Independent Travel Agent jobs

By Holly Reisem Hanna

A travel agent is a person who sells, researches, and books travel arrangements for a consumer. Home-based travel agents generally work for a host agency (A company that is bonded and accredited by the Airlines Reporting Corporation and/or the International Airlines Travel Agents Network) as an independent contractor, thus being allowed to collect commission on travel arrangements booked.

Starting a home-based travel agency business is easy and has a relatively low start up costs. Some items that you will need are a computer, Internet access, a phone, fax machine, a printer, and a website to promote your business. Many host agencies offer home-study courses for a few hundred dollars that give you all the tools and training necessary to get you started working from home.

So if you enjoy travel, have excellent communication skills, an extensive knowledge of places, and you like to do research, a home-based career as a travel agent may be the perfect work at home opportunity for you.