Agent to Agent: Should I Choose a Specialty?

Dear Tammy: I’ve only been working as a travel agent for a few months now and am wondering if I should choose a certain travel niche to specialize in? I feel like I would be a better travel agent if I focused on a specialty vs. being a general travel agent. What do you think?

Tammy: I think if you feel like you would be a better travel agent if you were to focus on a certain traveling niche, then you should go for it! Carving out your special place in the travel industry is definitely recommended when you're planning your path, as this will help you find success as a travel agent. Since there are lots of agents travelers can choose from nowadays, doing what you can to make yourself stand out is always a good idea.

What you need to do now is decide on what type of specialty you want to focus on, which should be something you know you would excel in selling. You could specialize in selling destinations overall, group tours, budget traveling, ocean cruises, river cruises, family vacations, luxury vacations, adventure travels, business travels, wedding and honeymoon destinations and more.

Your next step is to find out everything you can about your chosen specialty, which includes keeping up with your niche so you're always sure to be on top of what’s happening. Travel agents who have chosen to specialize in a certain travel niche are seen as experts in that particular niche, so make sure you fully educate yourself on your topic. If you don’t, then your clients will know.

While choosing a traveling niche to specialize in is an absolutely great idea as it will help you stand out, keeping the following in mind when choosing your travel specialty is a good idea.

—The majority of travelers are now looking to buy vacation packages and/or tour packages. Although there are more people than ever traveling nowadays, they’re still looking to find the best travel deals.

—Ocean cruises were an extremely popular travel option the past couple of years. The ocean cruise traveling trend will continue, especially now that so many ocean liners are upgrading their traveling options.

—All-inclusive resorts continue to be a top traveling choice. Travelers love the idea of paying up front for all of their expenses so they don’t have to think about it while enjoying their vacation.

—Travel agents who have decided to specialize in luxury vacations, river cruises and adventure vacations, tend to bring in more than the average income of a travel agent.