. Build Your Network

Starting a successful luxury travel agency begins by building your network. A network is a group of potential clients who may use your travel services later down the road and professionals who can help create your business. To build your network, attend luxury travel trade shows and industry events. Attending these trade shows will connect you with destination specialists, luxury travel professionals, and other representatives. Andavo’s partnership with Virtuoso travel agency will help connect you to important people and resources.

4. Obtain Certifications

While optional, obtaining certifications will demonstrate to your clients that you have the expertise and are committed to providing an exceptional experience. Being certified also opens doors for opportunities and professional credibility down the line. So, what certifications should you earn? We suggest the Certified Travel Associate (CTA) or Certified Travel Counselor (CTC), both from The Travel Institute. You can also be certified by luxury-specific certifications offered by reputable industry organizations.

5. Experience Luxury Travel Firsthand

Now comes the best part of becoming a travel agent for a high-end travel company–experiencing the travel yourself! The more you travel, the more you’ll become an expert from your own experiences. To accomplish this, take advantage of familiarization trips (FAM trips) that travel suppliers often offer. They are unique opportunities that will help you gain a firsthand experience in luxury travel. Investing in luxury travel experiences will expand your horizons, help you gain perspective on how your clients will travel, and help you get more marketing material for your business.

6. Market Yourself and Your Business

How will your clients know about your services? Marketing your travel skills will expand your clientele and help educate your clients. Work on creating a strong, sophisticated brand that speaks to the luxury travel crowd. Some travel advisors prefer creating a website, but many utilize social media platforms to highlight their curated travel offerings. Partnering with a host travel agency, such as Andavo, will help you with marketing materials to help leverage resources, reputation, and support.

Join Andavo Travel

What’s the most essential step to becoming a luxury travel advisor? The most important step is joining Andavo, a superior host travel agency. We’ve partnered with Virtuoso travel agency to provide access to the world’s top travel suppliers, training seminars, and support team—all benefits from the Andavo Advantage Program. Not only do we provide incredible access to many luxury resorts, we help you grow your business with exclusive marketing materials, commission tracking, and much more. We provide our advisors with higher commissions and fantastic travel experiences for your clients. Learn how we can help you become a luxury travel advisor today!