A travel agency manager works to provide travel products either to the end users or various organizations that make these products available for consumers. The responsibilities of travel managers vary depending upon whether they are self employed or working for an organization. The responsibilities typically include the following:
- The travel agency manager is responsible for developing strategies to promote the business.
- He needs to maintain various records related to the business as well as the budget.
- He is also responsible for selling various travel packages and products and ensuring that a good profit margin is earned.
- A travel agency manager also needs to travel to a few destinations to gain knowledge about the travel experiences.
- This manager is also responsible for establishing contacts with travel partners, various airlines, etc.
- The manager also has to resolve customer inquiries and complaints.
- He is also responsible for managing the staff members who work under him.
- The travel agency manager continually has to motivate the other employees to perform better.
- The manager has to evaluate the performance level of the employees.
- The manager is also responsible for recruiting employees.
- The travel agency manager also needs to decide about the remuneration and pay packages of the employees.
A travel agency manager also needs to have several skills that are important for the effective functioning of the agency. The manager needs to have excellent communication skills as he has to deal with employees, customers, directors of the organization and many other people during the course of his business. The travel agency manager also needs to have good interpersonal and motivational skills so that he can always push the sales team to excel. These managers also need to have IT skills as the reservation system used these days is computerized. In addition they also need to have good problem solving and analytical skills.
Training helps travel agency managers to excel. With relevant training/internship, they can refine their skills and knowledge. Practical training teaches a lot about the important aspects of a travel agency. A self employed travel agency manager can undergo training by joining a training institution. Those managers who are working for some organization can either receive on the job training or join a training institute that has been referred to by the organization.
The salary that a travel agency manager gets depends upon the level of skills that he possesses. A skilled manager will fetch a better salary than one who is not skilled. Though experience is not a pre-requisite for becoming a travel agency manager, yet most organizations that employ these managers prefer those with prior experience in the field of travel and tourism. These managers work in a very friendly environment. They generally do not have to do any field work as most work is done in the office premises. Also the job may include using computer systems. Traveling may be required sometimes and work times are very flexible.
These managers have good prospects of career growth and development. Those working efficiently can even get promoted to a better position in the organization. These managers may also enjoy several benefits that are offered by various organizations. These managers may even get the job of training the staff once they have gathered sufficient experience.
With a boom in the travel and tourism industry, the job opportunities in this industry have increased and are becoming an attractive career prospect. Online travel management is also becoming a very popular career option that is attracting a lot of young people.
