How to Become a Luxury Travel Advisor [Full Guide for 2024]

Would you like to become part of the travel & tourism industry and help others experience the joys of luxury travel? If so, then a career in luxury travel advising may be perfect for you. Our guide addresses the traits and skills required for this job. It also provides essential information on how to become a luxury travel advisor, salary details, and the perks and downsides of becoming one.

What Do Luxury Travel Advisors Do?

The most common misconception about luxury travel advisors is that they lead a glamorous life, enjoying all the luxuries the world of travel offers. Although, as a travel advisor, you get to visit places that most people only dream of and, for example, be among the first to see a new hotel, the job comes with specific requirements and responsibilities.

So what is a luxury travel advisor? Expert advisors provide their clients with luxury hotels, restaurants, and transportation and prioritize their needs. Being a luxury travel advisor can often be a 24/7 full-time job—available to tend to their client’s needs to ensure a memorable travel experience.

There are many challenges that this job entails. You need to possess a palette of certain traits and skills for success. Consider some of the following unwritten luxury travel advisor requirements.

• A passion for travel 

• Good interactional skills

• Provide excellent client care 

• Establish a suitable connection with clients 

• Excellent problem-solving skills 

• A strong work ethic 
• Desire to learn and recognize opportunities for growth 

If you possess the above skills, a career in travel advising is the right choice. But if you don’t, you might want to dedicate your time to training and acquiring these skills before making this your career.

How to Become a Luxury Travel Advisor? [7 Steps]

One characteristic that can make your advisor’s job easier and more fulfilling is a love for travel. Becoming a luxury travel advisor means you’ll spend plenty of time researching luxury destinations, and if you have a passion for travel, doing so will be fun and engaging.

Consider the following seven recommendations on kick-starting a career in the luxury travel industry.

1. Sell Travel 

The goal of the luxury travel industry is to sell the ideal travel package, and clients are willing to pay a lot for this. The relationship between consumers and producers is based on people having their needs met by purchasing a product. Though people don’t need travel as a commodity like housing or food, travel still sells.

What is a luxury travel advisor to expect in terms of demand for travel? In 2019, the global luxury travel market was valued at around  $945.6 billion. It’s estimated to reach $1,198.3 billion by 2027. But what is most important when selling travel is for an advisor to identify the right clients, inspire them to fulfill their travel dreams, and put their knowledge to use to make those dreams a reality.

2. Find a Niche 

Before you identify the right clients, select a niche for yourself. A specialized product or service comes with a more significant earning potential in today’s industry. You can choose to become a luxury travel advisor who is destination-specific and specializes in a region or country that attracts robust tourism, such as France or Japan. If you decide on US tourism, consider investing in USA travel insurance.

Multi-generational travel is a good choice for those who grew up traveling with their immediate family, while honeymoons are perfect for romantic souls. The more you learn about your niche of choice, the better you’ll be at identifying client needs and attracting and keeping clients.

3. Get Proper Training 

While there’s no degree or certification required, it’s essential to know the travel industry. To identify whether or not you have the needed luxury travel advisor qualifications and need training, consider the following questions.

• Are you experienced in travel? 
• Have you traveled extensively?
• Do you have the means and extensive network and friends willing to travel?
• Do you have previous experience in planning trips? 

If you’ve answered “yes” to these questions, you could consider pursuing this career. And don’t be concerned if you don’t have prior experience. All you need is some hands-on experience related to traveling by becoming an intern at a travel agency or planning your friends’ vacations.

4. Decide Which Agency to Join

Becoming a successful luxury travel advisor is challenging without becoming part of a travel agency. A host agency can help you establish contacts with tour operators, airlines, restaurants, etc., offer the best properties, and book trips without a problem. But before joining an agency, research their commission model and average commission percentage and agents’ annual fees. Consider also what you’re looking for in an agency.

5. Educate Yourself 

Many expert advisors advocate staying on top of the game and continue learning about luxury travel advisor education. Products and destinations change rapidly and constantly.

You may not have enough time and resources to check out various hotels and cruise lines, but you could subscribe to online magazines and newsletters. You can also learn from the many digital platforms where luxury advisors share valuable experiences.

6. Establish Social Media Presence 

The best way to attract clients is to establish a robust online presence by starting a travel blog and setting up a website where potential clients can become familiar with your services. If you’re aiming to become a popular luxury travel advisor, updating your social media pages is essential—almost everyone does internet research before booking a trip.

7. Practice Dedication, Patience & Training

Becoming an advisor takes dedication and patience. It’s essential to take every opportunity to meet new clients and take advantage of all training and learning opportunities. Like any other career, this job also comes with its highs and lows, which is why being patient can take you a long way.

Key Takeaways

How Much Do Luxury Travel Advisors Make?

According to ZipRecruiter, the national average luxury travel advisor salary is $50,894/mo ($24/hr or $1,000/wk). California is the best-paying state in the US for luxury travel advisors, with the cities San Mateo, Berkeley, and Daly City topping the list of highest salaries.

Pros and Cons of Being a Luxury Travel Adviser

When deciding if this is the right career choice, consider the following pros and cons.

Pros

• Offers location flexibility
• Opportunity to become an independent agent once gaining experience
• Specialized niche options
• Decent paycheck

Cons

• Must be available 24/7 despite time zones
• Luxury travel advisor requirements (e.g., maintaining an online presence) can be  time-consuming and difficult
• Can be stressful

Conclusion

Choosing a career in the travel and tourism industry is a good idea for those passionate about traveling and possess the needed interaction skills to help them scale up in this competitive field. There’s no need for previous luxury travel advisor education for this job; it’s primarily based on personal skills, networking, dedication, and persistence. And traveling around the world means you’ll be dealing with foreign currencies for business expenses, so we suggest checking out these business credit cards for travel to simplify transactions.