The Travel Institute's 8th Annual Promote Your Professionalism (PYP) kicks off June 28. The month-long event is an annual opportunity for travel advisors to apply for scholarship funds to bolster both their business skills and their travel industry knowledge.
The nonprofit has supported more than 3,100 students in endowed scholarships to date across its flagship, three-tier certification programs since PYP's inception in 2014.
"Not all agents are equal," said Diane Petras, CTIE, president of The Travel Institute, the recognized global leader in travel industry education. "Truly professional travel agents do so much more than check availability and book tickets-they are successful industry experts able to navigate complex protocols, policies and fees, provide counsel on the fine print and much more," she asserted.
Travel advisors can apply for scholarships by completing the Travel Institute's scholarship form through the end of July. Programs available are Certified Travel Associate, CTA; Certified Travel Counselor, CTC; or Certified Travel Industry Executive, CTIE, programs. Scholarship values are as high as $275, depending on certification level.
In addition, the Travel Institute is offering a number of free webinars focused on developing and promoting agent professionalism throughout the month:
--July 12, 2 p.m. EDT: How to Harness Your Grit and Tenacity in the Age of COVID; Linda Kaplan Thaler, CEO & President of Kaplan Thaler Productions, best-selling author and advertising expert
--July 21, 2 p.m. EDT: Turning Your Credentials into Cashflow; Anne Smith, CTIE, ECC, Owner, Travel and Events Extraordinaire
--July 28, 3 p.m. EDT: Increasing Your Circle of Influence; Kim Specht, CTIE, industry consultant
"Anyone can hang out a shingle as a travel agent today but saying 'I'm a travel agent' is very different from achieving and maintaining the level of education and experience needed to do the job well," said Petras. "Our goal is to create better agents and to help consumers find them. This serves travelers, travel agents, and the travel industry all very well."
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